David Swann’s Blog

The Legislative Assembly is set to begin Thursday, February 4th at 3pm. This is an exciting year of opportunities for the Alberta Liberal Caucus. As your MLA, and the Leader of the Official Opposition, I have heard from Albertans across the province that simply want common sense in our government!

We’re looking for a clear plan from the Stelmach administration. Where is a plan for dealing with serious problems in our economy, our energy sector, public services, education and health care?

Here’s what the Official Opposition will be focusing on during this session, as we roll out new policy on economy, healthcare and the environment:

Strengthening the Economy- Albertans have the right to expect responsible planning and disciplined spending, while protecting our basic human services. It’s time that this government was held accountable for decisions that have slowed our economic recovery and threatened our future stability.

I will work hard to see that the diversification of Alberta’s economy and energy plan remains a priority, while focusing on increasing the success of the oil and gas industry in this province on multiple stakeholder levels. The Alberta Liberal Caucus will be following up on Dave Taylor’s well-received policy on the oil and gas industry, launched last week. If you would like to read more about our new oil and gas policy for Alberta, please click here

Revitalizing Healthcare - It’s time to go BACK TO BASICS. Every Albertan deserves a family doctor, and all seniors in this province deserve quality affordable long-term care.

The Lieutenant (Health Minister) has changed, but the General (Mr Stelmach) remains the same. I’m afraid that we will see more serious problems in people’s ability to receive timely care from a health professional – including prevention.

Protecting Social Services – In these difficult economic times it is especially important that social services remain available for our society’s most vulnerable persons. Persons with developmental disability and their care-givers are reasonably upset by threats to reduce basic services, safety and health.

The Alberta Liberal Caucus has long challenged the Alberta government to provide more funding for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) support programs. We deeply disagree with the recent decision to force $6 million in cuts. It demonstrates this government’s willingness to sacrifice vital services for the bottom line.

Defending Education – A large part of my job is bringing forward the issues and concerns of my constituents – I have heard from students, parents, teachers, and trustees from within the constituency and across this province who are all concerned with impending funding cuts to the education system.

Education is the most basic investment we can make in our economic and social wellbeing. All students have the right to receive the best possible education. As Alberta’s Official Opposition, the Alberta Liberal Caucus will continue to challenge the Stelmach Administration to adequately fund the education of Alberta’s children, both K-12 and post-secondary.

In a time when there is so much wasteful government spending, there’s no justification to slash public health care, public education or crucially important programs, like those serving people with developmental disabilities. To read a listing of alternative cuts that an Alberta Liberal government would make, click here. We are interested in your thoughts on our proposal.

I want to hear from you and your ideas on how to make this great province of ours greater for all Albertans. Please contact me at: calgary.mountainview@assembly.ab.ca

David

An exciting day for Alberta Liberals. Our Energy Critic Dave Taylor announced our new Oil and Gas Policy, the first of a set of new policies that clarify and refine our Party position on this vital industry for Alberta and Canada. Dave’s
consultation process with the stakeholders in the oil and gas industries was long and detailed. His creation of our policy statement and the discussions behind it speak volumes about his dedication to the job at hand.

Our caucus is preparing additional policy announcements in the other critical areas of concern to Albertans, where the tired Stelmach regime has dropped the ball so badly.

Look for more policy announcements in coming weeks.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Alberta Liberal Caucus, I send thoughts and prayers to the people of Haiti and to the Haitian community here in Alberta.

As a young medical student, I spent time working with the people in Haiti. I understand how a natural disaster can create huge suffering for its citizens who are already having difficulties in their day to day lives.

While not much can be done to prevent natural disasters from happening, I trust that Albertans and Canadians countrywide will come together to assist in the recovery and rebuilding of Haiti.

My colleagues and I support any and all efforts by our governments, provincial and national, to assist the people of Haiti in their recovery from this disaster.

David

The Alberta Liberal Caucus’ website, liepertmustgo.ca, continues to attract over 200 visits per day and has now received close to 1000 submissions from Albertans who are sharing their experiences with Alberta Health Services under the current Minister.

The Liberal Caucus has appealed last week’s order by the Legislature Assembly Office to take down the site, as I consider it our job as Alberta’s Official Opposition to help Albertans speak out on the issues of concern and to amplify their voices. I believe passionately in the power of voices united.

What we’ve heard is very concerning. I’ve included a few quotes from stories we’ve received below.

We’re not asking for Ron Liepert to be removed as MLA, only as Health Minister. This is an issue of policy, not personality.

With the recent announcement of an impending cabinet shuffle, we will soon find out if Ed is listening.

Albertans deserve better – and will get it if they persist.

David

Visit liepertmustgo.ca

Excerpts taken from liepertmustgo.ca:

“I am a medical Resident who works in Calgary. I have seen firsthand the devastation the health reforms and mismanagement […] While on ICU, we had a patient who had been waiting for transfer to the ward for so long that he was actually ready for discharge from ICU. Only he needed 3 additional days of ORAL antibiotics. We tried to give him a script for the drugs, but being homeless, he could not afford to fill the prescription. The inpatient pharmacy is now restricted in terms of giving meds to patients at discharge (ie. they can dispense one day’s worth, but not more – because of budget cuts). So this gentleman, with no medical bed (only an ICU bed) was required to stay in ICU for 3 additional days, because the hospital would not give him $25 of antibiotics (The Math: 3x $2000/day ICU stay = $6000 cost, because we can’t give him $25 of free antibiotics)”

“My mother (68 years old) was on the waiting list for a routine colonoscopy for two years before she was called for an appointment. The terrible thing about this situation was that she was diagnosed with colon cancer before she was able to get the colonoscopy.”

“I used to work as an RN in Alberta. I saw more and more RNs on my unit being replaced by LPNs. It was getting so dangerous for the patients that I had to leave; I couldn’t work in an environment where money was more important than patient safety and their lives. The LPNs were nowhere near knowledgeable or competent enough to deal with the high acuity of the patients. None of them were

Two Tory back-benchers jumped to the WRA today, raising the stakes for Mr Stelmach’s government. While I don’t have much interest in getting into ‘domestic disputes’ (these are disenchanted Tories) this opens up the sensible center where the Alberta Liberals stand. People are hungry for moral government with a business-like approach to financial management, resource development, and public services. Elected Tories are now going to make a decision about staying with a sinking ship, moving hard to the Right or moving to the center, where a balance of public and private provide for Alberta for the longer term.

This is good news for political revival in Alberta!

David

The Alberta Liberal Caucus believes that all students have the right to receive the best possible education. Alberta’s students should not have to suffer as a result of inadequate planning by the Stelmach Administration. Albertans saw what happened in the early 1990s when this Government made drastic and painful changes to our education system under the cover of a sham consultation process. Now it seems as though those mistakes are being repeated.

As Alberta’s Official Opposition, the Alberta Liberal Caucus will continue to challenge the Stelmach Administration to adequately fund the education of Alberta’s children. A large part of our job as Official Opposition is bringing forward the issues and concerns of Albertans – we have heard from students, parents, teachers, and trustees from across this province and we want to bring forward your concerns to the government and to the public.

This government needs to start viewing education as an investment priority, rather than a liability. The Alberta Liberals have a plan for fiscal sustainability that would see money properly invested in the Heritage Fund, where it could then earn interest to fund government initiatives, of which education should be a priority. Details on our fiscal and education policies can be found on our webpage at www.albertaliberalcaucus.com

We’d like to hear from you on this issue. To contact us click HERE

David

This week, the Stelmach administration will attempt to ram Bill 50 through the Legislature. Bill 50 takes away the rights of Albertans to have a say over the construction of new electricity infrastructure. Not only is the Premier taking away your say – the Stelmach administration’s plans to build billions of dollars worth of new power lines and force consumers to pay 100% of the cost will raise every Albertan’s power bill by hundreds of dollars a year.

Call the Alberta Liberal Caucus’ toll free number: 1-888-886-2834,

Or, visit www.bill50.ca

To tell us your views on Bill 50, the importance of genuine public consultation, or rising electricity costs. Record a question you’d like us to ask the Premier or his cabinet on your behalf. We’ll ask some of those questions in the Legislature, so that Premier Stelmach and his cabinet understand that Albertans have a say in the issues that affect them.

November 11th is a bittersweet occasion, for it commemorates the end of a great war and a return to relative peace, while at the same time honouring and mourning the sacrifices of our veterans.

November 11th is a day of hope and gratitude, sadness and reflection. Though I’m not a veteran, I’ve seen firsthand the terrible human cost of war, and I share the profound hope of all human beings that one day the world will know true peace.

It may sound contradictory to say that peace is what our veterans fight for, but it is nonetheless true. For there can be no peace without freedom of expression, without human rights, without freedom from tyranny. Our veterans defended these universal human values in the massive wars of the 20th century, and they continue to do so today in wars that may be smaller in scale but no less dangerous for our men and women in uniform. Indeed, we are reminded of the human cost to our troops at regular intervals, and our hearts go out to the families of the fallen.

This Remembrance Day, I ask all Albertans to pause for a moment of genuine and heartfelt contemplation. We must all do our best to understand and respect the sacrifices of the citizens who stand up to defend us and to defend the weak and helpless overseas, and to keep the peace in the world’s most troubled regions. We have so much to be grateful for here in Alberta and in Canada, and the men and women of our armed forces deserve our gratitude.

David