David Swann: Blog

Dr. David Swann is the elected member of the Alberta Legislature for Calgary Mountain View and the Liberal critic for the Health and Wellness, Human Services, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Aboriginal Relations.

David Swann: Blog - Dr. David Swann is the elected member of the Alberta Legislature for Calgary Mountain View and the Liberal critic for the Health and Wellness, Human Services, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Aboriginal Relations.

Monthly Archives: October 2010

AUPE 34th Annual Convention

It’s time to give Alberta’s workers a bigger say.

Over the past weekend, I participated in the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees’ (AUPE) 34th Annual Convention up in Edmonton, and had the opportunity to connect with members one-on-one and hear their concerns about the future of the province.

It is so important for groups like the AUPE to be engaged in the political process, and this weekend was a real example in the power of organized groups to enact change and hold unresponsive government accountable. Unions, by organizing their membership and encouraging participation, set a good example for political participation that all sectors of society can follow.

It was an honour to speak to this hard-working group, and the warm and enthusiastic response I received from the crowd was both humbling and motivating.

The future of the province is at stake, and there are two visions of how to proceed. The government can continue to refuse to exercise leadership by stifling engaged organized groups such as unions, or we can choose to accept that our best days are yet to come, and strive to make them reality by working closely and intimately with such groups. The Tories and the Wildrose are just variations on the same theme, but the Liberals have a better way forward.

Overall, congratulations to the AUPE for the great organization and dedication that made this convention- which was their largest convention on record with 1,006 participants at the closing ceremonies- possible.

To read my full speech, click here

AUPE’s summary of the convention is here

On the Civic Election

Yesterday, across Alberta, citizens went to the polls to vote for their municipal representatives. I would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to all elected and re-elected representatives. I would also like to emphasize that all candidates, win or lose, deserve our gratitude for stepping up to run for office. The great interest shown in the election this year by voters is due to the quality of the candidates seeking office.

In Calgary, 53% of eligible voters cast a ballot. This is a great increase from the 2007 election. It is also refreshing and encouraging that so many young people reportedly made it to the polls. It just shows that when the effort is made to involve youth in the electoral process it can and will pay off. All parties should take a lesson from this.

I would like to extend my congratulations to Naheed Nenshi who will be taking over the Mayor’s chair. It was a hard fought and engaging race, Mr. Nenshi, Mr. McIver, and Ms. Higgins represented three different ideals and paths into the future for Calgary. Mr. Nenshi and many of the other candidates elected represent progressive, change-focused, sustainable visions. Albertans have endorsed progressive values and that is a great step forward for both Calgary and Alberta. I look forward to getting to know the great representatives Albertans have chosen.

The Future of Oil & Gas

I had the privilege recently of attending the ARC symposium and listening to Peter Tertzakian speak about where the oil and gas market is heading over the next ten years. Mr. Tertzakian provided great insight into the influence of government policy on the oil and gas market as well as the over-reliance on oil as opposed to gas. Mr Tertzakian emphasized that change in this market is inevitable and over the next ten year we are going to see a rather significant shift to the use of gas.

Mr. Tertzakian predicts that by 2013 the gas industry will experience a re-birth as a result. By 2016 the market will focus on gas and oil will be a “commoditized commodity”. This shift to natural gas is beneficial to the environment in Alberta as it represents a 25% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by comparison to oil and represents nearly a 50% decrease when compared to coal.

Mr. Tertzakian clearly stated that the government policy is the most influential force and that a constructive relationship of industry with government is essential to our future.

I believe a trust relationship between people and the government is even more important. The Stelmach government has failed both the oil industry and its citizens in assuring both high standards of production and reclamation and independent environmental and health monitoring.
I am committed to better stewardship to restore trust from citizens, industry and our customers.