Meeting David Swann the new Alberta Liberal Leader

It was good to meet David Swann, the new Alberta Liberal leader when I was in Calgary just after Christmas. There are similarities between David and myself - we are both physicians and we both care passionately about improving our provinces - economically, environmentally and socially.

David worked as a family physician and then as the Public Health Officer for the Palliser Regional Health Authority. But then, when David spoke out in favour of the Kyoto Accord and the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Tory-connected leader of the Palliser Health Authority got a call from the Conservative Environment Minister and David was fired. That was it. David made the decision to enter politics to "challenge a government he believes tried to bully him into silence."

David is dealing with some issues which are very similar to what I am dealing with here in Manitoba - including the continuing poor management of the economy, the lack of attention to ensuring taxpayers dollars are spent effectively and efficiently, and the need to deal better with environmental issues.