Wilson McCutchan - ALP Candidate

Our Alberta Liberal Party candidate, Wilson McCutchan, has already begun his campaign to represent Calgary-West. For the past weeks he has been door-to-door meeting the voters and discussing their concerns.

What is clear, is that residents of Calgary-West are looking for an alternative to 40 years of old and tired PC government - and that a new Premier has quickly lost the shine and looks and acts like those before her.

Broken promises on a review of past queue jumping for health services and the intimidation of doctors and health care workers leads the pack of issues the voters will have to consider. Will it be change or the same old politics of the progressive conservatives. Albertans deserve better, and Wilson McCutchan will campaign on a platform of better ideas and options.

By-Election Call to Action

With the recent resignation of Ron Stevens as MLA for Calgary Glenmore and Cabinet Minister in the PC government, a byelection will be held sometime this year. The Board of the Calgary-West Provincial Liberal Constituency Association has been requested to assist with door-to-door campaigning, starting as soon as possible, with the objective of reaching every home in the riding at least once and, preferably, multiple times.

With the broad participation of Liberals Calgary-wide and indeed province-wide, success of the Liberal candidate (to be named this month) can be expected in view of the very disappointing performance of this tired PC government.

We are requesting all Calgary-West Liberals who can donate a few hours to this cause to email the Calgary-West Executive by June 12 and we’ll contact you just as soon as details regarding “when” and “what” become available.

This will be a great opportunity to bond with other like-minded folks for a terrific cause. If will also give anyone dispirited by the results of the election 15 months ago a chance to be reinvigorated by a contest in which enthusiasm and dedication can level the playing field. Those Liberals involved in the Calgary-Elbow by-election victory still fondly recall the pleasures of being joined with others in a cause that they believed strongly in.

Liepert Handing Out Cash Coming and Going

I mean after all that lobbying and special interest take-over of health in Alberta, Calgary-West MLA, Ron Leipert is ready to hand out money to almost anybody, whether they are coming to the health board or leaving the health board.

The people who sufffer?

Patients of Alberta's health care system and of course Alberta tax payers.

Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann is demanding an immediate end to perks for AHSB executives, noting that the money can be better used to seek out and hire more doctors and nurses and build more capacity at Alberta’s hospitals.

“Albertans learned today that Alberta Health Services Board executives are receiving raises of up to 25 percent, at a time when communities are losing obstetrics services and hospitals can’t create new beds,” says Swann. “They also receive up to $1000 per day extra up to four times a month just for attending public meetings. Most Albertans can only dream of perks like these.”
“These board members are taking home so-called honorariums that are worth more than most people make in a year at full-time jobs. And we’re asking seniors to pay more out of pocket for prescription drugs?”

The Alberta Health Services Board faces a deficit of $1.3 billion:

- $700 million for operational cost overruns

- Up to $600 million in capital cost overruns

- Nearly $6 million being spent on severance for the fired CEOs of the regional health authorities

- Consultancy fees paid to former AHSB COO Jim Saunders to the tune of $241,269.84

Alberta Liberal Party AGM April 25, 2009 in Calgary

All are welcome to the Alberta Liberal Party AGM, members are eligible to vote. To get a vote or run for the board of directors, members must register prior to April 24. More info.

One of the issues up for vote is the eligibility of young members. It is proposed that youth membership to the Alberta Liberal Party be dropped to 14 year old from 16 years old.

Michael Ignatieff in Calgary on April 6

Please join us for a grand cocktail party with Michael Ignatieff on April 6th. You can purchase your ticket online here through our secure web site . If you can't join us, but would like to make a donation you can still contribute online or even refer a friend.

Purchase your ticket here

The Grand Theatre
608 1st Street S.W., Calgary, AB
Monday, April 6th, 2009
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Cost of admission is $250 per person. Proceeds will go to the Liberal Party of Canada - Ignatieff Leadership. For more information please contact Shoaib Rasheed at (403) 615-3399 or shoaib.rasheed@gmail.com.


The ticket price of this fundraising event includes a federal political contribution and is subject to the contribution limits set out in the Canada Elections Act. This contribution is subject to the $1,100 limit for contributions to a leadership campaign; - Liberal Party of Canada – Ignatieff Leadership. If you have exceeded your leadership campaign limit or this ticket purchase exceeds you limit, any excess amount will be deemed a contribution to the Liberal Party of Canada for which you have an $1,100 annual limit. Only individuals who are Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents are eligible to make federal political contributions. A receipt for income tax purposes will be issued for an eligible contribution amount.

PC Caucus Calls the Shots - Creepy!

I'm on the Board for the C-W Alberta Liberal Constituency Association and I've wondered for a long time why every decision the PC government makes has to get CAUCUS approval! This weird set-up is extremely anti-democratic, since it's conducted in secret. Unless the PC MLA's, including all of the Cabinet members, except the one whose department is involved and perhaps the Premier, CHOOSE to disclose their positions, citizens have no knowledge of how their MLA stands on a great many decisions that by definition are in the public interest and therefore should be PUBLIC!

It's another example of how a party that's held power for so long, does things that don't make sense because they're only capable of stale thinking. Perhaps in the past, when a PC leader's hold on his position was tenuous, letting the caucus dictate was a necessary evil. It apparently continues "because that's the way we've always done it."

Since the last election, there are no pretenders to Special Ed's throne, serious, or otherwise, so he could tell the worst knuckle-draggers it's "my way or the highway." That might allow the "progressive" in PC to see the light of day once in a while, but that has apparently not crossed his mind.

It's mind-boggling that this practise is one of the lesser missteps of this gang, but, once I got over the bitter disappointment of the last election, the enormity of the outrage motivates me to continue to work for better government in Alberta.

Conservative MLA for Calgary-West "Whiners"

Ron Liepert, Alberta's Health Minister, goes after his customers - calls them "whiners".