REFRESHING LIBERAL
IT’S CLEAR THAT DR. RAJ SHERMAN IS A SOOTHING MEDICINAL BALM FOR THE BOREDOM CAUSED BY HIS PREDECESSORS.’
Perhaps the biggest irony in this provincial election is that the best Alberta Liberal Party leader since Laurence Decore 20 years ago, may wind up suffering the worst outcome ever.
For those of us who have sat through editorial board meetings with previous Alberta party leaders and watched past televised political debates, it’s clear that Dr. Raj Sherman is a soothing medicinal balm for the boredom caused by his predecessors.
During a meeting with the Herald editorial board Monday, Sherman, the charismatic and telegenic emergency room physician and former Progressive Conservative, articulated a party platform that was coherent for the most part, not hostile toward the oilsands (save for the carbon tax) and has the very best and simplest plan to fix health care of any of the other party leaders.
Sherman’s editorial board meeting was energizing and fun. Those of his predecessors were once described by a colleague as a “black hole that sucks all the energy and joy out of a room.”
In the past, two very bright Liberal leaders, Kevin Taft and Dr. David Swann, led their party with sincerity and decency, but very little passion or creativity. While they both continued to attack and be hostile toward the oilpatch — the very lifeblood of this province — they seemed surprised at their century of being shut out of power.
Sherman’s platform — with the exception of saying he wants to raise taxes and bring in a carbon tax — is quite credible. With regard to health care, Sherman is vowing to build many more non-profit, publicly funded long-term and continuing care beds that will remove “bed blockers” from taking up costly acute care beds in our hospitals and into more appropriate care in a place they can call home. He also plans to increase the amount of home care in the province, the cheapest option of all.
As he points out, the Progressive Conservatives have been promising more long-term care beds — it was one of the major planks of Ed Stelmach’s 2008 election campaign — and there are currently fewer longterm care beds today than there were then despite a growing and aging population.
Sherman is also not afraid to call a truth-challenged opponent the L-word.
“Alison Redford lied in the debate — she lied,” declared Sherman, referring to Redford’s pledge to establish 140 unbudgeted Family Care Centres and claiming that the Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) are in favour of her plan, when they have clearly stated they are not.
In a letter dated April 12, the ACFP wrote that Redford made a “misrepresentation” of its support for the Family Care Centres. “The ACFP is disappointed with the communication surrounding this election promise and more specifically, was falsely reported as being supportive of the expansion,” states the letter.
“I’m shocked the premier would lie to score cheap political points,” added Sherman. It’s a strong statement and something we would never have heard in the past.
When asked to comment about a poll done for the CBC that indicates that Liberal support in Calgary seems to be flowing to the PCS in an effort to cut the Wildrose Party’s strength, Sherman was so entertaining, everyone in the room laughed.
When Sherman contemplated a Wildrose government being questioned by a PC opposition in the legislature, he was worthy of a standup routine, whether you agree with his position or not.
“Why would you have a very right-wing government and a corrupt right-wing party that caused all the problems as your opposition?” he asked rhetorically.
“What are they going to question? What are they going to complain about? ‘Excuse me, you didn’t privatize enough, or you privatized too much, or too fast. Or excuse me ... you didn’t neglect those seniors enough.’ It would be an absolute joke.”
Many Albertans, including myself, actually thought Sherman performed the best during last Thursday’s televised leaders’ debate.
“(The Tories) are begging, they are begging the same people they have been beating up for 20 years, they’re begging them for their support.”
So, the Liberals finally found the right leader at a time when the Wildrose provides a real alternative to the PC’S. Despite Sherman’s many abilities, that’s what you call bad timing.
LICIA CORBELLA IS A COLUMNIST AND THE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR. LCORBELLA@CALGARYHERALD.COM