News Archive

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02 March 2012

Smoking gun on Warlord Politics: Goudreau threatens school superintendent

Edmonton – A letter from a PC MLA threatening a school superintendent over apparent criticism of the government is a blatant example of a government which rules the province like warlords, says Official Opposition Leader Dr. Raj Sherman.

01 March 2012

Redford rewrites history on health care inquiry promise

Edmonton – One day after the fictional birthday of Superman, the premier has taken a page out of the comic books by employing “retroactive continuity,” an editorial technique used to streamline a character’s back story.

01 March 2012

Crisis in long-term care: one family’s heartbreaking story

Edmonton – When Audry Chudyk spent Christmas with her daughters and great-grandchildren, she was alert, happy and in good health. By February 14th, she was lying unconscious in her own wastes in long-term care at the Edmonton General. Had her husband Marrien not come to visit that very day, she would have been dead by the next morning.

29 February 2012

Alberta Liberal policy would provide real homeowner protection

Edmonton – In the wake of yet another condominium horror story surfacing, Municipal Affairs Critic Laurie Blakeman threw down the gauntlet today by challenging the province to “get off its butt,” stop stalling and immediately bring in meaningful and comprehensive homeowner protection measures. 

28 February 2012

Narrow scope of inquiry screams PC guilt

Edmonton – How do you know when a government is lying? When it changes its story from day to day.

28 February 2012

Panicking PCs bully doctors into short-term pre-election CON-tract

Calgary – Official Opposition Health Critic David Swann says the government is forcing a one-year salary scheme on doctors to avoid labour strife during the upcoming provincial election.

28 February 2012

PC government won’t protect Albertans from skyrocketing power bills

Calgary – Official Opposition Energy Critic Kent Hehr says Premier Redford’s lukewarm backpedalling on electricity prices shows that the PC government isn’t serious about protecting citizens from skyrocketing power bills, characterizing the flip-flop as an easy way to win votes in the upcoming election.

24 February 2012

Swann calls for Health Quality Council review of EMS

Calgary – In the wake of the scathing Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) report released Wednesday, Alberta Liberal Health Critic David Swann wants the HQCA to review emergency medical services (EMS) wait times.

22 February 2012

Health Quality Council report vindicates, disappoints Sherman

Edmonton – Alberta Official Opposition Leader Raj Sherman calls today’s release of the long-awaited Health Quality Council of Alberta report on quality of care and patient safety both a vindication and a disappointment.

17 February 2012

Premier a hypocrite on patient safety:  Sherman

Hospital workers owed an apology
Premier Alison Redford’s reaction to the AUPE hospital support workers’ wildcat strike reveals “a stupendous level of hypocrisy,” says Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman.

16 February 2012

Sherman stands behind striking hospital support staff

Edmonton – Official Opposition Leader Raj Sherman rallied striking hospital support staff at the Royal Alexandra this morning, and he will continue to support their call for fair treatment.

16 February 2012

MacDonald says PC government hiding the truth about its take from VLTs and slot machines

Edmonton – Finance Critic Hugh MacDonald says the government is taking a larger percentage of the cash played by Albertans in video lottery terminals (VLTs) and slot machine revenues than it claims, creating the illusion that the odds of winning are far better than they truly are.

15 February 2012

Sherman demands that Redford fire Carter, Griffiths

Edmonton – Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman says Premier Alison Redford must fire her Chief of Staff and require her Municipal Affairs Minister to either immediately apologize to the President of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) or resign.

15 February 2012

PC mismanagement of mental health services failing Albertans

Edmonton – Alberta Liberal Health Critic David Swann says government mismanagement of both inpatient and outpatient mental health services is putting Albertans and their families at risk.

14 February 2012

Statement: Sherman Apology to Town of Penhold

Yesterday the Official Opposition issued a news release suggesting that a cheque for $609 from the Town of Penhold to the Innisfail PC association may have been an illegal donation.

14 February 2012

AUMA boycott puts PC arrogance on full display

Edmonton – The PCs are lashing out at Edmonton City Councillor and Alberta Urban Municipalities Association president Linda Sloan. The crime? Criticizing the budget. The punishment? A boycott of Thursday’s AUMA breakfast by all PC MLAs and Ministers.

14 February 2012

Government threatens Alberta’s natural heritage, economy by allowing logging in Castle Crown

Edmonton – Harry Chase, Alberta Liberal Critic for Tourism, Parks and Recreation, says the government’s stubborn refusal to stop logging in the Castle Crown threatens water, wildlife, tourism and Alberta’s international reputation.

13 February 2012

No dignity for Albertans who die in provincial care

Edmonton – Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman reveals a deplorable government policy that robs children, AISH recipients and the poor of the dignity of a decent burial.

10 February 2012

Donationgate, Part Four: The Jasper Connection

In Alberta, important public servants such as city councillors, school boards and university officials are routinely invited to donate taxpayer money or participate in partisan political fundraisers for the governing Progressive Conservative Party. These public servants feel immense pressure to comply for fear of losing provincial government support for their communities.

09 February 2012

Alberta Liberals offer budget honesty while PCs hide behind a coward’s budget

Edmonton – Official Opposition Leader Raj Sherman says Alberta Liberals are being honest about their fiscal plans for Alberta, while today’s budget reveals Premier Redford is trying to please everyone with a pre-election spending spree and unrealistically high revenue predictions.

08 February 2012

Official Opposition sets ambitious agenda for spring session

Edmonton – Official Opposition Leader Raj Sherman says his approach to the spring session has one goal: to show that the Alberta Liberals are the positive alternative to the current government’s waste and mismanagement.

02 February 2012

Logging in the Castle threatening grizzlies

Edmonton – Laurie Blakeman, Official Opposition Critic for Sustainable Resource Development (SRD), says logging in the Castle Crown Special Management Area further threatens Alberta’s tiny population of grizzly bears – a species already listed as “Threatened” under Alberta’s Wildlife Act.

01 February 2012

The Warlords of Alberta, Part Three: County of Camrose

In Alberta, important public servants such as city councillors, school boards and university officials are routinely invited to donate taxpayer money or participate in partisan political fundraisers for the governing Progressive Conservative Party. These public servants feel immense pressure to comply for fear of losing provincial government support for their communities. In effect, powerful government MLAs are acting as warlords, intimidating local officials to toe the party line.

31 January 2012

Bed bugs biting Alberta seniors

Edmonton – Official Opposition Leader Raj Sherman and Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman say the state of some publicly funded seniors’ accommodations is unhealthy and an affront to the human dignity of Alberta’s seniors.

31 January 2012

Statement: Sherman on pipelines

Yesterday interim federal Liberal leader Bob Rae suggested that he does not approve the construction of the Northern Gateway oil pipeline. Alberta Liberals respect Mr. Rae, but he is on the wrong side of this issue.