Provincial leadership race is here

July 18, 2022

Dear Members,

This week marks the application deadline for any individuals interested in running for the leadership of the United Conservative Party of Alberta. The candidate list will be announced thereafter. Given that the October 6 vote will determine who will lead the provincial government as premier into the May 2023 provincial election, I wanted to comment for members who may be wondering what the AMA has to say on this.

Recent public polling from ThinkHQ Public Affairs shows that “ensuring quality of health care” is one of the top two issues of concern for Albertans at 61%. Meanwhile, 73% selected trust in government as their primary concern. No other issues come close, including education, employment, climate change or even COVID.

Given this, at our meeting this week (July 21-22), the Board will be discussing how to best help members to be informed of the various positions of the candidates. We also hope that physicians aligned with the UCP will be able to engage in the process in a way that encourages discussions about health care. Few things are of such importance at this time.

I will write again soon. You can reach me any time in the following ways:

• Communicate with me privately and directly by email if you would like a reply: president@albertadoctors.org.
• Comment publicly on this President’s Letter (please be aware that comments are public, i.e., not members-only, even if you are logged in as a member). 

 Sincerely,

Vesta Michelle Warren, MD, CCFP, FCFP
President, Alberta Medical Association