According to the Edmonton Journal, government caucus whip Robin Campbell has confirmed that Edmonton-Meadowlark MLA Raj Sherman has been suspended from the PC caucus and will sit as an Independent MLA.
As the only medical doctor in the PC caucus, Dr. Sherman shook the political establishment last week with a bluntly worded email to the Premier, cabinet ministers, and his medical colleagues about the state of Emergency Room wait times in Alberta. On Friday, Dr. Sherman told the Edmonton Journal that he’d “had enough” and was “fed up.” In that interview, Dr. Sherman reserved some particularly harsh criticism for Alberta Health Services Board Chairman Ken Hughes and former Health Minister Ron Liepert.
Dr. Sherman is the fifth PC MLA to leave or be ejected from the governing caucus since the 2008 election.
Long-time Calgary-Glenmore MLA Ron Stevens retired in 2009. Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Guy Boutilier was kicked out of the PC caucus after speaking out about the state of health care in Fort McMurray in 2009. Airdrie-Chestermere MLA Rob Anderson and Calgary-Fish Creek MLA Heather Forsyth left the PC caucus to join the Wildrose Alliance in January 2010. Mr. Boutilier joined Mr. Anderson and Ms. Forsyth this summer.
There are now two Independent MLAs in the Legislature. The other is Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor, who left the Liberal caucus earlier this year.
21 replies on “raj sherman suspended from progressive conservative caucus.”
Wow! No room for dissent in Ed Stelmach’s world. Good for Raj.
Will he join the Liberals now? The Alberta Party? The Wildrose?
And the PC ship continues to sink deeper in the abyss. Sherman will have a better time as an Independent where he doesn’t have to tow the party line.
No word about Link Byfield resigning as Senator-in-waiting? I thought this was a hub for important Alberta political news.
Link who? Didn’t he used to publish a magazine that went broke?
Sherman is a nice guy. Any word if he’s going to join the Liberals? He was a Liberal member a few years ago and his riding was Liberal before he ran.
Thinking about the last comment could Sherman and Dave Taylor get together and create a new party?
They would be as big as the NDP and 10 times better. The Alberta Party could get their first 2 MLA’s.
I don’t see why Raj Sherman would join the Liberals. He’s already stated that he only ran for office to do something about the health care “crisis”, and as an opposition member he would be even less able to effect change. It sounds to me that he’s a one issue politician, so I don’t even know why the Liberals would want him.
If anything he should have been completely booted out, not suspended.
Matthew, are you on drugs? he stood up for his constituents and somehow that’s wrong to you? You’ll have to explain that to me, I’m having trouble understanding how you can justify the PC parties actions in this.
In my opinion it’s refreshing to know there is actually a Politician who isn’t a sheep and is willing to stand up and fight for, what I thought most of us want, a Health Care System that isn’t in chaos.
Raj Sherman is a man of integrity and has my respect.
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