As if to reinforce his role as the proverbial bad penny of Alberta politics, Raj Sherman has turned up again – this time as Premier Danielle Smith’s man at the head of the Health Quality Council of Alberta.
Actually, Dr. Sherman has been back for a while – since June, anyway, when according to his potted biography on the HQCA website, he was appointed to a three-year term as chair of the provincial agency’s board of directors without the benefit of a public announcement or a news story.
One hardly knows whether to gasp or laugh out loud!
Dr. Sherman’s new official biography describes some of the highlights of his career – former MLA, Emergency Room physician, one-time president of the Alberta Medical Association’s Emergency Medicine Section, and leader of an unnamed Opposition political party.
But it glosses over the lowlights, most notably Dr. Sherman’s apparent ability to act as political kryptonite for any political party with which he is associated.
He is widely credited, with some justice, for single-handedly destroying the Alberta Liberal Party, which he led from 2011 to 2015.
After Dr. Sherman’s apparent conversion to the premier’s views on how to “reform” health care in the lead-up to the last provincial election, in which he ran as a United Conservative Party candidate in the Edmonton-Whitemud riding where he was crushed by NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi, perhaps Ms. Smith concluded history was unlikely to repeat itself in the case of the UCP.
Or maybe she decided her Teflon-like ability to slough off political disasters would apply to any that Dr. Sherman perpetrated, or perhaps that the good doctor’s personal kryptonite could be directed at Alberta Health Services, which she clearly intends to destroy.
Since Albertans weren’t told of Dr. Sherman’s appointment to the HQCA – which is charged with improving patient safety and the quality of health care – no one has really had a chance to ask him how he proposes to carry out that mandate.
Alert readers will recall that this is similar to the way we learned in June that former health minister Tyler Shandro had been appointed to the board of Covenant Health.
When Dr. Sherman turned up as the UCP candidate in Edmonton-Whitemud, the UCP didn’t seem too enthusiastic about him. But when they let him run for the nomination, he beat the party staffer who appeared to be the favoured candidate. Anyway, they were presumably confident he would be brushed aside by Ms. Pancholi, who is now NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi’s deputy leader.
In the leadup to the 2023 election, Dr. Sherman drove around in a Liberal Red Dodge Ram pickup truck with a colourful advertising wrap. He’d purchased the wrap – a weird counterpoint to former premier Jason Kenney’s Tory Blue Dodge Ram pickup – in hopes of running to replace Mr. Kenney.
That time the UCP wisely said no, diplomatically telling Dr. Sherman that he didn’t quite meet their requirements to seek the party’s top job, which thanks to the UCP’s majority in the Legislature came with the keys to the Premier’s Office.
Dr. Sherman is by all accounts a highly competent Emergency Room physician and a decent human being, but his political career exemplifies the journalistic cliche “a trail of devastation.”
Elected in 2008 in the riding of Edmonton-Meadowlark, he appeared to have a promising career in the Progressive Conservative Party. Well-spoken and respected for his medical work, he was named by Premier Ed Stelmach as Parliamentary Secretary to the minister of health and wellness, Ron Liepert.
But within two years, Dr. Sherman was starting to show the erratic tendencies that would be the hallmark of his political life.
In 2010, he gave premier Stelmach little choice but to fire him after he penned a rambling and sometimes incoherent email attacking his own party’s failure to reduce Emergency Room wait times and emailed it late one night to practically everyone.
Given the boot by Mr. Stelmach, Dr. Sherman followed up with a media interview attacking then Alberta Health Services Board chair Ken Hughes and Mr. Liepert.
In 2011, Dr. Sherman took a notion to run for the leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party, whose leader David Swann wanted to retire.
The Liberals had two excellent candidates for the job, capable MLAs Laurie Blakeman and Hugh Macdonald. However, the party foolishly decided to allow anybody to vote for their new leader, including non-members. So on September 10, 2011, Dr. Sherman won the Liberal leadership on the first ballot and became leader of the Opposition.
He was a disaster, partly because he believed he had all the answers – especially when it came to the problems of health care. For a spell, he managed to persuade quite a few Albertans that was so.
At one point Dr. Sherman tried to change the party’s name to the Liberalberta Party. That didn’t work out either, for reasons that are probably obvious.
In the 2012 provincial election, Alison Redford’s PCs formed a majority government with 61 seats. The Liberals – not long before a credible Opposition party – managed to win only five with Dr. Sherman at the helm. Still, that surprise kept the party’s heart pumping for another three years.
He quickly earned a reputation as a party leader who made startling revelations and strident claims about the conduct of the government and the health care system, then couldn’t back them up. His performance in the 2013 preferential health care inquiry was embarrassing.
His accusations, which contributed to the inquiry being called, amounted to very little, with retired judge John Z. Vertes concluding there were only a few minor incidents of patients receiving preferential access to care.
For that matter, Dr. Sherman didn’t seem all that interested in leading his party, which was described at the time as a group of independents who shared office space.
In January 2015, not long before the election that brought the NDP to power, Dr. Sherman decided to pull the plug on the Liberals, abruptly quitting as leader and saying he wouldn’t run again as an MLA.
On May 5, 2015, the NDP won a majority government in a general election. The Liberals elected only one MLA, an outcome for which Dr. Sherman surely deserves most of the credit. Dr. Swann, the only Liberal still standing, was pressed back into service as interim leader.
In the 2019, when Dr. Swann didn’t seek re-election, the Liberals failed to elect a single MLA.
Now Dr. Sherman is going to help Premier Smith save health care.
The UCP sure loves giving defeated UCP candidates big paying roles. It’s a very long and wide trough.
What seems to be evident is that the UCP wants to fulfill Ralph Klein’s dream, and get private for profit healthcare in Alberta.
Anonymous: I’m not certain this is a big-paying role. Indeed, without checking, I’m pretty sure it’s not. The rest of your statement, though, is far. DJC
“Dr. Sherman is by all accounts a highly competent Emergency Room physician and a decent human being…”
This is absolutely true. He was my ER doctor a few times and is an excellent diagnostician. He asks the right questions, good doctor.
I met with him one-on-one when he was Conservative MLA and I was labour activist rep.
That man was at that time a very frustrated MLA because his medical expertise/ideas were not listened to by his party. From there his career went on as you reported.
An excellent doctor does not make an excellent politician.
Trudy: Nor does an excellent doctor necessarily make an excellent health-care policy wonk, as Dr. Sherman proves. DJC
True David, so true.
“Health Quality Council of Alberta “…..Seriously? There actually is such thing?
My sister and b-in-law are not going to be happy about this ‘bad penny’ resurfacing as a UCP widget. They are still mad about the “defection” to the Liberals (2011).
Quite frankly, I don’t understand how some people can honestly say that they are 100 % committed to one party when the person they vote in can’t make the same distinction.
I wonder if Mr Sherman’s position & background had a hand-up from Jason Stefan and the “Black Hat Gang “. That should help with their agenda.
Just when you think that things couldn’t possibly get any ‘weirder ‘ in Alberta, Marlaina says hold my whiskey. If it wasn’t life threatening, literally, we’d be almost amused by the B-grade soap opera– ” As Alberta Spins “. Or does this fall into the category of the latest episode of the Twilight Zone ,Alberta style.
News clip about the Doctors/ health professionals leaving Alberta certainly counters all of the rhetoric about “substantial ” offers— in the near future, once we are sitting again.
Here fishy fish!! a nice shiny spinner for you……
Randi-lee: For a variety of reasons, I think both old red Tories, no longer welcome in the UCP, and the new TBA types are like to distrust and dislike Dr. Sherman, not without justification. This decision, like the appointment of Alison redford, strikes me as originating with Ms. Smith and her inner circle of advisors, many of whom come from out of province and don’t really get Alberta. DJC
Yes, there is quite the back story with Sherman! Not much more that can be said about his epic trail of political of destruction that at least makes Smith’s look better in comparison. Arguably Sherman led one of the worst examples of political rebranding ever, although perhaps soon to be surpassed by the former BC Liberals. However in fairness, there is also something toxic now about the word Liberal in some parts of Canada that seems very hard to try hide or get away from.
In any event, I’m not sure if this appointment is a reward for the damage done to opponents, an effort to keep him busy and away from the real political China or a recognition of his knowledge of and passion for health care. Perhaps it is all of these. Interesting he now joins the also very destructive former Health Minister Shandro as one of Smith’s recent eager beavers. At least they are cleverly placed in separate organizations where they are unlikely to run into each other much, if at all.
I suppose this role may keep Sherman from trying to run as a UCP MLA again, although not sure if they will do any better in Whitemud without him, at least maybe the political loose cannon has now been secured. But with Sherman you have to wonder if this will work or if he will yet again grow bored or become discontented and be drawn again to active politics like some are drawn to light.
I suppose Alberta could use a new bearer of the Libertarian torch, now that Smith seems to have given up on being one, if she ever really was. Just a mischievious thought.
Dave: On the contrary, I am certain Dr. Sherman plans to run again. He doubtless views this as a stepping stone to a return to the Legislature. DJC
Health Quality Council of Alberta:
“Disclosure of Harm”
“Healthcare providers strive to deliver care that is safe. But things don’t always go as planned, and sometimes people are harmed while receiving healthcare. Someone who has been harmed deserves to receive timely, open, respectful, and transparent communication. Disclosure is the practice that guides this communication.”
In others words, merely one more bureaucratic government merry-go-round/charade (there are many to choose from), surrounded by the standard kindergarten style “we listen-we care” bullshit, designed at its very core to be a mechanism to avoid legal liability by any means necessary, because the established power dynamics in society must be protected at any cost. The legal team, operating in the background, advising and directing the HQCA will ensure that it is so.
Further:
In human societies hierarchical power/dominance relations are predicated upon acts of violence towards both willing and unwilling subjects.
See for example:
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/08/12/civilian-seriously-injured-charged-pushed-by-plainclothes-police-officer/
In the healthcare/medical profession acts of violence [See for example,
“It is a great irony that medicine, the epitome of a healing profession, is often filled with forms of violence, sometimes necessary, sometimes unintentional, almost always unrecognized or minimized. In these instances, the patient becomes a kind of victim, treated differently and damagingly by a physician who (usually unwittingly) has set aside the patient’s humanity. In one formulation, “Medical violence is a curious product of the physician’s arrogance, trappings of technique, and the laity’s faith that medicine can solve all problems”.”
https://peh-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13010-018-0059-y
https://peh-med.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s13010-018-0059-y.pdf
] directed at the subject are consented to by the subject and the failures of those same directed acts of violence are certainly sometimes hidden away with noteworthy predictable consequences.
See for example:
“Complaints to managers, she said, are usually dismissed. “I’ve even been told to, like, ‘walk away’ and to not let it bother me and things like that…because I think it’s not in their wheelhouse of concern, I guess,” said Miryam.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/an-embarrassment-to-the-health-care-system-nurses-reveal-issues-they-see-on-the-job-1.6607334
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/frightening-broken-needle-left-in-woman-s-body-among-harrowing-tales-of-medical-errors-in-canada-1.5410613
So, if Raj Sherman was appointed in June, where’s the Order in Council? Has the UCP stopped publishing cabinet orders appointing people they don’t want us to know about? Are there secret Orders in Council now?
Wreck-it Raj to the rescue! It he can’t wreck it, nobody can.
He’s never been in a position to wreck anything in healthcare…? He was junior health mission very briefly. By all accounts he is one of the best MD’s in the province who has devoted his life to better healthcare for Albertans. He literally has pushed for LOWER wages for doctors and politicians (both of his occupations) and higher wages for nurses. Who else advocates to cut their own wages?
Sure, he’s wrecked political parties, but that’s a testament to their own weakness. He’s one guy.
The UCP was going to win anyway with or without him. It would have been better to have him in there as the guy who has the strength to stand up to his own party when they go too far. He’s a flawed politician for sure – but in a partisan system that demands blind loyalty and promotes complacency, a man of principle like him is essentially the Batman of democracy. He certainly is no White Knight – as he will always be criticized by everyone. He’s Edmonton’s own Dark Knight.
“Sure, he’s wrecked political parties, but that’s a testament to their own weakness. He’s one guy.”
Let’s hope he pulls out all the stops, then. The UCP has weaknesses.
Dave, Dipppers are great advocates for all
Human causes and make a great opposition.
But on the financial side of things, AB NDP, Justin and Jagmeet are like a glittery eyed Candyshop/ Toystore unholy trio that like cranking up the Federal debt credit card any as much as they can, to stack the votes, through excessive vote buying or just exercise bloated immigration to bust and smash our real estate markets and all public services, all just to get re elected.
Canadians and Albertans are hurting and reeling at our smashed public services and runaways debt and taxation. Mr. Nenshi is a likeable and smart leader and he would be wise to cut ties with J&J and listen to what Albertans want, esp long timers.
I’m voting conservative next time both Federally and and provincially.
On financial side of things? Really? Who was responsible for squandering our resource wealth for 80 years? Rachel and her time machine? Do you have any idea how much money we’ve lost being dupes, so that offshore money interests could profit natural resources that belong to all Albertans? Pull my other finger!
Yes, because Harper increased the Martin surpluses and Marlaina and Kenney haven’t wasted a dime. Checks definition of sober and shakes head
Sober Canadian: The NDP were in power in Alberta, for a mere four years. Meanwhile, we had almost 45 years of Alberta PC rule. It was the Alberta PCs who peed away Peter Lougheed’s rainy day savings on so many pricey shenanigans, left our core services gutted, from intense cuts, while leaving infrastructure in a mess. The NDP inherited this, and low oil prices, which started the year prior to the NDP obtaining power, compounded things.
The UCP are no different from what the Alberta PCs were.
Sober Canadian So while the true Conservatives were smart enough to support the NDP to try to stop these pretend Conservatives, Reformers, from creating a further financial mess for our children and grandchildren’s future you find it smart to support them, why? Can you explain where we are going to find the $260 billion and growing orphan well cleanup mess these Reformers created for our children and why are you willing to show them no respect?
Sober Canadian: It’s very hypocritical to see someone from Alberta mention vote buying, when that’s exactly what Ralph Klein was doing, and it’s what the UCP did. It’s one of the cunning ways they retained power, and people such as you fell for that.
What did these “Conservatives” really do for us in Alberta, for all those years? The worst oil royalty rates, and the worst corporate tax rates, which lost us over $700 billion combined. A gigantic orphan well mess that is at least $260 billion. Many other very pricey shenanigans, which cost us billions of dollars. The public services that we all rely on, were faced with deep cuts. Utility prices skyrocketed. Infrastructure was so badly maintained that it will cost us $30 to $40 billion, just to fix it all up. Thousands of jobs were lost. Poverty levels spiked. The environment was neglected.
We never saw this when Peter Lougheed was premier of Alberta.
Pierre Poilievre and the CPC are another bunch of pseudo Conservatives and Reformers, who have no interest in the well being of Canadians.
Where’s the intelligence in supporting these phony Conservatives and Reformers?
FWIW— Alberta’s unsung hero/Olympic sized gold medalist in the “backstroke”….
,
CITY NEWS — updated Aug 10
“Alberta’s UCP government contracted itself Friday regarding past comments made by Premier Smith and MLA Bouchard….”
I remember a Social Credit MLA telling me that he would like to become a Conservative because he fully supported everything Lougheed was doing and would like to work for him. However he felt an obligation to the Social Credit Party and the people who elected him and I agreed with him. Yet we continue to see these other fools showing no respect for anyone and more than willing to jump ship whenever they had to, to continue screwing the taxpayers out of their money and the fools are more than happy to let them, and support them, as long as they hide under the word Conservative that’s how ignorant they are. They still haven’t figured out that there is nothing conservative about these UCP Reformers while their property taxes continue to rise because of the way these Reformers are screwing them out of their oil and corporate tax wealth. You can’t be any dumber than them, can you? I still remember Ed Stelmach calling Dr. Sherman a Quack don’t you?
Alan K. Spiller: Were you ever involved with the Alberta PCs, before they got elected in August, of 1971? If Peter Lougheed were still with us today, I doubt that he would be supporting the UCP. You certainly have it right that there is nothing Conservative about the UCP. They are Reformers, like Ralph Klein was a Liberal, turned Reformer.
Anonymous. My late parents and two sisters spent countless hours volunteering for the Alberta Conservative Party long before Lougheed was ever elected premier and dad was donating funds to their party. I wasn’t involved until Klein almost killed my father with his healthcare cuts and Klein’s father Phil was as disgusted with him as i was.
I wonder what sinecure disgraced anti-vaxxer “Dr” William Makis will be getting since he’s now the TBA’s go-to medical lunatic?
Raj Sherman is probably a good emergency doctor but he certainly is a great opportunist.
“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” – Karl Marx
Farce is a nice word. A supposedly serious doctor involved with conspiracy theorists.
This man has been a disappointment and still continues the same way. I certainly would not have liked working with him in an emeergency room.
Do people have any principles of beliefs at all? They just sound to me like howler monkeys.
Hi Brian, Good to hear from you. I haven’t forgotten the time you and I, along with Laurie Blakeman gave talks at the U of A about what Ralph Klein was doing to us. What I found so disgusting from talking to students afterwards was the fact that the only students who cared were the Foreign Students who agreed with us and they were unable to vote.
Your dad Bob and I spent hours writing letters to the newspaper editors pointing out what Klein was doing to us and as usual we mainly got ignored. But it did help us get Mary O’Neil defeated in St. Albert.
With your dad being an Electrical Engineer and my father being a Power Plant Engineer we certainly knew what Deregulation of Electricity was going to do to us, and it has.
Go away ,quit the gig ,move on ,unmask your harm is all I say ,
Worse actor since ?
“Pennies From Heaven” could become the Dipper anthem.
Ram Sherman is the fecal equivalent of King Midas: everything he touches turns to shite.
Jerry: I prefer the gentler phrase “reverse Midas touch” to explain this phenomenon. DJC