Ron was first elected as an MLA for the constituency of Calgary-West, November, 2004. He served as the Minister of Education and most recently is taking the heat for the health care woes in Alberta.

Ron was born is Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, where his primary education began in a one-room school house. After his senior high schooling, he moved to Alberta and enrolled in the Columbia School of Broadcasting. Mr. Liepert accepted Premier Lougheed's invitation to become press secretary where he served from 1980 to 1985. His government connections kept him busy in a number of high profile conferences and negotiations for the province.

In 1991, he joined Telus and was involved in the negotiations to purchase Ed Tel and the BC Tel merger, also contributing to the rebranding of AGT to Telus. He then ran his own PR company for four years before returning to his interest in politics.

Some Calgary West members know Ron as a former board member of the Pinebrook Golf and Country Club - where he still likes to find time to play a round or two. Ron recognized Rotary's involvement with the Rotary Flames House at the Children's Hospital. The Alberta government contributed 4 million dollars from lottery funds to join Rotary and the Flames in the initiative.

There are changes in the wind in health care. Alberta has chosen to reduce taxes and not implement new ones, such as a sales tax. Other provinces have a stable income stream from a sales tax, but Alberta is largely reliant on resource revenues. Just over a year ago, oil was around $130 a barrel, gas was near $12 and the Canadian dollar was around 75 cents relative to the US dollar. This year the average price of oil is projected to be $75, gas about $4 and the dollar will likely be close to par. For every $10 change in the price of a barrel of oil, it costs the provincial treasury $1 billion, for every dollar change in the price of gas, it's another billion dollars and for every 4 cent change in the dollar it is a further billion dollars. Do the math.

The Alberta government has promised to hold the line on spending for the next two years, including freezing salaries, to balance the books in three years, even though Albertans' expectations remain high. In answer to the frustration Liepert heard on the 2008 campaign trail, he and his department created the province-wide Alberta Health Services Board, moved operations for Emergency Medical Services under that board, developed and released a new pharmaceutical strategy, and developed two new strategies for health care delivery called Vision 2020 and one for Aging in the Right Place.

The big question still is: How do I access the health system? Once people get in, their experience tends to be one of excellent service, but the wait is too long. Obviously, throwing more money at the system isn't the answer; the system has been receiving annual increases of close to 10% in each of the past 10 years.

From the president of the Canadian Medical Association, Ann Doig, "We all agree that the system is imploding... we all agree things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize. We know there must be change." But every time there is a move to change, to introduce new, innovative ideas, there's resistance. We need to push aside the fear-mongering and political rhetoric in favor of open, constructive dialogue and decisive action.

We need to flip the system and move the patient from the bottom of the organisation chart to the top. Some feel the solution is to hire more family doctors. But then you need more nurses, more radiologists, more specialists, more acute care beds, the list of "more" goes on and on. So do the dollars.

Liepert's vision is "quality care for every Albertan", the right care in the right place for the patient, with the system serving the patient. Part of the vision is a model where physicians are paid to treat the patient, not just churn patients through the system because that's how the doctors currently get paid. Thus, in answer to the question: "Why do I have to go back to my doctor every time I need my prescription refilled?" pharmacists will now play a greater role in primary care delivery and reduce the demands on the physicians. Pharmacists can now renew your prescription, and they will be compensated for refilling prescriptions and discussing overall drug therapy. Recognizing that Albertans are fed up with bottlenecks and barriers, there is extensive review of legislation, some of which is 100 years old.

"We have much to be proud of our system. People survive strokes in Alberta at a rate well above the national average. Our researchers and clinicians develop approaches and protocols that become international best practice." Nothing occurs overnight. It will take a lot of hard work and commitment to change.

Minister Liepert concluded by saying: "I am committed to a strong, publicly funded health care system in our province. I am committed to push through necessary change, which I recognize will be opposed by some at every turn. But most importantly, I am committed to moving the patient from the bottom of the organisation chart to the top."

reported by Lynne Thornton