David Swann has entered the race to lead the Alberta Liberal Party, promising to make the party greener and more democratic.

Swann, a two-term MLA from the Kensington area, made the announcement on the bank of the Bow River on August 20, flanked by 40 supporters. “We need to give people a sense that what they think and what they say matters again in this province,” he says. “We need to think about how we make decisions within the party — it’s been very top-down in my experience.”

Part of this would entail getting women, young people and visible minorities more active in the party. He would also like to review the party’s name. If he wins the leadership, Swann would adopt more environmental planks in the Liberals’ platform and push the government to diversify the economy. “I think it’s a critical time for a strong alternative to the government,” he says. “[We need] a more aggressive environmental agenda.”

Before he entered politics, Swann was a high-ranking medical official. The provincial government fired him for supporting the Kyoto Accord. He worked as a peace activist and helped organize protests against the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

As an MLA, the soft-spoken Swann has been an environmental advocate and most recently exposed two instances of water pollution in the oilsands. Unlike other Liberals, who were given a beating in the March provincial election, Swann won his riding by a wide margin.

The leadership race goes until December. To date, two other candidates have entered the contest: charismatic MLA Dave Taylor and dark horse Mo Elsalhy. The party’s house leader, Laurie Blakeman, announced yesterday that she won’t seek the leadership. (AM)