Why I'm Running

Advocacy from the outside is no longer enough.

Dr. Paul Parks is a Physician of Emergency Medicine at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, has been practicing emergency medicine in Alberta for 26 years, and is a longstanding provincial and national voice for safe and timely access to health care.

Dr. Parks has long been an advocate for both doctors and patients, but he feels that advocacy from the outside is no longer enough. Staying on the sidelines is not an option: emergency wait times are climbing, Cypress County is losing family doctors and rural emergency departments are closing, ambulances are not available when they are desperately needed, and out-of-touch policies are creating an affordability crisis. Dr. Parks is compelled to run because of the changes he has seen in the healthcare system over the past 3 years that have undermined not only healthcare, but also education. He believes that Cypress-Medicine Hat needs a strong voice to demand transparency, accountability, and cost effective government.

Dr. Parks is running for the Alberta NDP because Southeastern Alberta can't afford an MLA who does not understand the concerns of their constituents and does not fight for their actual interests. Real emergencies require evidence, honesty, and immediate action. Our province is at a critical crossroad. We can't protect our public healthcare system, our schools, and our regional economy by reelecting representatives who haven't worked to effect meaningful change for the residents of Cypress-Medicine Hat.