Dan Backs (born December 15, 1953) is a politician and former member of the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly currently has 87 members, elected first past the post from singl ...
. He was elected as a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate in the
2004 provincial election, but was kicked out of the Liberal caucus by leader
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft (born September 9, 1955) is an author, consultant, speaker, and former provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. Prior to his election, he worked in various public policy roles (1973-2000) in the Government of Alberta, private and no ...
, who cited concerns about Backs' ability to work as a member of a team. He sat as an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
thereafter and, after failing to secure the
Progressive Conservative nomination for his riding, sought re-election in that capacity as well. He finished third in the riding in the
2008 election.
Early life
Backs was educated at
St. Francis High School in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.
He subsequently earned a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
from the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
and a heavy equipment certification from the
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is a applied sciences institute in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. NAIT provides careers programs in applied research, technical training, applied education, and learning designed to meet the dema ...
.
He also studied
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
at the Enforex Language Institute in
Marbella
Marbella ( , , ) is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the r ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and the American language school in
Antigua Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala (), commonly known as Antigua or La Antigua, is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala. The city was the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1543 through 1773, with much of its Baroque-influenced architec ...
, negotiations and creative writing at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension, farm electricity and wiring at Fairview College, and newswriting at the
George Meany
William George Meany (August 16, 1894 – January 10, 1980) was an American labor union leader for 57 years. He was the key figure in the creation of the AFL–CIO and served as the AFL–CIO's first president, from 1955 to 1979.
Meany, the son ...
Institute in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Backs has worked in farming, construction, and pipelining.
He has served as a negotiator for the Alberta Operating Engineers Association, and as secretary-treasurer of the Alberta and Northwest Territories Council of Labour.
Politics
Electoral record
Backs ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature for the first time in the
1979 Alberta general election. He ran for the Alberta
Liberals in the electoral district of
Lesser Slave Lake
Lesser Slave Lake (french: Petit lac des Esclaves)—known traditionally as "Beaver Lake" (ᐊᒥᐢᐠ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amisk sâkâhikan in the Plains Cree language, and T’saat’ine migeh in Dene Zhatıé) or "Beaver people were over the ...
but was defeated by
Larry Shaben
Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben (March 20, 1935 – September 6, 2008) was a Canadian politician of Lebanese descent and the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in Canada. He was also one of the first Muslims to be elected to higher office in North ...
finishing in last place in the field of four candidates.
He would attempt to gain a seat in the
1986 Edmonton municipal election, when he ran for
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Edmonton currently has one mayor and twelve city councillors. Elections are held every four years. The most recent was held in 2021, and the next is in 20 ...
as an alderman in Ward 1.
He finished third of nine candidates, behind
Bruce Campbell and
Helen Paull, both of whom were elected (Edmonton's council is composed of two councillors from each of six wards).
He subsequently sought provincial office in the
2004 election, when he ran as a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate in
Edmonton-Manning.
He defeated
Progressive Conservative incumbent
Tony Vandermeer
Thomas Wilfred "Tony" Vandermeer (born October 8, 1962) is a politician from Alberta, Canada, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2001 to 2004 and from 2008 to 2012. Vandermeer first ran for the Progressive Conservative ...
and was elected to the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly currently has 87 members, elected first past the post from singl ...
.
After being expelled from the Liberal caucus by leader
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft (born September 9, 1955) is an author, consultant, speaker, and former provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. Prior to his election, he worked in various public policy roles (1973-2000) in the Government of Alberta, private and no ...
, Backs sought the Progressive Conservative nomination in his riding.
Also contesting it were Vandermeer, his predecessor and last-time opponent, local homebuilder
Peter Sandhu
Parmjit Singh "Peter" Sandhu is a Canadian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Edmonton-Manning as a Progressive Conservative.
Early life
Sandhu, who grew up in a farming family, ...
, and Backs' fellow former Liberal Emerson Mayers. Sandhu won the nomination,
and Backs decided to contest
the next election as an independent. In this election, he finished third behind Sandhu and
New Democrat
New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as culturall ...
Rick Murti.
Ouster from caucus
In November 2006, Backs was expelled from the Liberal caucus by party leader
Kevin Taft
Kevin Taft (born September 9, 1955) is an author, consultant, speaker, and former provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. Prior to his election, he worked in various public policy roles (1973-2000) in the Government of Alberta, private and no ...
.
Taft attributed the decision to "ongoing friction" between Backs and his colleagues, with Backs expressing surprise and calling the ouster "bizarre".
Although Backs had already received the Liberal nomination in Edmonton-Manning for the following election, Taft declared that he would not be running as a Liberal and that the party would find a different candidate.
Legislative initiatives
In 2006, while still a Liberal, Backs sponsored the ''Labour Relations Code (First Collective Agreement) Amendment Act'', a
private member's bill
A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
designed to provide a first
collective bargaining agreement
A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with an ...
after the certification of a union, to prevent the sort of labour conflict that had recently occurred between
Lakeside Packers and the
United Food and Commercial Workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking, food processing and manufacturing; hosp ...
. The bill had not come up for a second reading by the time the 2006 session of the legislature adjourned, and accordingly it died. In 2007, as an independent, Backs sponsored the ''Regulatory Accountability and Transparency Act'', a private member's bill designed to reduce the
red tape
Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...
faced by Alberta business.
It was supported by the
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
,
New Democratic, and
Alberta Alliance caucuses.
The
Progressive Conservatives who spoke to the bill expressed a support for the concept of regulatory simplification - which they stated was a major goal of the government - but expressed some concerns with different specific elements of the bill.
Ultimately, the bill was referred - with Backs' support - to the legislature's Standing Committee on Government Services, where it remained at the adjournment of the legislature's 2007 session.
Election results
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Backs, Dan
1953 births
Alberta Liberal Party MLAs
Independent Alberta MLAs
Living people
Politicians from Calgary
Politicians from Edmonton
University of Alberta alumni
21st-century Canadian politicians