Liberal Party candidates, 2001 Alberta provincial election

The Alberta Liberal Party ran a full slate of candidates in the 2001 provincial election, and won seven seats to form the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. Many of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.

Brian Huskins (Calgary Fort)

Brian Huskins ran in Calgary Fort, against backbencher Wayne Cao in the 2001 Alberta Provincial Election as a Liberal candidate.

Huskins did not win that election. In the 2000 federal election, he was also one of the key organizers behind "Liberals for Joe Clark", a group of Liberal Party members who campaigned on behalf of Clark in the riding of Calgary Centre, in the interest of helping to ensure that Clark defeated incumbent Canadian Alliance MP Eric Lowther. Huskins is also noted as the first openly disclosed HIV+ individual to run for public office in Canada and among the G-7 group of countries.

Brian Huskins has published two booklets widely used by HIV/AIDS educators - "Breaking "the Skin":Tattooing & Body Piercing - Know the Risks" and "Sexual Identity: The Journey Begins" as well as a number of safer sex and community development workshops.

John Phillips (Calgary McCall)

Phillips was born in Churchill, Manitoba, and holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Manitoba. [http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/242.html] He is a lawyer in Calgary, and was listed as working with the firm Vinci Phillips in 1997 ("Calgary Herald", 22 May 1997). He was forty-eight years old during the 2001 provincial campaign, and was listed as a member of the National Parole Board ("Calgary Herald", 11 March 2001). In 2002, he was appointed as a Queen's Counsel ("CH", 2 January 2002).

A lifelong Liberal, he has campaigned for the Liberal Party three times at the provincial and federal level. He focused on crime and immigration issues in the 1997 campaign ("CH", 25 May 1997). He also sought the party's nomination in Calgary West for the 1993 election, but lost to Karen Gainer by 182 votes to 158 ("Calgary Herald", 25 November 1992).

Phillips wanted to seek the Liberal nomination for a 2002 by-election in Calgary Southwest ("CH", 26 March 2002), but was unable to do so when the party decided not to field a candidate against new Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper. New opposition leaders are often allowed to enter the Canadian House of Commons in by-elections without a challenge from the governing party, and the Liberals held a majority government at this time.