Accompanied by his lawyer and frequently looking quite troubled, former Conservative Parliamentary Assistant for health Dr. Raj Sherman spoke in defence of public health insurance yesterday on the bitterly cold and deeply shadowed north steps of the Alberta Legislature.

More than 500 people were on hand despite a damp and penetrating wind that belied the official temperature of only minus-6 Celsius to decry the health policies of the government of Premier Ed Stelmach and cheer Sherman -- who was kicked out of the Conservative caucus for speaking his mind about health care on Nov. 22.

Alberta's best-read blogger, if the unique-visits stats are to be believed, isn't some political wonk like Daveberta, Ken Chapman or even Yours Truly.

It's Stephen Duckett -- Doctor Stephen Duckett -- the PhD economist imported from Australia in 2008 by Ron Liepert, Alberta's former minister of health and resident political train wreck, to reform, restructure, reinvent and re-whatever Alberta's public health care system.