“[Hancock] really is doing a very good job in education... I do believe that this minister is moving in the right direction on several different fronts.””
— Rob Anderson, Wild Rose Alliance Education critic

“Education Minister David Hancock is a smart, articulate political veteran who has kept out of political hot water and made a lot of friends as Education Minister.”
— Les Brost, Calgary Herald

“Hancock is smart, dedicated and is one of the most knowledgeable politicians in the Legislature.”
— Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal

“Hancock, Edmonton's most powerful representative...”
— Edmonton Journal

“Dave Hancock has shown courage, a sense of urgency and sound judgment... Hancock is a seasoned, serious veteran who knows his brief well.”
— Edmonton Journal

“Hancock is important to the government. He gets things done. He's a constant source of new ideas. He's the most prominent Conservative in Edmonton. He's also been a competent, successful cabinet minister.”
— Mark Lisac, Insight Into Government

“[A]t City Hall, they were also giving credit to Edmonton Whitemud MLA Dave Hancock for going to the wall to fight for Edmonton's interests.”
— Paula Simons, Edmonton Journal

“Dave Hancock may be the ideal Tory for Edmonton.”
— Edmonton Journal

“Hancock has made it clear that as captain, he won't let the education ship sink because of temporarily stormy economic waters.”
— Calgary Herald

“Hancock is arguably one of the best politicians in the province and one of the most effective cabinet ministers in government. He is smart, hard-working and has acted as a moral compass for the government and a voice of reason inside caucus...”
— Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal

“Dave Hancock, the hard-working health minister...”
— Edmonton Journal

“[Hancock] showed leadership where others didn't.”
— Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal

• The construction of George P. Nicholson Elementary and Archbishop McNeil schools at a time when few were being built.
• Funding for Lillian Osborne Senior High, to open in September 2009.
• Advocated for the construction of the southwest leg of Anthony Henday years before it was scheduled to be built.

• Secured government commitments to construct four more schools, to open in September 2010:
  • An 850 student K-9 public school in Heritage Valleys
  • An 850 student K-9 public school in Terwillegar Heights
  • A 500 student K-6 Catholic school in Heritage Valleys
  • A 500 student K-6 Catholic school in Windermere

• Supported the construction of an urgent health care centre.

When Dave was appointed Minister of Health and Wellness, Premier Stelmach tasked him with several priority areas of improvement for the health system. Dave took decisive action on these priorities:

Productivity Reforms and Sustainability Initiatives
Patient access were improved through a series of capital construction and redevelopment projects, including:

• Providing additional funding to the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute;
• Improving patient flow and access to cardiac and cancer care through process re-engineering; and
• Increasing the number of Primary Care Networks to 26 to provide more Albertans with access to primary health care.

Health Workforce Action Plan
Medical education seats at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta were increased. A new Nursing Education Strategy was developed and more spaces for nursing students were added.

A Health Workforce Action Plan was launched to add more health care professionals, to increase post-secondary spaces for students in health programs, and to promote changes in the way health services are delivered.

Improving Public Health Services for Emergency Management and Disease Prevention
A number of initiatives to improve public health were launched while Dave was Minister, including:

• The "Create a Movement" campaign to encourage young people and their parents to take action to lead healthier lives.
• Expanding metabolic screening, pre-school developmental screening, and to promote healthy weights.
• Starting a wellness fund for healthy school communities.
• Launching a new colorectal cancer screening program to focus on research, public education and more direct treatment for persons at risk for this type of cancer.

• Introduced the Access to the Future Act that created a $1 billion endowment fund for post-secondary education, eventually growing to $3 billion.
• Provided for a $1.5 billion expansion of current endowments.
• Championed the redevelopment of the Hudson's Bay Building into the University of Alberta's downtown campus, Enterprise Square.
• Led the development of "A Learning Alberta", a framework for post-secondary education in Alberta.
• Expanded the Alberta Centennial Education Savings Plan so that all Alberta students are eligible for $100 grants added to their RESPs when they turn eight, 11 and 14.
• Approved degree-granting status for several colleges throughout Alberta.
• Expanded work-based trades apprenticeship programs.

Dave spearheaded the creation of the Aboriginal Policy Framework that sets out the basic structure for existing and new Government of Alberta policies to address First Nation, Métis and other Aboriginal issues in Alberta.

The Framework's two goals are to socio-economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and communities and clarify roles and responsibilities of federal, provincial and Aboriginal governments and communities.

• Worked to limit the use of the conditional sentencing provisions particularly in regard to offenders involved in violent crimes and for chronic drunk drivers who injure or kill innocent victims.
• Toughened Alberta's response to chronic drunk drivers by identifying the worst chronic drunk drivers and adding them to a flagging system.
• Introduced an Internet fine payment system to allow Albertans the convenience of paying their traffic fines online.
• Introduced specialized domestic violence courts in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge to help ensure matters are addressed with expert knowledge and sensitivity to the cycle of violence.
• Installed Alberta's first ever dedicated prosecutor to combat cybercrime. The initiative is also part of strengthening the laws with respect to child crimes including Internet luring, age of consent and child homicide.