[2] He also studied Spanish at the Enforex Language Institute in Marbella, Spain and the American language school in Antigua Guatemala, 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 Institute in Washington, D.C.[2] Backs has worked in farming, construction, and pipelining.
He ran for the Alberta Liberals in the electoral district of Lesser Slave Lake but was defeated by Larry Shaben finishing in last place in the field of four candidates.
[6] Also contesting it were Vandermeer, his predecessor and last-time opponent, local homebuilder Peter Sandhu, and Backs' fellow former Liberal Emerson Mayers.
[9] In 2006, while still a Liberal, Backs sponsored the Labour Relations Code (First Collective Agreement) Amendment Act, a private member's bill designed to provide a first collective bargaining agreement 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.
[11] In 2007, as an independent, Backs sponsored the Regulatory Accountability and Transparency Act, a private member's bill designed to reduce the red tape faced by Alberta business.