What Matters to You – Standing Up to the Bullies & Getting the Respect YOU Deserve

Bullies Can Bring You Together

I’ve had to stand up to bullies my entire life; many times, it wasn’t just in my own defence but for others, I’ve cared for.  Growing up in a small country school comprised mainly of farm kids, issues were generally sorted out on the playground, and there was little harm done.  Often when the bully was trimmed up, we became good friends, and our little class became more like an extended family.  Through the years of playing on school sports teams, that fraternity also extended to other grades.  Things got sorted out, then we pulled together as a team and learned to respect and rely on each other.  In post-secondary, my “year” had a run-in with the group a year ahead of us.  That, too got sorted out within the first month.  My group became closer, and we got the respect we deserved from the older group.  It has been the same since the dawn of time with all social animals; I’m not sure why we are wired that way.

The pervasive theme, however, is that when someone is pushing you or others around, and if the conflict goes against your inherent morals and ethics of what is good, typically, you’d step in.  There are also the variables of timing, tolerance, and when the “Standing Up” action is required.  When is it enough?  I ran in an election back in 2019 because enough was enough.  Between the Liberals becoming the federal party and taking a run at Alberta to “Knock us down to Size” or “Put us in our Place” and the provincial arm of the federal NDP “getting the Social Governance” and turning its back on many of the industries that built, and have kept our province going, I, like many others, had enough.  In true Alberta spirit, we stood up for what was right and changed course.

Reaffirmed Authority

 We have seen a systematic approach to weaken our economy and our morale. We have tried just about everything under the sun to be reasonable. So, in true ‘Strong and Free’ fashion, another change in leadership was initiated, this time to deal with the issue differently:  with an act that reaffirms our constitutional rights and authority within the country that we are members of, and to which we have contributed more per capita in this confederation than any other.

Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act

We’ve had our internal debates on what the “Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act” would address and a near-finished understanding of what the legislation could look like.  On the 30^th of November, it was provided to the MLAs in the house for the first time, and the real debates began. I say real debates because up until that point, no one had their hands on a copy of the act. We made it Bill #1 for this sitting, simply because the federal Liberal/NDP coalition is running roughshod over so many areas, we needed to put something in place, to reaffirm our constitution and call out their habitual overreach. Basically, in times of this overreach, guided by clear definitions in our constitution, we as the Alberta Government, with the consent of the legislature, (meaning the MLAs of all parties having a debate, and giving direction) would stand and say no to the federal government. 

Redefining Alberta’s Role & Authority

You see, the way our constitution was set up was with the provinces and the country being equal partners; each partner has clearly defined roles and authorities within the provinces themselves, as well as the entire country.

This Act is the ‘Stand Up to the Habitual Bully, Who Does Not Respect the People Who Live in the Land of the Strong and the Free Law’. This isn’t just happening in Alberta, Saskatchewan has had enough too, and they have their own act to address the overreach of the Federal Government; both provinces could have perhaps called it the ‘Enough is Enough Act’. As you can see, there is a reason why I’m better at standing up to bullies than at naming legislation.

Over the next month, you will undoubtedly hear a ton of rhetoric in the big papers, on the TV, and on the radio.  Mainly paid for by those parties and their supporters who profit from being bullies in one form or another.  We will make sure in the house, through fulsome debate, that any tweaks or amendments needed will take place.  The intent is to ensure that any issues between the Government of Canada, and the Province of Alberta is born by the province, not the public, or the businesses.  The act is very short, easy to read, and straight to the point.  It has those who would want to push us around in our own backyard cry foul, but the jig is up, and they know it.  Time for the bullies to back off, give us back our space, stay in their own yard, and let us collaborate with our neighbors. 

This will empower all the provinces and territories in our country again, which only gets us back on track to being the True North Strong and Free once more.  The Canada, that so many fought for, and so many of us fondly remember, needs to be made real again, and the Alberta Sovereignty in a Unified Canada Act gets us one step closer to making that a reality!

Sincerely,

Shane Getson