What Matters to You – Tall Tales and the Truth

Next Elections

To kick off this week’s edition of What Matters to You, I’m happy to announce that this past Sunday, I was acclaimed as the UCP candidate for the constituency of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland.  Many thanks to the support of the party members and for the faith that you have put in me to run as your candidate in the spring election.  I’d also like to thank all the folks who have offered their support for what I’m sure will be one heck of an election. 

Stay tuned for some announcements regarding volunteer sign-up sessions in each one of the small towns and communities in our constituency over the next few weeks.

Radio Ads or Heartless Lies?

The next issue I’d like to tackle is some of the outlandish claims I’ve heard on recent radio commercials, which I have been advised are also taking place on paid telemarketing calls.  To refer to them as simple BS would be giving them too much credit, as BS is far less harmful.  Here are two such claims that get folks angry and perhaps even scared. After the last couple of years, with the mental stress people have already suffered, this is absolutely abhorrent.

1. “The Leader of the UCP is supporting Vladimir Putin in the invasion of Ukraine.” I heard this message myself on an NDP-funded announcement.  Initially, I thought it was a comedy skit… it’s really that laughable; I was surprised to realize that it wasn’t.  Considering how many folks in our area have Ukrainian families, or who have done what they can to help the civilians caught up in the crossfire of this awful yearlong conflict, this is simply heartless and cruel and takes away from the real human costs of war.  Sick, and shameful is what that kind of “Advertising “truly is. 
2. “The UCP government is getting rid of public healthcare in its entirety, everything will be pay-as-you-go only.” What in the actual heck?  This tactic is a “HealthScare” approach.  Again, why in the world would you scare people like this with such a blatant falsehood?  I find this shameful: unnecessarily worrying people that healthcare won’t be there when needed. Again, after all that folks have been through, to cause them more stress, to what end purposefully?

I will be taking the time to call out BS every chance I get when I hear this kind of “campaigning”; I’ll take the time to let folks know what we are actually doing and what we may be considering for improvements.  I’ll take the time to listen to concerns and recommendations.  I want to park the politics as best as possible at the proverbial door so that we can work on the problem and come up with a real solution.  However, I have been on record for saying, “I don’t do whackadoo woke, and I don’t speak freaky-deeky socialist.”  I am a Conservative, after all, and from rural Alberta.  I really can listen to other perspectives, and I have demonstrated that my whole career, but every person has a line, and far too many have pushed those other narratives for far too long; it’s high time we start working on solving real issues.

I’ve had the ability to travel for work in Canada, the USA, and Germany.  I’ve seen some old cities and their contrast to the new ones.  I’ve seen architectural and styling cues that were better than others, and I must admit, I’d take a small town over a big city any day of the week.  However, some of the best big cities I have ever seen have that feel of a small town, or a community designed right in it, where there are always green spaces and parks within easy reach.  These places feel better on the soul, so if that type of planning was being considered for our new towns and cities, I am all for it.

On the land use bylaws: wow! I believe that there were some big lessons learned for everyone involved. Here are a few I’ve gathered up over the last week:

1. Hire a good consultant
2. Ensure that there is a staged progress evaluation and clearly communicate the scope of work
3. Always, and I mean always, have a squad check prior to release for final approvals
4. Review the work that you are going to be signing off on
5. Change everything, or delete the items that do not apply
6. Ensure you give accolades to those who find the mistakes and participate in the process before something terrible comes into effect. Thank them for being watchful and sharing information with others to keep them informed
7. It’s better to learn from another’s mistakes than your own

The other great item that I heard is that the counties that I work with in our constituency were all over the issue and did the work to ensure that there were no issues like those in the other counties, as they fully understood the ramifications of not putting in the time to make sure that the “non-applicable” bylaws didn’t creep in.  Elections matter, engagement matters, and they respect that process.

I want your feedback!

I’ll be out as much as possible in our constituency for the next few months, dropping off more “What Matters to You” flyers. I’m seeking feedback that we can use as platform items you would want to see for the upcoming election to ensure that the issues you are concerned about are addressed.  Please take the time to fill them out, or if you wish, email us and let me know your top 5 priorities.  Please take the time to ask our youth, ages 14 years and up, to send me a note as well.  I want to ensure that the work we are doing to set up their future is on track.

Podcast re-launch

Regarding the “What Matters to You” Podcast, I had a bit of a sound recording issue with the first interview.  We’ve since rectified the problem and will have more guests drop by over the next few weeks, including several of my MLA colleagues, business leaders, entertainers, aviators and a special guest, Uncle Fester.  I want to keep the mood light but informative, and I want to get your input, interact positively, and truly showcase “what matters to you” on the show.

Last week at SnoMo

Thanks to everyone who came out to chat with us at the MLA tent this past weekend at Sno Mo Days; it was our pleasure to have some hot chocolate ready for you on a chilly winter day.  It was an absolute blast being able to be the “Monster Truck Announcer”. We also raised over $600 for The Kids with Cancer Society because of the generosity of the people who bid on monster truck rides.

Our home

I’m glad that so many of you follow the updates on social media and read this little column in our gem of a local paper.  It’s an absolute honor and a privilege to represent you as your MLA, and I’m proud as heck of all the good folks out there that work hard and take care of their families, friends, and even strangers when they need it.  We have a great corner of the province we call home, and it’s not the landscape that makes it great, it’s each and every one of you.  I hope that you had a great family day and that you had another great week.

See you soon, and thanks for the encouraging words.

Sincerely,

Shane Getson