What Matters to You – What Will You Give Up to Move Forward?

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This may seem like a strange title, but please consider it for a moment. What would you be willing to give up to move forward? It is a tough lesson to learn, and at some point, a person may reach a level where they have all they want, are comfortable in their skin, know what matters most, and have reached their destination. Then… someone comes in or something and upsets your world, and your plans, as good as they were, are no longer relevant. You need to adapt. You may need to move on. So… what are you willing to give up to move forward?

Here’s what we have to do

We currently have a number of bills that will allow us to use the lessons learned over the last few years, adapt, be resilient, and change what is necessary to move our province forward. 

Prairie Fires Act

We have a bill that will modernize the Prairie Fires Act. This bill is not just about updating a piece of legislation but about equipping us with the tools to better respond to emergencies in collaboration with our municipalities. Your support for this bill is a vote for a safer and more prepared province. 

We will move an election period out of flood and fire season and into what could be late harvest season. 

Sitting at the right table at the right time

We have another bill that will ensure that when federal dollars come shaking out west, we are at the table with those that may have strings attached.  We want to ensure we get our share of our tax dollars, and Albertans should not be dealt a bad hand because we are not wired the same as the province west of us or way down east.  Our universities and municipalities are second to none, so why do we get less?

Healthcare Bill

When I was on the campaign trail last year, I asked folks a really simple couple of questions: Do you think our healthcare is broken?  The second question was, if so, will you let us fix it?  You see, it’s not a matter of being underfunded, it’s a matter of needing a reformation of organization and, I would argue, of culture.  Too big isn’t working too well, and having the patient play “ring around the Rosie” with the big cumbersome system does nothing for the best patient outcomes regarding service levels.  We are at present in the house trying to get a bill passed to allow us to fix what folks told us that needed to be corrected. Your support and action are crucial in this process.

Economic Corridors – an idea in full expansion

The cost of living just keeps getting higher and higher!  If you don’t think that the carbon levy is affecting everything, just compare your groceries, heating, and fuel costs to anyone in the northern states of the USA.  They don’t have a personal carbon pricing scheme.  Fuel is $0.80 per litre cheaper, heating costs are 1/3 less expensive, and so is power.  We are the only ones that figure taking money out of your pocket to just live will change the weather. To add insult to injury, the feds don’t even measure the results of their scheme.  They should, but not in tons saved, but lives ruined.  It breaks my heart and makes me mad as a hornet. 

I know that our team can’t boil the ocean, and we can only work on the things within our control, but collaboration to deal with the bigger problems is needed if we can keep the whole deck of cards from collapsing.  We have friends at the provincial level, and many are sharing their legislation with us on how they manage many of the same federal challenges and using what we are doing as well.

To reach our goals, manage the challenges, and ensure our province and people have the best chance of success, we must make changes and leave some things behind.  We must all realize that due to the circumstances we find ourselves in, we must adapt and overcome.  The good news is we are seeing our efforts bear fruit.  Investments are up, people are moving in, and we are being heard at the federal table, but more importantly, on the world stage.  When Leaders of foreign countries seek us out specifically, we are doing the right things.

What did I give up?

Some folks recently have asked what I have been willing to give up to achieve this goal; well, it has been a great deal of time and sacrifice of my personal life.  The trolls have been running rampant again, so seeing how this publishing platform is quite popular, I thought I’d address a few things front and center. 

The love of my life, my best friend, my wife, and two of my children have headed south.  A professional and personal opportunity came up that was too good not to accept, so they are now in South Dakota for at least a couple of years.  My two oldest children, who are now university-aged, and I are still planted here in God’s country.  There was, quite frankly, a different option that presented itself to keep our family together, but that would have ended in me having to give up the position as your MLA. 

I gave my oath and my word to serve, and I still have 3 years left in that commitment.  I still have to ensure that the economic corridor model takes hold so it can benefit not only our region and our province but also Western Canada for years to come.

Last, but not in the least

I gave my word to help those who needed it, to be their advocate, to be that voice at the table, to represent our area within the province. So, when folks are taking shots at others when they are laying it all on the line when they are willing sometimes to leave things that are so very dear to them to help make things better for not only their family, their community, their province, know full well it is never easy.

I strongly believe that all the folks in front-line service, first responders, and those who are “elected representatives” are truly trying to do their best and leaving things they hold dear behind to help move things forward.

So, I put to you what you are willing to leave behind, to sacrifice, to do what you can to be part of a positive change, not for yourself, but for future generations.

I hope you have an amazing week, that you take the time to say please and thank you to a stranger, to show an act of kindness, and to take a pause before offering criticism, and perhaps, offering a word of encouragement because you just never know that that other person had to leave behind that day.

And I’ll, also, keep caring about “what matters to you”!

Sincerely,

Shane Getson