Strength Through Freedom

Editor:

As badly as our governments struggle to deny it, these are hard times for Alberta’s families and communities.

Whether it’s the pandemic, rising inflation, high unemployment, or ever-increasing taxes, far too many Albertans are fighting just to keep heads above water.

It will be a difficult Christmas for many, and I encourage everyone to do what they can to help their families, friends, and neighbours weather this storm.

Whether you volunteer with a local charity, donate to the local food bank, or just shovel a neighbour’s driveway, folks around here know the value of tackling hard times together.

The good news is that the difficulties we face can’t and won’t last forever.

As a province, we have every advantage. We have been blessed with abundant natural resources. We have a history of overcoming every conceivable challenge, from natural disaster to economic depressions. We know we can rely on our fore bearers’ lessons and experiences to see us through the toughest times. Looking forward, we have a young, motivated workforce, just waiting for the opportunity to succeed in its own right.

Most importantly, as a province, we already know how to overcome the major challenges we face today.

Albertans know how to create good, full-time, mortgage paying jobs. Not so long ago, we were the best in Canada at doing just that. Albertans also know how to know how to tackle inflation, fix a budget crisis, and reduce taxes. We’ve done it before. 

I can’t tell you how many times folks have called my office, or stopped me in the street, with the same key piece of advice: Get government out of the way, and give Albertans the freedom to do what we do best.

Our provincial motto is Fortis et Liber. Strong and Free. More accurately, it should be Strength Through Freedom.

The hard times we face today are directly linked to the erosion of our economic and civic freedoms. Bit by bit, we have been losing that which made our province and our country truly exceptional.

Whether it’s Ottawa preventing us from developing our own resources, or Edmonton’s refusal to trust us to make the right decisions for own families, it’s a serious problem.

Fixing it won’t be easy, but Albertans have never been afraid to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Here is what I know: Alberta can and should be the most free and prosperous jurisdiction in North America.

My New Year’s resolution for you is simply this: In 2022 I will do everything I can to help our province rediscover our Strength Through Freedom.

Drew Barnes- MLA Cypress- Medicine Hat

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