What Matters to You – The end of restrictions is near

I have some great news to share. Many of my colleagues, and myself, have been advocating for an end to public health restrictions and it looks like we have an exit strategy. I was very pleased to hear the Premier talk about winding down these measures in his press conference on Tuesday, starting with the Restriction Exemption Program.

Aside from the segregation, which is an issue unto itself, the passports have

been ineffective in this Omicron wave. We have close to 90 percent of the population vaccinated, yet cases exploded with this variant. It’s time to get back to our “pre-pandemic normal” and the light at the end of the tunnel is drawing closer.

I also want to say that I do not support blockades, or symbols of hate. What I do support is peaceful protest. My son and I jumped into my T-800 on Saturday and it took us hours to get from Acheson to Edmonton. The encouragement and support and honks, it brought tears to my eyes. It was such an uplifting and emotional experience.

I was surprised that a 40 second video clip my son shot drew the fury of the Notley NDP. I lost count of how many times they demanded my removal from caucus but as I told the media this week, our caucus is a big boardroom with a lot of thoroughbreds.

Occasionally one of us will kick the stable door but that’s what happens when you have 60 passionate elected officials in one room. Unlike the “Notley Crew” differing opinions are permitted in our caucus.

Either way, we are nearing the end of this, and I think we are all excited to get back to the normal we remember. If you want to see any highlights and photos from taking out the T-800 gravel truck, head over to my Facebook page. Speaking of my Facebook page, the video I was telling you about earlier in this column was posted on January 29. Since then, it has been viewed over half-a-million times, shared by 3,600 people, and it even

has close to 1,000 comments.

While my constituents have sent me messages of support, the admiration for our message is extending well past God’s Country (also known as the Lac St. Anne – Parkland\ riding). I have received messages from all over the world. From places like the United States, Germany, Denmark, Poland and many, many more countries. The amount of support has warmed my heart and is very encouraging.

It goes to show how far a movement can go, and how great things happen when like- minded individuals unite for the common good. No matter where your support came from, I want you to know it was very well received, and I am thankful for every encouraging message. Like I said on Facebook, it’s time to put these public health policies back in the bottle and seal it up for good. Until next time, remember to be kind to yourself, and each other.