Advocate for dialogue over division | Cross-examined PM Trudeau | Still asking: When did the gov’t become so afraid of its own citizens? | Founder @empoweredca
Edmonton, Alberta
Joined April 2015
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I am beyond excited to announce that "Reconnect to Canada" is now available for purchase on Amazon!
Let's elevate our country together by getting your copy today!
➡️ Get your copy here: a.co/d/8hkNWfz
I will be holding an X Space later today to chat about this and more. Stay tuned for details!
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
Truth👇
There is something deeply unhealthy happening in our public discourse.
When people question government policy, they are called extremists.
When they raise concerns about immigration or social cohesion, they are called racists.
When they question public-health decisions or speak about vaccine injuries, they are called anti-vaxxers.
When they challenge the constitutional status quo or discuss Alberta’s future, they are called traitors.
These labels are rarely intended to encourage dialogue. They are used to end it.
But questioning government is not extremism.
Challenging existing laws is not lawlessness.
Discussing constitutional change is not disloyalty.
And disagreeing with government policy does not make someone dangerous.
In a healthy democracy, citizens are free to question authority, challenge prevailing ideas and advocate for change. That is not a threat to democracy. It is democracy.
The real danger is a political culture that silences legitimate concerns, punishes disagreement, disparages citizens and treats them as enemies simply because they refuse to conform.
We will not rebuild public trust by ignoring this reality. We will rebuild public trust by listening, answering difficult questions and addressing the substance of their concerns.
Dialogue does not weaken a country. Refusing to have it does.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
"Dialogue does not weaken a country. Refusing to have it does."
That's the whole point.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
I too get the feeling that the government is spending billions on whims, with very little checks and balances.
That's terrible news when the debt is high, and the interest rates are growing.
I feel like this needs to be said because there is so much tension and division. It feels like every conversation is ready to become an argument.
People are frustrated. Concerns are met with labels instead of answers, and people are pushed out. That will not rebuild trust.
We must ask where public money goes, and expect officials to explain their decisions. Public service is a responsibility, not a favour.
Science develops through questioning. Law develops through challenge. Democracy develops through disagreement.
Instead of discouraging conversations or referendums, let’s encourage them. A strong democracy needs informed citizens who can disagree and still be heard. Progress actually comes from questioning the status quo.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
💯💯💯👍👍👏👏 I couldn’t agree more 👍
Canada’s invocation of the Emergencies Act was found to be illegal.
Alberta’s public health orders were found to be illegal.
Governments demanded compliance of the vax “for the public good.” Then they abandoned the injured.
Where are the consequences for those in power?
Where is the recognition of the harm done to the people?
How do those involved have the audacity to lecture citizens about responsibility when they have yet to answer for their own decisions?
And how are we supposed to trust leaders who demand accountability from everyone but themselves?
You cannot convince me they are working for the people while they fight so hard to avoid accountability and refuse to acknowledge those harmed.
Public office is not a shield from consequences. Those who refuse to answer for their mistakes or the harm they caused have no business holding power or lecturing the rest of us about right and wrong.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
Just mull over what Eva has written for a moment. Carney and his Government in Ottawa have nothing to offer Alberta which will improve our quality of life - and that will never change; he doesn't work for Canadians. If you haven't figured that out yet, I feel sorry for you!
Mark Carney keeps telling us we live in a “dangerous and divided world” without acknowledging how we got here. Because if he did, fingers would be pointing right back at him.
Leading the Bank of Canada under Harper. Leading the Bank of England. Advising Trudeau. Working in the very circles that helped shape the world he is now warning us about.
You would think there would be a little humility. Perhaps even some embarrassment before asking citizens to trust him with more power.
If these “leaders” are so capable, why do their warnings keep getting darker while our lives get harder? Where are the results of all this supposed expertise? We are told to trust their leadership, yet somehow never to question where it has brought us.
I have come to the harsh conclusion that we keep expecting better outcomes from people whose priority is protecting their own positions and interests. Helping citizens become strong, free and prosperous is clearly not the priority. Instead, we are left paying more for public services that fail to serve the public, while those responsible expect our trust and treat us as the problem when we question their failures.
So what can you do in this “dangerous and divided world”? Stop assuming the government will take care of you. Judge its competence by its record, not its promises.
Take care of yourself, your family and your community. Ask questions. Think independently. Do not hand over your judgment simply because someone in power tells you to be afraid.
Look around and ask yourself. Are our streets safer? Are hospital waits shorter? Are classrooms less crowded? Is housing more affordable? Are groceries cheaper? Are you keeping more of what you earn? Are repeat violent offenders being kept off our streets? Is public money being spent responsibly? Are those in power answering your questions or dismissing you for asking?
Then ask yourself whether you want more of the same and why those failing us every day should be trusted with even more power.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
Absolutely this!!
I’m not sure how many times I need to say this, but citizens are not to blame for asking questions and challenging the status quo.
People are entitled to challenge the status quo, question government decisions and expect answers from those in power. That is part of living in a free and open democracy.
If our public institutions are failing the public, directing anger at the people pointing it out does nothing to fix the problem. Neither does labelling, shaming or lecturing them into silence.
Public trust has to be earned through actions. Start by listening, acknowledging what has gone wrong and taking responsibility.
Citizens asking questions are doing their part. Those entrusted with power need to do theirs.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
🎯
What did this referendum teach us?
We still have a great deal of work to do if we want a society where people can question the status quo without being insulted, labelled or told to leave.
The level of hostility and vandalism, and the failure of those in positions of power to condemn that behaviour deserve serious scrutiny. Respectful disagreement requires leadership, especially when the people being targeted hold views you oppose.
You cannot call Canada a free, open and inclusive country, then treat people as though they do not belong because they question how it is governed.
Elections Alberta also has questions to answer about how this referendum has been, and continues to be, administered. Reports of mistake after mistake call for clear explanations and accountability. Responding defensively and attacking critics on social media does little to address those concerns. People should not have to chase basic information about their vote or the count. That information should be clear, accessible and timely.
And public trust? You do not restore it by lecturing people about how fortunate they are while dismissing the failures they live with every day. Those in positions of power also need to examine their own role in fuelling the vitriol. You cannot contribute to the hostility and then lecture everyone else about unity and respect.
Whatever your position on the referendum, the people you disagreed with are still your neighbours, colleagues, friends and family.
Moving forward requires more than asking citizens to accept the result. It requires those in power to address the concerns that brought people to question the status quo in the first place.
Accountability is not an attack. Disagreement is not disloyalty. And public trust takes more than a speech about unity.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
Question everything!
I’m not sure how many times I need to say this, but citizens are not to blame for asking questions and challenging the status quo.
People are entitled to challenge the status quo, question government decisions and expect answers from those in power. That is part of living in a free and open democracy.
If our public institutions are failing the public, directing anger at the people pointing it out does nothing to fix the problem. Neither does labelling, shaming or lecturing them into silence.
Public trust has to be earned through actions. Start by listening, acknowledging what has gone wrong and taking responsibility.
Citizens asking questions are doing their part. Those entrusted with power need to do theirs.
I’m not sure how many times I need to say this, but citizens are not to blame for asking questions and challenging the status quo.
People are entitled to challenge the status quo, question government decisions and expect answers from those in power. That is part of living in a free and open democracy.
If our public institutions are failing the public, directing anger at the people pointing it out does nothing to fix the problem. Neither does labelling, shaming or lecturing them into silence.
Public trust has to be earned through actions. Start by listening, acknowledging what has gone wrong and taking responsibility.
Citizens asking questions are doing their part. Those entrusted with power need to do theirs.
Eva Chipiuk, BSc, LLB, LLM retweeted
✅️ Well said!
The ballots are still being counted, but one thing is already clear: rebuilding public trust will take far more than a referendum result.
Whatever your position on the referendum, the concerns that brought Albertans to this point deserve serious answers. Affordability. Safe communities. Functioning health care. Public services that actually serve the public.
Public trust will not be restored by dismissing those concerns or insulting the people raising them. It starts with the willingness to have adult conversations, answer difficult questions and acknowledge where governments have failed.
What does it mean to live in a free and open democracy if citizens are ridiculed for questioning the direction of their own country? What does a kind and inclusive society mean if that kindness and inclusion disappear the moment someone disagrees?
You cannot claim those values while treating people who challenge you as though they do not belong. That is particularly true of so-called leaders who ask for our trust while showing so little respect for the citizens they serve.
To everyone who asked questions, had difficult conversations and voted: keep participating. Democracy requires more than casting a ballot. It requires room to disagree, challenge the status quo and consider a different future.
You want citizens to believe in this country? Give them reasons to. Answer their questions. Take their concerns seriously. Show them that the freedom, respect and inclusion you speak of extend to them, too.
This should not be this difficult or controversial!
📊 Poll - How would you describe the dialogue during the Alberta Referendum campaign?
13%Mostly Civil
87%Outright Hostile
379 votes • 1 days
What did this referendum teach us?
We still have a great deal of work to do if we want a society where people can question the status quo without being insulted, labelled or told to leave.
The level of hostility and vandalism, and the failure of those in positions of power to condemn that behaviour deserve serious scrutiny. Respectful disagreement requires leadership, especially when the people being targeted hold views you oppose.
You cannot call Canada a free, open and inclusive country, then treat people as though they do not belong because they question how it is governed.
Elections Alberta also has questions to answer about how this referendum has been, and continues to be, administered. Reports of mistake after mistake call for clear explanations and accountability. Responding defensively and attacking critics on social media does little to address those concerns. People should not have to chase basic information about their vote or the count. That information should be clear, accessible and timely.
And public trust? You do not restore it by lecturing people about how fortunate they are while dismissing the failures they live with every day. Those in positions of power also need to examine their own role in fuelling the vitriol. You cannot contribute to the hostility and then lecture everyone else about unity and respect.
Whatever your position on the referendum, the people you disagreed with are still your neighbours, colleagues, friends and family.
Moving forward requires more than asking citizens to accept the result. It requires those in power to address the concerns that brought people to question the status quo in the first place.
Accountability is not an attack. Disagreement is not disloyalty. And public trust takes more than a speech about unity.
The ballots are still being counted, but one thing is already clear: rebuilding public trust will take far more than a referendum result.
Whatever your position on the referendum, the concerns that brought Albertans to this point deserve serious answers. Affordability. Safe communities. Functioning health care. Public services that actually serve the public.
Public trust will not be restored by dismissing those concerns or insulting the people raising them. It starts with the willingness to have adult conversations, answer difficult questions and acknowledge where governments have failed.
What does it mean to live in a free and open democracy if citizens are ridiculed for questioning the direction of their own country? What does a kind and inclusive society mean if that kindness and inclusion disappear the moment someone disagrees?
You cannot claim those values while treating people who challenge you as though they do not belong. That is particularly true of so-called leaders who ask for our trust while showing so little respect for the citizens they serve.
To everyone who asked questions, had difficult conversations and voted: keep participating. Democracy requires more than casting a ballot. It requires room to disagree, challenge the status quo and consider a different future.
You want citizens to believe in this country? Give them reasons to. Answer their questions. Take their concerns seriously. Show them that the freedom, respect and inclusion you speak of extend to them, too.
This should not be this difficult or controversial!