Alberta Premier Smith, with election looming, announces new limits on media questions

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, four days after announcing she won’t answer questions on her ethics investigation, now says she will limit questions on all other topics.

Smith told reporters in Calgary that given an election is looming, she will now only allow reporters to ask a single question at news conferences and not allow them the traditional follow-up query.

Smith says the change is because her United Conservative Party wants to get in questions from more reporters during the election campaign, which is set to begin May 1 with voting day on May 29.

Political scientists say Smith is making the change to avoid accountability, particularly over her phone call with the accused in an active criminal case which is now the subject of an investigation by Alberta’s ethics commissioner.

They say follow-up questions to politicians are crucial as they are typically used to clarify or, if necessary, challenge the content of the first answer.

Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley says leaders take questions because it’s part of the job and if Smith doesn’t want to explain herself, she shouldn’t be premier.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2023