Danielle Smith discussed COVID charges 'almost weekly' with justice officials

[Taiga]

I have no problem with any politician anywhere of any stripe lobbying to cancel the fake Covid charges. Try harder.

[cropgrower]

i listened to what was said in phone call on FB , dont think you did that CC only spew somthing you heard on CBC again , she said she would see what she could do within the law so dont think its the crime of the century thats for sure , the pastors and many others shud never have been treated the way they were to start with , thats what needs to be investegated

[GALAXIE500]

Message for the people of Alberta:

Vote for the NDP and your province will suffer the same fate as Saskatchewan . For 5+ decades this province was run the kings of mediocrity the NDP and it put us in the dark ages ! They shut down a lot of schools and hospitals in this province , but you never hear those old die -hards admit to that one.


Danielle smith might not hit them out of the park all the time , but Rachel knothead will literally send your province to the poor house!

Just my opinion.

Here's to spring , it can show up any damn time!

[blackpowder]

Ralph she ain't. And she is on thin ice. But if I look hard enough I can find articles for the defense.
Why does a Marxist from SK care so much? The body of policies is what I would hope people consider.
For balance, post articles about Notleys husband's job and union contributions to her campaign. Too busy gloating on the great job Jagmeet is doing likely.

[chuckChuck]

Oh shit. The Danny Smith gong show in Alberta continues. She is making Jason Kenney look good. She is in the running with Trudeau for the most unethical politician in the country! She has already won the stupidest contest. LOL

How is she going to deny that she didn't speak with justice officials and prosecutors when she told the pastor otherwise in recorded video audio? In this case she thought it was okay to have a conversation like she did with an accused before his trial?

And she didn't know she couldn't issue a presidential pardon as Premier of Alberta? LOL She's Clueless!

There seems to be a long list of things she doesn't know! LMAO

[chuckChuck]

Danielle Smith discussed COVID charges 'almost weekly' with justice officials according to leaked call


Smith said last month she explained to pastor Artur Pawlowski she could not grant amnesty
Elise von Scheel, Meghan Grant, Jason Markusoff · CBC News · Posted: Mar 29, 2023 11:13 AM CDT | Last Updated: March 29

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith spoke to a pastor just weeks before his criminal trial on pandemic-related charges, promising she would again discuss his case with justice officials, beyond the earlier pleas she had already made on COVID-related prosecutions.

The phone conversation between Smith and Artur Pawlowski, a controversial Calgary street pastor, happened in early January, just weeks before his trial in Lethbridge on Feb. 2.

Pawlowski faces charges of criminal mischief and an offence under Alberta's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act related to last year's Coutts, Alta., border blockade. A judge is set to deliver a verdict in early May.

CBC News has obtained a full copy of the recorded conversation and has verified it.
'Almost weekly' communication with justice officials

The call reveals that her conversations with top Alberta Justice officials about pandemic-related prosecutions were more frequent and specific than she has admitted publicly.

In the recording, Smith divulged she had already been having "almost weekly" communication with justice department officials, but said rules confine her to only questioning two things: the reasonable likelihood the pandemic-related prosecutions would result in convictions and whether proceeding would be in the public interest.

The government had previously said the premier asked for and received briefings from the justice minister to get up to speed on files after taking office.
'Leave this with me'

In the recording, Smith assured Pawlowski she would continue to push his case internally.

"Can you just leave this with me and I will make that request one more time?"

"I'm very sympathetic," she added on the recording. "It was a political decision that initiated this but it can't be a political decision to end it. That's what I'm finding very frustrating."

During the conversation with Pawlowski, Smith says she spoke to the deputy minister of justice and "let him know my dissatisfaction with the tactics" the Crown prosecutors were using to pursue COVID-related charges. Specifically, she mentioned she'd protested the size and timing of prosecutors' document disclosures.
A man in a blue shirt appears to be recording himself in a parking lot.
Artur Pawlowski is awaiting a decision following a trial in February on charges of mischief and an offence under Alberta’s Critical Infrastructure Defence Act. He was charged in connection with the Coutts border blockade last winter. (Artur Pawlowski/Facebook)

The premier has said Justice Minister Tyler Shandro advised her she couldn't grant the amnesty she had previously promised to seek for those prosecuted under pandemic rules, and had no sway over charges or the path of prosecutions.

"It's unfortunate that I didn't understand the limitations," she said in the phone call. "I thought we had the same power of clemency we had in the U.S."
Contact with ministry 'appropriate': Smith

She has said that legal advice came shortly after she became premier, months before the Pawlowski call.

Smith has continuously denied that she or her office engaged in any inappropriate conduct regarding COVID prosecutions.

"As I have previously stated, I had my staff work with the Ministry of Justice, to determine if anything could be done to grant amnesty for those charged with non-violent, non-firearms COVID-related charges," Smith said in Wednesday a tweet that referred to CBC News' reporting.

"As also indicated previously in multiple interviews, I received a legal brief from the Ministry of Justice recommending against pursuing amnesty further as several matters involving this issue were and still are before the courts. I have followed that advice."