Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s call with controversial Calgary pastor cause for concern: expert

In a leaked call released by the NDP Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith commiserated with a Coutts border blockade protestor, and some political experts are giving their thoughts.

In the call, Smith promised to intervene on Artur Pawlowski’s behalf and said she was reminding prosecutors “almost weekly” about her concerns over pursuing such cases.

It was made before the trial of the Calgary pastor in February for criminal mischief and a charge under Alberta’s Critical Infrastructure Defence Act.

The charges relate to last year’s blockade at the Canada-United States border crossing at Coutts over COVID-19 health rules.

NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir spoke with reporters Wednesday and said the call was leaked to the party and is available as an unlisted video on YouTube.

He said Dr. Dennis Modry set up the call. Smith has had the controversial doctor on her podcast to discuss COVID-19 health restrictions in 2021.

“I’m sorry to hear what they’re putting you through,” Smith is heard telling Pawlowski in the early January call.

“I’m very sympathetic. This is very frustrating to me,” the premier said.

“We’ll see if we can revisit that this week.”

The NDP is now demanding an independent investigation, alleging political interference.

‘Make these charges go away’

Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams says the call shows the premier has gotten involved in something that could be hard to get out of.

“She’s saying that she’s in almost weekly contact or weekly attempting, and she says, ‘Leave it with me, and I will make the request one more time,'” Williams said.

“It’s very clear that the purpose of the request is to make the charges — for criminal mischief or fomenting violence — to make those charges go away.”

She says the premier being sympathetic with someone who was fomenting violence is “highly problematic.”

“This is a very dangerous situation. Remember, there were people that were arrested who were conspiring to kill RCMP officers. This is a very serious safety situation, as there are serious dangers to RCMP officers involved in this,” Williams said.

“So the premier chooses [to be] in a conversation with somebody who is encouraging that kind of violence, not just objecting to COVID measures but encouraging violence against or even violence be engaged by people that are involved in the Coutts blockade, a very serious set of circumstances.”

Over the last few months, Smith has delivered multiple versions of what she said to justice officials about COVID-19 court cases. The controversy erupted early in the new year when Smith publicly acknowledged she had been taking a direct interest in the prosecutions.

Smith has long been openly critical of COVID-19 masking, gathering and vaccine mandate rules, questioning if they were needed to fight the pandemic and labelling them intolerable violations of personal freedoms.

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While talking with Pawlowski, Smith said she was very “sympathetic” to his situation.

“Everybody has moved on from COVID, and we’re dealing with a bunch of charges,” she told Pawlowski.

“It was a political decision that initiated this, but it can’t be a political decision to end this, and I find that very frustrating about the whole thing.”

Who did Smith talk to?

Pawlowski, a Calgary-based street pastor who appeared in protests against COVID-19 restrictions and who defied public gathering rules, has been arrested multiple times by police.

He leads Street Church Ministries alongside his brother, Dawid Pawlowski. They both faced charges in 2021 for flouting COVID-19 public health restrictions.

The two held large gatherings, typically maskless, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Artur has been arrested for protesting outside Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping’s home in 2022.

He has also said on his website that the Calgary 2013 floods were caused by “perversions of homosexuality which includes the walking out the pride of their abominations in the streets of our cities.”

In January 2022, the pastor showed up at Smuggler’s Saloon, which was the headquarters for the Coutts protestors and gave a speech. The protestors were considering leaving and going back to Edmonton.

“I believe that the eyes of the world are fixed on this place right here. That’s right – this little pitiful piece of land,” Pawlowski told a cheering crowd.

“The eyes of the world are fixed right here on you guys. You are the heroes. Don’t you dare go breaking the line. For the first time in two years, you have the power. You pack your stuff, you go to Edmonton, and you will be lost.”

The pastor also told the crowd there weren’t enough police or a big enough army to deal with the protesters. He was arrested days later.

He was also the leader of the Independence Party of Alberta, which he was ousted from Tuesday. The party wishes to separate from Alberta as it “works towards establishing an independent Alberta nation.”

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In the 11-minute call that took place in late January, Pawlowski asks Smith for some type of clemency toward his case.

“I am still on house arrest, facing 10-and-a-half years of imprisonment for my speech,” Pawlowski said.

“And, of course, that’s very concerning to me because I came to a conclusion that I don’t think I have an option except to start swinging your way because of the promises that were never fulfilled.”

He is then heard asking Smith to meet with her publicly to discuss the political “witch hunt” he has faced, alleging justice minister Tyler Shandro has a personal vendetta, to which Smith says, “I doubt very much that this is being driven by the Minister.”

“I have also raised this with the deputy minister to let him know my dissatisfaction with the tactics,” Smith answers.

“So can you just leave this with me, and I’ll make that request one more time? My principal policy advisor Rob Anderson has been doing most of my work with Justice in pushing this along.”

In a statement released Wednesday, Smith said the conversation should not come as a “shock,” saying she spent lots of time before and after her leadership “talking to hundreds of Albertans about COVID-related public-health orders.”

“At no time have I spoken with the anyone from the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, nor to my knowledge have any of my office’s staff. Allegations to the contrary are defamatory and will be dealt with accordingly,” her statement reads.

Her office sent a second statement later, saying the video contains no new information.

In response, Smith issued a statement saying The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service has clearly showed that no Crown prosecutors have ever been contacted by neither her nor her staff

“The NDPs continued smearing of the reputations of Alberta’s Crown prosecutors is disgraceful, as are the defamatory comments directed both at me and my staff,” said Smith.

“In January, I stated on numerous occasions that up until that point in time, which would have included my discussion with Mr. Pawlowski, I was unintentionally using imprecise language by equating my discussions with the Minister of Justice and his Deputy Minister as being discussions with Crown prosecutors.”

Smith adds the continued defamation campaign led by the opposition party doesn’t warrant further investigation.

“Over the last year, I have met and spoken with thousands of Albertans on a litany of issues including concerns over COVID-related public health orders and violations,” Smith added. “In response to the concerns expressed by so many Albertans, my office requested a full briefing and opinion from the Minister of Justice on this issue. The legal advice I received advised that no further action could be taken as several matters involving this issue were, and still are, before the courts. I followed this advice.”

“As to the NDP’s videotape, I confirmed in early February that I had this very conversation with Mr. Pawlowski. The tape confirms the truth of what I said at that time. This was the last time I spoke with Mr. Pawlowski.”

-With files from Tate Laycraft