The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has retracted its previous reporting that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had direct contact with Crown lawyers over cases related to the Coutts border-crossing protests and blockades.
At the time, CBC described those emails as making Crown prosecutors feel “political pressure” about Coutts border cases before the courts, citing “confidential sources.” CBC added an editor’s note on Jan. 20, stating that CBC had not actually seen these emails.
“Confronted with the Commissioner’s report, our sources have insisted that Crown prosecutors felt political pressure regarding the Coutts cases, but they are not able to confirm that the emails they originally described were sent directly from the premier’s office to the Crown,” states the CBC’s July 5 editor’s note.
“As such, we have updated this story and related pieces, removing references to direct contact between the premier’s office and prosecutors—which the premier has vehemently denied. CBC News regrets reporting direct contact by email.”
Late in the day on July 5, Ms. Smith responded with a statement on social media, saying that “I’ve been vindicated, as has my office.”
“Journalism is an integral part of our society and all I’ve ever asked for is fair, accurate and balanced coverage. After months of the CBC reporting interference between my office and Crown prosecutors, today CBC news removed references to direct contact between my office and prosecutors and “regrets” reporting direct contact by email,” Ms. Smith said.
“Now that CBC has expressed regret for its inaccurate reporting and Albertans know the truth, I consider the matter with the CBC closed. Additionally, I’m asking the Alberta NDP to acknowledge their error also, and retract and apologize for spreading this misinformation.”
Separately, the commissioner’s report said Smith contravened a section of the Conflicts of Interest Act in her conversation with then-justice minister Tyler Shandro in relation to criminal charges faced by Calgary street pastor Artur Pawlowski following a speech he gave at the Coutts border protest in 2022.
No Evidence
The CBC responded to inquiries from The Epoch Times by referring to the editor’s note, stating it “thoroughly and clearly addresses the matter.”In May, Chuck Thompson, head of CBC Public Affairs, told The Epoch Times, “As we have maintained all along with this story, CBC News stands by our journalism and our sources.”
CBC did not apologize for the reporting.
In April, before the election, Ms. Smith’s lawyer demanded that CBC retract and apologize for articles alleging she directly interfered with prosecutors.
“The Premier has repeatedly and publicly confirmed that the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service operates independently of government and political interests,” the legal letter said.
Ms. Smith’s lawyer stated that Alberta Justice searched all incoming, outgoing, and deleted emails over a four-month time frame and confirmed there was “no evidence of any contact” between the crown and the premier about any COVID-related prosecutions.
The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service also stated it had cooperated with the independent review and said that “continued suggestions of impropriety without evidence are not warranted” and that the “unsubstantiated speculation harms the reputation” of the province’s prosecution service.
Ms. Trussler said she received 56 requests for an investigation, and her “office received many calls and emails, mostly from media, to determine if we were carrying out an investigation.”
She noted that all participants fully cooperated, including the premier, and Ms. Smith also waived solicitor-client privilege during the investigation.
“I think that it can be said that the members of the Crown Prosecution Services were annoyed and even incensed by the allegation that one of them had received outside political pressure,” said Ms. Trussler.
