Alberta premier poses for photo with protesters charged in Ottawa convoy
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is under fire for once again appearing to associate with people facing serious criminal charges.
Photos at a Wednesday night UCP event Smith standing beside two Albertans charged with offences related to the Ottawa convoy.
One of the people in the picture, James Bauder, is a "Freedom Convoy" organizer.
He's awaiting trial on charges of mischief to obstruct property, disobeying a lawful court order and obstructing/resisting a peace officer.
Bauder helped pen a letter last year asking the Governor General to remove democratically elected officials – including the prime minister – and to overturn vaccine mandates.
His wife, Sandra Collins Bauder, is also facing charges in relation to her convoy participation.
Both can be spotted beside a smiling Smith in the photo.
James Bauder and Sandra Collins Bauder post (left) pose in a photo with Danielle Smith (centre). (Facebook) "You would think that those kind of associations would be something that she might want to avoid on the eve of an election," Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said.
"I would've expected her to be a bit more careful about associating with the people that represent a far-right fringe."
CTV News requests to speak with the premier in regards to the photo were not answered.
Neither were multiple questions about the event and her association with attendees.
Instead, the UCP sent a short statement saying the premier took part in a "routine photo line-up" with nearly 200 people.
"The premier does not personally know these individuals," the statement reads.
It made no mention of Bauder's views.
Former NHL star Theoren Fleury, who has posted controversial anti-vaccine rhetoric online in the past, was also at the event.
"There's the judgement question," Williams said
"There's also the question of Danielle Smith's own values. I don't know if people would find it believable that (she) doesn't know who James Bauder or Theo Fleury are, but even if she doesn't, there should be people around her that are making sure she understands."
"The premier is siding with those with extreme views and she needs to explain why," NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir said. "It's a pattern of behaviour that the premier has shown over and over again."
PRIVATE CAMPAIGN EVENT
Wednesday's event was hosted for UCP candidate Eric Bouchard, who is hoping to take over Jason Kenney's old seat in Calgary-Lougheed.
Both Williams and fellow Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt say Bouchard is linked to right-wing group Take Back Alberta.
They both allege TBA has already taken a number of positions of power within the party and is backing multiple candidates in May's election.
The event in question was held at a venue that previously hosted a Calgary TBA meeting.
Bouchard has also drawn criticism in the past for a strongly worded tweet attacking Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra.
In it, he called the councillor a “sick f**k” and a “a******”.
He has since scrubbed his Twitter account of all content and hasn’t responded to a request for comment from CTV News.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.