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, says she will limit questions on all other topics.

Smith told reporters in Calgary Friday that she will only allow reporters to ask a single question at news conferences and not allow them the traditional followup query.

Asked why, she replied, "It's an election, that's why.

"We're sort of getting into election mode, so we have lots of people (and we) want to answer lots of questions."

On her Corus radio call-in show Saturday, Smith saidthat the limits onquestions will allow her to provide more answers.She said she wants to ensure as many reporters as possible get to ask questions in the days leading up to the election.

"It's just each media outlet will get one question instead of getting two while we're in this period of the campaign, because I just need to make sure that we're getting to as many people as possible," Smith said.

The election is not set to formally begin for two more weeks, and Smith invoked the new rule, not at a United Conservative Party event, but at a government-funded media availability to unveil a new panel to address multicultural issues.

The Opposition NDP responded quickly, promising to answer any and all questions put to them, including followups.

"Leaders take questions it's part of the job," NDP Leader Rachel Notley said on social media.

"If Danielle Smith isn't willing to explain herself to Albertans, she shouldn't be premier. Albertans deserve better."

Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi also weighed in on social media.

"Folks, this is really wrong," said Nenshi. "This was a government announcement, not an election announcement.

"It's part of the job to answer questions no matter how tough why I scrummed almost daily. Not answering means you're either hiding something or your staff are scared of what you'll say."

The one-question policy comes amid ongoing scrutinyover Smith's phone call with a Calgary street pastor in which they discussed his upcoming criminal case related to pandemic-related charges.

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

• Alberta premier offers new version of why she contacted Pawlowski before criminal trial

On Monday, the premier's office said Alberta'sethics commissioner is launching an investigation into whether Smith interfered with the administration of justice tied to COVID-19 prosecutions.

Regarding the new limiton reporters' questions, political scientistJared Wesley with the University of Alberta said follow-up questions are important for reporters when covering political figures.

"The followup question allows reporters to do two things. It allows them to either repeat (the initial question) or, in some cases, call out the premier or the politician for misstatements or to clarify facts," said Wesley.

Headded thatit will ultimately be up to voters to decide if they have a concern with Smith's one-question policy. He said it's a questionable election strategy for Smith and her UCP given polls suggest a tight race ahead of the May 29 polling day and suggests there are voter concerns over Smith's trustworthiness.

"If you have an accountability problem, the answer is not to make yourself less accountable. The answer is to make yourself more transparent. And this new policy flies in the face of that," said Wesley.

He said the move also opens the door to Notley answering every media question to burnish her image as a reliable, confident leader while being able to paint Smith as evasive.

Public policy professor Lori Williams said allowing reporters followup questions is key to getting the answers voters require.

"Here we see the latest in a series of attempts on the part of the premier to avoid answering questions," said Williams with Mount Royal University in Calgary.

She cited Smith's announcement earlier in the week that the premier won't answer questions about theethics commissioner's investigation.

"It's becoming a pattern associated with this government and this premier, that she will have a variety of reasons for not answering questions, and then saying, paradoxically, that this is the case because it's an (upcoming) election," said Williams.

"This is raising more doubts about trust rather than shoring up trust and confidence in the leader."

A spokespersonwith the premier's office has said that Smith "is fully co-operatingwith theethics commissioner, and is confident this examination will confirm there has been no such interference."