Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley had police forcefully remove a journalist from a press conference after he was intending to ask about her party’s past stance on defunding the police.
Prior to making an announcement in Calgary on Monday, Notley called the Calgary Police Services (CPS) to escort The Counter Signal editor-in-chief Keean Bexte from the premises.
A video captured by True North shows the police following Bexte out of the announcement room with his hands behind his back.
Bexte, who is accredited with the Alberta Legislature, has since claimed that he was detained and charged with trespassing by the CPS.
In a video with one of Notley’s staffers, Bexte can be heard passing on his question.
“A half dozen of her candidates have supported anti-police rhetoric including actively defunding the police,” Bexte said.
“They’ve supported it and in practice done it. And now that the new Janet Brown poll is coming out, saying that over 50% of Albertans are supporting Danielle Smith. Does she think it’s time to discipline these candidates or re-tweak the anti-police message?”
This is not the first time that Notley has refused to take questions from reporters.
Last month, Notley had security drag out two reporters from a press conference shortly after she criticized Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for limiting the amount of questions journalists could ask.
Both Bexte and Rebel News reporter Alex Dhaliwal were forcefully removed by security before getting to ask the NDP leader any questions.
The incident resulted in the Independent Press Gallery of Canada issuing a statement that called on Notley to ensure access at her press conferences for all media outlets.
“Independent journalism is vital to a healthy Canadian mediasphere, and reporters should not be blacklisted simply because they don’t work for large government-subsidized media organizations,” wrote IPG president Andrew Lawton.
“Independent journalists are able to ask questions of politicians that truly hold power to account and inform the Canadian public. You have led Albertans to believe that this is something you value.”
All True North journalists are accredited with the Independent Press Gallery of Canada.
