On June 11, 2023, the Premier Tweeted a “Fun fact” that she and her husband own a restaurant in High River, with a photo of her supposedly washing dishes because the dishwasher broke down.

Some people suggested that elements of her attire, like open-toed sandals, were inappropriate for a restaurant kitchen, and/or implied that the whole Tweet was just a staged PR move.

As ‘scandals’ go, that seemed beneath the attention of whatdidtheucpdonow.ca. Until, two days later, the restaurant went on sale. The timing suggests that the Tweet itself was an effort to draw attention to the restaurant to improve its marketability, using her status as Premier to help sell the restaurant.

Lawyer Timothy Huyer suggests that this may not be technically illegal: Because the Tweet isn’t a decision using the power of her office, it probably doesn’t violate the Conflict of Interest Act. Even the Federal equivalent, which is broader, probably wouldn’t be offended here.

However, Mr. Huyer points out that Federal Ministers are subject to “more stringent divestment rules“: If Alberta had similar rules, then it would be inherently improper for the Premier to own and operate a restaurant.

Others suggest that she used her office to arrange the photo shoot, which may put it offside legal constraints governing the Premier.

Legal or not, profiteering off of the Premier’s office seems like something Albertans should have a problem with: Around the same time the restaurant went up for sale, Smith complained about her social media being ‘censored’ because, as Premier, that’s how she communicates with her constituents. Using the podium of a social media account that she uses for official government communications, and turning it into an advertising tool to help sell her personal assets, seems questionable.