At the outset, we should acknowledge that Smith’s definition of an ‘apology’ doesn’t necessarily suggest she’s taking responsibility for doing anything wrong, promising not to do it again, or showing any actual contrition – you know, the essential characteristics of an apology.

But there’s a growing list, so let’s track them. The dates below reflect the date of reporting of the apology itself, and not necessarily the conduct referred to.

Breaching the Conflict of Interest Act – June 20, 2023

As we’ve canvassed before, Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler concluded that Smith broke the law when she tried to pressure Justice Minister Tyler Shandro to help Artur Pawlowski with his charges.

Smith’s apology:

Although I had no ill intent, the ethics commissioner found it was improper for me to contact the minister of justice in the way I did, and I apologize to all members of the assembly and to all Albertans for the error.

As an aside, Trussler’s findings include that the purpose of the call was improper, amounting to an attempt to interfere with the administration of justice.

Comparing Vaccinated Persons to Nazi Followers – May 8, 2023

During the election campaign, a video from November 2021 surfaced in which Smith drew an analogy between Germans who supported Hitler’s rise to power, and “75 percent of the public” who were vaccinated. She said that she wouldn’t wear a poppy because of this.

Smith’s apology:

I apologize for any offensive language used regarding this issue made while on talk radio or podcasts during my previous career.

Additional context: Smith previously disqualified a UCP candidate, Nadine Wellwood, for having made comments comparing vaccine passports to Nazi regime policies.

Discussion with Prosecutors – January 13, 2023

In early January, 2023, reporting broke of Smith herself telling groups that she had been in contact with prosecutors, asking them if a given case was in the public interest and/or had a reasonable prospect of conviction. After taking heat for that being very improper, she walked back those remarks and explained that her language had been “imprecise”.

While my language may have been imprecise in these instances, I was referring to the process and discussions above and the advice I received from the attorney general and the deputy attorney general.

Additional context: This was about a week after the calls with Pawlowski and Shandro that later landed her in hot water.

However, her remarks about having made that contact were made prior to any conversation with Shandro about any particular cases, at least as reflected in the Ethics Commissioner’s report.

Comparing Indigenous Oppression to Alberta’s Fights with Ottawa – December 14, 2022

In December 2022, Smith remarked in the legislature that she’s told Indigenous Chiefs that they’ve fought a battle to extract themselves from the Indian Act, and that ‘we get treated the exact same way by Ottawa’.

Smith’s apology:

If my comments were misconstrued, I absolutely apologize for it because my intention was to demonstrate that we have a common problem with Ottawa….Ottawa, I think, unfortunately, treats First Nations with disrespect and they also treat provinces with disrespect.

Apologizing for how other people understand her remarks is typical of a non-apology; going on to reiterate that they’ve understood it correctly, doubling down on the initial offensive sentiment, is a step further.

Ukraine Neutrality to Solve the Russian Invasion – October 18, 2022

Early in the Russia/Ukraine war, which started in early 2022, Smith made a remark proposing that the solution to the conflict was for Ukraine to commit to neutrality.

When the NDP started criticizing her for it, her initial response was to downplay it and attack the NDP for ‘politicizing’ the war. She asserted that her Ukrainian great-grandfather came to Canada after World War One, fleeing communism. (In fact, he arrived in Canada in 1915, two years before the communist revolution in Russia.)

Subsequently, she acknowledged having made “ill-informed comments on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

My knowledge and opinion of this matter have drastically evolved since that time, and I apologize for those previous comments.

Calling the Unvaccinated the Most Discriminated-Against Group in Her Lifetime – October 13, 2022

Shortly after becoming Premier, she described the unvaccinated as “the most discriminated-against group that I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime”.

Smith’s Clarification:

My intention was to underline the mistreatment of individuals who chose not to be vaccinated and were punished by not being able to work, travel, or in some cases, see loved ones.

I want to be clear that I did not intend to trivialize in any way the discrimination faced by minority communities and other persecuted groups both here in Canada and around the world, or to create any false equivalencies to the terrible historical discrimination and persecution suffered by so many minority groups over the last decades and centuries.

Surely we can be relieved that she didn’t intend to make any false equivalencies.

Claiming There’s a Cure for COVID – March 22, 2020

An oldie but a goodie, this one was severe enough to make her apologize even before she went back into politics.

Early in the pandemic, Smith Tweeted out that a controlled study in France showed that hydroxychloroquine cured “100%” of COVID infections. This referenced a small-sample non-randomized study that had been touted by Trump – but denounced by experts including Anthony Fauci.

Smith’s apology:

I deleted a retweet from yesterday that unintentionally created confusion and panic around a potential pharmaceutical solution for COVID-19. As the pandemic unfolds, I have many experts on the air to discuss potential treatment options,

Additional context: From the screenshots of the Tweet, it does not, in fact, appear to be a Retweet.

Last updated: July 18, 2023

Correction Notes: An earlier version of this post identified the year Smith’s ancestor came to Canada as 2015; it has been corrected to read 1915.

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