Canadian politicians are again accused of provocative public speeches

Danielle Smith, prime minister of the Canadian province of Alberta, had to apologize for a careless two years ago comment after a video of her speech was published this weekend.

On November 10, 2021 podcast, even before Smith became prime minister, she had a conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic and says that "75% of the public who received a vaccine fell for the "charms of a tyrant."

Smith was interviewed on Essential Human Needs – Energy, Free Speech, Functioning Health Care and Honest Politicians,. Some have noticed that in his speech Smith practically quotes the Netflix documentary "How to Become a Tyrant" about Hitler persuading people to obey. That's what outraged a vigilant part of society.

The podcast is more than 90 minutes long, and the defiant monologue appeared almost at the end, where the conversation turns to the topic of scientific and medical consensus. Her co-host Andrew Ruhland, the son of Dutch immigrants who survived World War II, says that the personal freedoms of Canadians are violated by public health regulations to which Smith responds that those who were vaccinated in Alberta listened to their governments.

Calgary's Jewish community responded to the video on Monday.

"We are aware of the 2021 podcast that has reappeared," the Jewish Federation of Calgary said in a statement. — With today's election campaign, it is important that our community not be used as a wedge between political parties, and as such, we will not comment further on this issue."

"We are aware of the 2021 podcast that has resurfaced. In today's campaign climate, it is important that our community is not used as a wedge between political parties and with this, we will not be commenting further on this issue at this time," Calgary's Jewish Federation said in a statement.

Twitter was relentless: "There is no justification for politicians to make contemporaneous comparisons to the Nazi regime", "Our leaders must do better", "Some comments demonstrate a set of values which no level of apology can ever make up for."

There's an election campaign going on in Alberta, which is also struggling with forest fires. So experts say it wouldn't be surprising if something else leaked to the media that could be considered provocative.

"As everyone knows, I was against the use of vaccine mandates during COVID. We have 75 per cent of the public who say not only hit me, but hit me harder, and keep me away from those dirty unvaxxed," Smith writes. 

Smith herself admits to having been vaccinated with a one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Arizona, and when asked if she considers herself a follower of Hitler, she referred to her statement.

The provincial elections will be held on May 29.

This is not the first time a Canadian politician are in the center of a scandalous situation that threatens to affect their reputation. Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland has made some frivolous remarks in the media about less privileged citizens than herself, and minister of transport Omar Alhabra publishes a controversial video that attracts hundreds of angry comments on Twitter.