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Exchange at Legislature leaves local MLA shaken Jana Semeniuk Staff Reporter
A threatening incident at the Alberta Legislature left Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely shaken this week and brought into question a ‘pattern of behaviour’ exhibited by NDP Edmonton Gold Bar MLA Marlin Schmidt. Lovely was interviewed by Caribou Publishing after the incident and said she was outside the chambers in the back lounge on April 8 when she was approached by Schmidt, who was upset she spoke up to support another member’s bill around the federal government’s attempt to take over urban parks. “He said people of Camrose have no business weighing in on this topic that affects Edmontonians. I just turned around because I was surprised he was so angry and (he was) shouting at the top of his lungs,” she said. “I just said, the park system belongs to everyone. I saw him coming at me, so I ran around the corner and went behind the security guard for protection (who) observed Marlin Schmidt, continuing to yell at me at the top of his lungs, and block the pathway. I couldn’t get out from behind the security guard (who) said, ‘Go for a walk’. And then Marlin Schmidt said he was going to leave and then he laughed.” Lovely said she has never experienced a threatening incident like this before. “It went above and beyond anything that’s acceptable,”
she said. “That has never happened to me before where I’ve been threatened like that and that someone’s been so angry about a piece of legislation that they’re going to take it outside of the chamber.” Lovely said she was disappointed that very few media outlets have taken interest in the incident which prompted a rare point of privilege raised in the house the next day by the Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow. “We do not have points of privilege, covered in the chamber, ever, that very rarely happens. And so for any of the other media outlets to not even write about this or raise an eyebrow about this is very troubling for me,” she said. “I do feel very strongly that he (Marlin Schmidt) needs to take some anger management courses, and ultimately that he needs to step aside as a member (because) he’s no longer effectively taking care of his responsibilities as an elected official. I called for his resignation when I spoke to Rebel News.” Schow said Schmidt has shown a ‘pattern of behaviour’ that is unacceptable and provided several examples including 20 points of order with two in one day in Oct. 2018, four in one day in Nov. 2019, and two times in one day in March 2021. “Clearly, Mr. Speaker, the idea of proper behaviour and decorum becoming of a member of the Legislative Assembly is a concept that completely escapes the mem-
ber for Edmonton Gold Bar,” said Schow. Gold Bar MLA Schmidt spoke to the incident and said Lovely instigated the encounter by continuing the debate outside the chambers. Lovely disputes this version of the events. “She instigated the incident by continuing the debate that was here on the floor. I responded by escalating the argument. Where the government House leader suggested (that) I followed her in an attempt to intimidate her, I strongly take issue with that characterization,” he said adding that his colleagues have also felt threatened by members of the legislature in the past. “I know that many of my colleagues here have expressed on numerous occasions that they have felt threatened and intimidated by members of this very legislature, and I take that seriously. I’m also apologizing directly to the member of Camrose for my own actions yesterday. I acknowledge that she has felt threatened and intimidated and I sincerely regret having made her feel that way.” House Speaker Nathan Cooper said this was the most concerning point of privilege that has been raised during his speakership. Cooper has been house speaker since 2019 and was re-elected to a second term in 2023. “This unfortunately is not the first offense of the member for Edmonton Gold Bar,” he said in his address after Gold
Camrose Constituency MLA Jackie Lovely Bar MLA Schmidt’s response. “I will accept his apology as it is presented. And I will communicate directly to the honourable government House leader and the leader of the opposition on issues impacting members in particular with how members interact outside this chamber. I consider this matter dealt with and concluded.” Lovely said she was disappointed with the speaker’s ruling. “If he worked in any other workplace, he would have been either fired or suspended without pay. This is not acceptable. I feel that not only as a woman, but as a conservative
woman, I need to speak up about this. I’m very disappointed with the ruling that the speaker has made,” she said, adding the incident upset her where she felt ill and was advised not to go to the chamber the next day. “They advised me not to, because of the hostility that Marlin Schmidt had exhibited and were concerned for my safety. I’m just not sure how I’m going to react to future dealings with him, but right now, I’m very angry.” Lovely said she was grateful for the support of Premier Danielle Smith who, according to reports, called out the incident as ‘inappropriate’.