EDMONTON — Alberta NDP MLA Janis Irwin and the provincial New Democratic Party are drawing bi-partisan condemnation after associating with merchandise from a British Columbia-based retailer that features harsh rhetoric – and what some consider safety threats – against Premier Danielle Smith.
The item in question is a “Public Enemy” political T-shirt sold by Cutouts Canada, a Victoria company that profits from selling anti-Conservative apparel and stickers. The shirt depicts Smith alongside the words “PUBLIC ENEMY”.
A video associated with the company, which has circulated widely on social media, includes an individual identified online by some as Bartosz Bos making inflammatory statements about the premier. These include calling Smith a “Nazi” and saying, “one day, you are going to get yours,” along with other derogatory language such as labelling Smith a “Nazi bitch.” Critics across the political spectrum have described the remarks as a thinly veiled threat to Smith’s safety.
Irwin has been publicly tagged and thanked by the company in posts promoting the shirt and related merchandise. Cutouts Canada has highlighted her support, including sending her a shirt.
The Alberta NDP has positioned itself as an inclusive, pro-woman party. Opponents argue the association with the retailer and its rhetoric undermines that image and reflects an appeal to more violent radical left-wing elements. The party has faced recent polling challenges as it seeks to broaden its support ahead of future elections – and many view this as taking several large steps backwards and an alignment with radical elements calling for violence against a sitting premier.
Critics have pointed to what they describe as a double standard in the NDP’s response to personal attacks on female politicians. During Rachel Notley’s tenure as premier, the party and its allies repeatedly condemned sexist and threatening rhetoric directed at her, highlighting spikes in death threats, misogynistic online abuse, and harassment. Notley’s government and supporters framed such incidents as unacceptable attacks on women in politics. In contrast, the current controversy involving similar inflammatory language toward Conservative Premier Danielle Smith has drawn no reported public internal pushback from the NDP, raising questions about consistency in condemning gendered or violent rhetoric depending on the political target.
Smith’s office and the United Conservative Party have not immediately commented in detail on the latest controversy, though past instances of Nazi-related accusations against the premier — including from former NDP figures — have drawn strong denunciations from her as “gross” and “disgusting.”
The episode has fueled strong online condemnation towards Irwin and Cutouts Canada, with some Albertans calling for legal action or police investigation into the video statements. Moderate NDP supporters have called for NDP leader Naheed Nenshi to condemn Irwin’s promotion of hate. No charges have been reported as of this writing.
