Bruce McAllister Apology
Smith aide apologizes after telling teen at town hall his parents should spank him
CALGARY — The moderator of Premier Danielle Smith’s Alberta Next panel is apologizing after telling a teenager at a Calgary town hall that his parents should spank him.
Bruce McAllister, executive director of the premier’s office, called the comment “inappropriate” in a social media post on Tuesday, September 30. “I regret saying it and I apologize,” he wrote. “I’m committed to ensuring these conversations remain respectful and constructive.”
The remark came Monday evening when a 16-year-old boy tried to ask the panel about the looming provincewide teachers’ strike. McAllister cut off the teen’s microphone, telling him, “I applaud you coming here to speak. I don’t applaud how you’re trying to speak. It’s not making any sense. I know you’d love some chaos, but your parents should turn you over your knee.”
The comment was met with boos from the audience. One woman shouted it was “rude,” while another said, “You’re dismissing a teenager!”
Clips of the exchange have been widely shared on social media, drawing criticism and condemnation.
Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said McAllister’s apology is not enough. “This is not a one-off — all summer he’s been silencing, belittling and insulting Albertans he disagrees with,” Nenshi said. “Danielle Smith must make things right with the young student, starting with an apology of her own, and she needs to fire her second most senior official for his reprehensible conduct.”
McAllister is a former broadcaster and Wildrose Party MLA who crossed the floor with Smith in 2014 to join the governing Progressive Conservatives. He lost his seat the following year.
During a media conference on Tuesday, Smith was asked if she intended to further sanction McAllister, perhaps even dismissing him. Smith said he has apologized, and she considers the matter closed.
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