Alberta Premier Danielle Smith faced intense questioning during a press conference at McDougall Centre in Calgary on February 20, 2026, regarding disturbing comparisons made between her and Hitler's Nazi regime. These inflammatory remarks did not originate from anonymous social media accounts but came directly from prominent political figures within Alberta's political landscape.
High-Profile Accusations Emerge
Former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, who leads the provincial NDP opposition, has drawn direct parallels between Smith's United Conservative Party government and the atrocities committed by Nazis during World War II. Notley has specifically referenced a prose poem originally written by a German pastor condemning those who stood by while Hitler's regime systematically targeted and murdered millions of Jewish people and other persecuted groups.
Rewriting Historical Atrocities
In her adaptation of the pastor's writing, Notley has substituted the original victims of Nazi persecution with contemporary political groups. According to Notley's interpretation, Smith and the UCP government are "coming for" transgender individuals, unionized workers, judges, and immigrants in a manner she equates with Nazi persecution tactics.
"If you think that you or someone you love won't be next, you're sorely mistaken," Notley concluded in her remarks, directly implying that Smith's government represents a similar threat to vulnerable populations as the Nazi regime did to European Jews and other targeted groups during the Holocaust.
Additional Criticism from Former Deputy Premier
Thomas Lukaszuk, who served as deputy premier under former Progressive Conservative Premier Alison Redford, has also engaged in similar rhetoric comparing Smith to Nazis. This is particularly noteworthy given Lukaszuk's personal background as Polish-born, with presumably direct family knowledge of Nazi atrocities during World War II.
Lukaszuk currently leads a pro-Canada petition campaign opposing Alberta independence movements and brings significant political weight to his criticisms of the current premier. His decision to employ Nazi comparisons has raised questions about appropriate boundaries in political discourse, especially from someone with personal connections to regions devastated by actual Nazi occupation.
Defending Extreme Rhetoric
Notley has defended her extreme comparisons by declaring Smith "the worst premier in the history of Alberta," suggesting this justifies what many consider inappropriate historical analogies. She has additionally compared Smith to former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing the premier of promoting racism and making "racism great again" in Alberta.
The controversy emerges just one year after Smith was labeled a traitor by political opponents, indicating a pattern of increasingly heated rhetoric in Alberta's political environment. Both Notley and Lukaszuk occupy positions of significant influence within Alberta politics, with their comments carrying substantial weight beyond typical political criticism.
Questions of Historical Sensitivity
The comparisons have sparked debate about appropriate uses of Holocaust imagery in contemporary political discourse. The original prose poem referenced by Notley specifically addressed the systematic murder of six million Jews in concentration camps and gas chambers, along with millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.
Critics question how policy disagreements about union workers, judicial appointments, or immigration could reasonably be equated with the industrialized mass murder perpetrated by the Nazi regime. Supporters of Smith argue that such comparisons trivialize genuine historical atrocities while poisoning political discourse with inappropriate analogies.
As Alberta's political tensions continue to escalate, the controversy raises fundamental questions about where to draw the line between vigorous political opposition and irresponsible historical comparisons that may diminish the memory of actual genocide victims while polarizing the political landscape further.
