The mayor of Calgary refused to answer a question about how Canadians in her city can trust her about public safety when she has previously attempted to defund the Calgary police department.
"Just a handful of months ago you were fighting tooth and nail against increasing the police budget and you were actively supporting defund the police rhetoric. I’m just wondering when you realized that police forces were not optional? Did it take the random stabbings, police officers getting killed to realize it was important to fund police departments?” journalist Keean Bexte asked.
"How can Calgarians trust you when you flip flop on basic issues like public safety?" he added.
Jyoti Gondek paused for a moment before walking away without answering.
OUTRAGEOUS: Watch Canadian reporter @TheRealKeean ask the mayor of Calgary to explain her “defund the police” hypocrisy now that crime is spiking—AND SHE JUST WALKS AWAY. pic.twitter.com/sHE1cHT83P
— Law Enforcement Legal Defense (@LELDF) April 10, 2023
I challenge Defund the Police @JyotiGondek to forfeit her police security until there is no stabbing on the streets of Calgary for two (2) consecutive days.
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) April 7, 2023
True North reported that while she was still a Ward 3 Councillor in 2021, Gondek and eight other members of Calgary City Council voted to defund the Calgary Police Service by $20 million.
One Canadian journalist was outraged, not at Gondek, but Bexte for asking the question because he is "not a journalist."
Why is Keean Bexte even accredited for this press conference, @cityofcalgary and @JyotiGondek?
— Markham Hislop (@politicalham) April 4, 2023
He's not a journalist.
This is why govts and businesses should restrict press conferences to accredited journalists.
To keep out the riff raff. https://t.co/iOPd5sVXQl