First Nations police commissioner pens biting reply to Alberta minister's hate speech guidance

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeCrimeLocal News First Nations police commissioner pens biting reply to Alberta minister's hate speech guidance 'Minister, you will forgive me if Indigenous people do not require an extensive tutorial on the dangers of government overreach. We have something of a head start' Author of the article: By Jonny Wakefield Published Sep 14, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, speaks at the launch of Crime Stoppers' Report Hate campaign in 2024. Ellis has since sent a letter to Alberta police commissions directing them not to police unpopular opinions and "hurt feelings," after a hate crime reporting campaign from Edmonton police. PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia Article content The chair of a First Nations police commission has written a sarcasm-laden reply to Alberta’s public safety minister, after the latter issued guidance about his government’s preferred approach to policing hate speech. Article content Minister Mike Ellis on Aug. 10 sent a letter to police commissions across Alberta in the wake of the UCP government’s fight with the Edmonton Police Service over its messaging encouraging Edmontonians to report potential hate speech. Article content Article content Article content Ellis reiterated earlier statements from Premier Danielle Smith, saying that while the provincial government does not condone hate speech or violence, “we believe law enforcement should be focused on stopping violent crime, not policing opinions or ‘hurt feelings.'” Among those who received Ellis’s letter was Bradley Twin, chair of the commission that oversees the Lakeshore Regional Police Service, which serves four First Nations near Lesser Slave Lake. Article content Article content Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Twin said that between Ellis’s statements about the infringement of free speech, and the more immediate concerns of running a remote police service, the letter felt like a “slap in the face” Article content Twin wrote a reply. Article content “Minister, you will forgive me if Indigenous people do not require an extensive tutorial on the dangers of government overreach.…