Alberta’s New Democrat Party leader has called to hire more police despite her party members’ anti-police rhetoric.

On Sunday, the NDP party released a $40 million public safety plan that calls to hire 150 more police officers as well as an additional 150 social workers such as mental health workers. Notley didn’t attend the policy announcement. 

The decision comes after the United Conservative Party called Notley’s NDP “anti-police.” 

Notley, a proud supporter of the ‘defund-the-police’ Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, was recently challenged to condemn NDP members’ history of anti-police comments after a slew of random stabbings in Alberta.

United Conservative Party Minister Rebecca Shulz asked Notley to “explain their comments and why they’re so out of touch with Alberta families.”

Shulz called out Calgary City Councillor Druh Farrell for calling police “domestic abusers” shortly after the frenzied BLM movement that followed George Floyd’s murder. Farrell is running for the NDP in the Calgary-Bow riding, and issued an apology the day after trashing the police.

Shulz also mentioned a number of other candidates, including Rod Loyola who’s running in Edmonton Ellerslie. Loyola once said “Alberta police officers commit crimes with immunity,” and “An EPS badge gives you a right to beat up citizens and not have to face criminal charges.”

The UCP Minister also mentioned NDP MLA Janice Irwin who once tweeted the now infamous hashtag “Defund the Police.”

Notley has also previously suggested BLM leaders should attend police town halls. Since then, public accounting records of BLM indicate the leaders spent millions of dollars on luxury properties throughout North America.

When asked about the UCP’s accusations, Notley refused to condemn any of her party members’ anti-police statements. Instead, Notley said that all NDP members support the police. 

She also said that a lot of the quotes were taken out of context.