'A dead lie': Sask. opposition leader escorted out of legislature for comments

Opposition Leader Carla Beck was escorted out of the Saskatchewan Legislature after claiming Jeremy Harrison, minister of trade and export development, was lying during question period.

Video of the moment Beck was forced to leave can be viewed using the player above.

The exchange centered on claims about the Saskatchewan NDP’s lack of support for pipeline projects. Harrison had accused the NDP of being opposed to pipelines after they stood up during question period to fight for Saskatchewan steelmaking jobs.

When answering a question about the role of steelworkers being part of a resurgence of manufacturing, Harrison said the provincial NDP invited federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to speak at their fundraiser, someone he said whose entire reason for supporting Trudeau is ensuring another pipeline never gets built in Canada.

“This is why they have absolutely zero credibility on every economic file and none more so than when it comes to pipelines and the energy sector,” he said.

Beck said the NDP support pipelines.

“I think the minister likes to think him rather clever within the walls of this assembly,” Beck said. “Everything that that minister just said is a dead lie.”

Speaker Randy Weekes asked Beck to withdraw and apologize for her comment.

Beck replied by saying that she stands by what she said.

Weekes asked one more time for Beck to withdraw and apologize.

“I’m afraid, Mr. Speaker, I have to draw a line, I will not withdraw,” she replied.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device

Since Beck did not apologize and withdraw her comments, she was escorted out of the assembly by the Sergeant at Arms.

“Miss Carla Beck, I hereby name you for disregarding the authority of the chair, pursuant to rule 57-2, the member suspended from the service of the assembly for the remainder of the sitting day,” Weekes said.

“I ask the Sergeant at Arms to remove the member.”

That led to her expulsion for the day.

Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck speaking to reporters after getting escorted from the legislature. (Wayne Mantyka / CTV News)

Speaking to reporters following question period, Beck said she was fed up with the minister’s comments.

“Day after day, this session in particular, we’ve had to deal with the minister standing up and spitting obvious, frankly, lies in the legislature, misrepresenting our position on things.”

Steelworkers were present at the legislature building to lobby for more pipe manufacturing jobs. They applauded the NDP leader.

“We have a delegation of steelworkers here including seven members from the Evraz mill, had 600 people working, has 30 people working right now. My sense was the questions are, you know, what are you going to do to promote domestic manufacturing?” said Scott Lunny, western director at United Steelworkers.

Expulsions are rare at the legislative building but they do happen from time to time when a member refuses to back down. Carla Beck says it’s the first time that she’s been kicked out from anywhere.

Later in the day, Beck took to social media to explain her stance.

- With files from CTV News Regina's Wayne Mantyka