MLA removed from Sask. legislature during heated session
Nadine Wilson, the Independent MLA of Saskatchewan Rivers, was removed from the Saskatchewan legislature after refusing to apologize for comments made towards the government, following Wednesday’s fierce Question Period session.
Wilson was heard shouting over Minister of Energy and Resources Bronwyn Eyre’s ministerial statement immediately following Question Period.
The Speaker of the House requested that Wilson withdraw her statements and apologize for her “un-parliamentary language” three separate times.
Wilson refused and was escorted out of the house by the sergeant-at-arms.
“I didn’t expect today would be so volatile or that I would feel so passionate about ‘non-governance,’” Wilson told reporters after the incident. “Because I would like to see good governance.”
The incident warranted comments from other members on how decorum and civility is an issue within the house.
Premier Scott Moe criticized Wilson for the incident as well as past behavior during the session.
“This is a member that has periodically shown up in the house, and we see when she does show up she gets kicked out,” he said. “I don’t think she’s been present for one vote in the house, the most fundamental job that you do on behalf of your constituents.”
The premier admitted there has been issues with heckling in the house, but labeled it as a general, nationwide problem.
“There is heckling that happens, not only in this house but in the houses across the nation, including the federal parliament,” he said. “That being said, we do need to work, all of us, all sides, to keep that to a minimum.”
“This is a place to debate policy, not personalities, and I think it would do everyone good to just pause for a moment and remember that.”
Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili suggested there is a double standard in the legislature surrounding which parliamentary rules apply to the government and which ones apply to the opposition and independent members.
“It is 100 per cent the rules apply to everyone but this government,” Meili said.
“I have many disagreements with Ms. Wilson but she is an elected member of this house, she is an independent member. She has the right to be there and to be treated the same way that every other member is treated.”
Passions flared multiple times within the house before Wilson was removed, with the speaker of the house forced to introduce several points of order over members making personal statements against other members and for using un-parliamentary language.
Wilson's expulsion from the house is in effect for one day only. She will be present for the last day of the spring session on Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.