'They do need to be kept in check': Sask. premier responds to MLA suspension ruling
Cabinet ministers in Saskatchewan’s legislative assembly are frustrated over opposition attacks during question period.
The Sunrise Motel controversy and the province’s dealings with Clearpoint Health Network has led to some fiery exchanges in the chamber in recent weeks.
Finance Minister Donna Harpauer sent a text to the speaker suggesting the opposition be reigned in. Speaker Randy Weekes objected to the unsolicited input – and demanded the deputy premier withdraw and apologize.
“I would just like to read into the record what the Minister of Finance just sent me, ‘Randy, if you can blatantly lie, tarnish reputations of elected and unelected individuals with innuendos but no proof, we have no avenue to push back and this assembly has become a joke and a stage for an opposition puppet show. Disappointing,’” Weekes said, quoting the message.
The Speaker claimed to be bombarded by texts from government benches and sought an apology.
Harpauer complied, however Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison became upset over what was happening and offered comment from his desk.
“I ask the Government House Leader to stand and withdraw and apologize for that comment too,” the Speaker added.
“I’m not deaf.”
Harrison responded to the order by saying “I’m not" and left the house. Weekes suspended Harrison for the rest of the day for disregarding his authority.
Premier Scott Moe told reporters on Tuesday he accepts the Speaker’s ruling.
“[The Speaker] is there to do just that and emotions, and MLAs do bring emotions to the floor of the assembly. That in itself I think is admirable but they do need to be kept in check,” he said.
“The assembly is a place … to debate policy decisions that each party is putting forward. It should never be a place of personal attacks. There I think some frustration with the approach that some of the opposition members are taking, they view it as much too personal,” Moe added.
The opposition believes government members have crossed a line.
“I mean, the Speaker represents the institution. It’s about influencing and pressuring him in that position.”
The premier believes texting was an efficient way to conduct house business. However, he believes his members now will think twice before ever texting the speaker again.
“I think people would have paused before they start sending another text if that is the result,” Moe explained.
“So I think it was maybe unexpected [but] it's his prerogative.”
- With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Large numbers of New York City police officers begin entering Columbia University campus
Large numbers of New York City police officers began entering the Columbia University late Tuesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters remained on the campus.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
CSE says it shared information on Chinese hacking of parliamentarians in 2022
While several MPs and senators say they were only recently made aware of China-backed hackers targeting them, the Communications Security Establishment, one of Canada's intelligence agencies, says it shared information about the incident with parliamentary officials in June of 2022.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Eviction for landlord's use was legitimate, despite owners' partial move, B.C. court rules
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.