Premier Moe touts 'renewal' as Sask. cabinet ministers, MLAs continue to step down

A gun controversy stirred up by the Speaker of the House, and the decisionsof six cabinet ministers to not runfor re-election, have created plenty of attention for Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe heading into the summer before thefall election campaign.

Over the past two weeks, comments from Speaker Randy Weekes have forced Moe to answer questions on multiple occasions and led to Jeremy Harrison's resignation as government House leader.

Weekesinitially caused a stir with a post on social media on May 15 witha photo ofhis Saskatchewan Party membership card cut in half with the caption "enough is enough."

The following day, Weekesmade what is likely his last speechas Speaker, levelling serious accusations of bullying, harassmentand intimidation on the part of the government and accusing Harrison of carrying a gun into the building in the past.

Harrison, via Moe, initially denied all allegations.But more than one week later, he offered his resignation as House leader after remembering he did carry a gun into the building about 10 years earlier. He remains in cabinet as the minister of trade and export development.

In the midst of all this, 18 of Moe's 46 MLAs who were in caucus last fall are not running for re-election for a variety of reasons most notably, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer, ministersDustin Duncan and Don McMorris, and Saskatoon veteran MLAs Don Morgan and Gordon Wyant.

McMorris was first elected in 1999, Harpauer and Morgan in 2003 and Duncan in 2006. All four served time in Opposition before Brad Wall's victory in 2007.

LISTEN | CBC's political panel discusses this week's events:

The Morning Edition - Sask9:42Political Panel - May 31

Teachers have decided to say 'no' to a new contract with the provincial government. We talk about the vote - and what it means - on our political panel. We also talk about the latest details on a cabinet minister who brought a gun to the Saskatchewan Legislature. Will there be an investigation?

Last week, Wyant told Moe he would like to leave cabinet, after havingalready decided not to run in October. This week, another cabinet minister, Joe Hargrave, decided he would not run and asked to be dropped from cabinet as well. Both Wyant and Hargrave had previously won the nominations in their respective ridings.

Time for 'renewal': Moe

On Monday, Moe told reporters the number of MLAs stepping away from politics was not abnormal, but was a chance for the party to renew.

"There's some personal reflection going on, I think in the broader scope of what it takes to serve in politics in today's day and age at any levelfederal, provincial or municipal. We have 28 MLAs who are seeking re-election. That's likely slightly less than maybe the last two elections," Moe said.

"There's no doubt there are some significant years of experience that are choosing not to run again."

Moe said he was recently on a call with all of the nominated candidates and expressed his "excitement" about the upcoming campaign and their slate.

WATCH | Jeremy Harrison speaks earlier this week:

RAW | Jeremy Harrison on bringing gun to Sask. legislature, resigning House leader position, harrassment accusations

4 months ago

Duration 10:32

A Saskatchewan cabinet minister who initially told the premier he didn't bring a long gun into the legislature, only to reverse himself days later, says talks with family members helped jog his memory. Jeremy Harrison spoke with CBC Monday.

"I would say in particular in some of our urban constituencies, [we have]some pretty dynamic candidates. To me, that's exciting for the renewal of the party and indicative of where hopefully this party will be going in the future."

Weekes wrote "another one bites the dust" on his social media page following Hargrave's announcement.

"Last I checked, Mr. Weekes isn't part of the communications department of the caucus," Moe said.

As for the accusations made by Weekes of bullying and harassment, Moe said he wouldnot call for an investigation, but said others could.

He said some of the issues between the Speaker and the House leader could be chalked up to a breakdown in communication.

"I take responsibility for that," Moe said. "I have some work to do as leader of this party to set the framework for a better environment."

Moe also defended the decision to accept Harrison's resignation as House leader but keephim in cabinet.

On Wednesday, after Weekes shared an email detailing the incident of Harrison carrying a gun into the legislature in 2016, Opposition Leader Carla Beck called for Moe to kick Harrison out of cabinet and caucus.

WATCH | Carla Beck responds to release of email detailing gun incident:

Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck responds to newly released memo detailing Jeremy Harrison bringing gun into legislative building

4 months ago

Duration 6:24

An email obtained by Speaker Randy Weekes and sent to CBC is shedding more light on an incident involving cabinet minister Jeremy Harrison bringing a gun into the legislature eight years ago. Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck spoke with media Wednesday about the memo.

The email revealed that on a Thursday around noon in April 2016, Harrison came into the building wearing hunting camouflage, a hat and carrying a gun case. He did not stop at security.

Harrison called it a lapse in judgment and a mistake. The email said Harrison was going coyote hunting with a former Speaker.

Harrisoninitially told Moe he did not bring a gun into the building but said conversations with family members, after Weekes made the allegations, jogged his memory.

"This is a minister who has lied and who has shown terrible judgment and instead of being forthright with the people of this province has put on a fabrication lied in writing and lied on camera," Beck said Wednesday.

"The premier simply, I do not think has a choice here. This is a question of his leadership and this minister needs to be gone both from cabinet and from caucus."

On Tuesday, NDP critic for ethics and democracyMeara Conway called for a formal investigation by a legislative committee of claims made by Weekes.

Conway asked Weekes to call a committee consisting of MLAs which could appoint an independent investigator and that personcould compel witnesses to testify under oath at official hearings.

Conway said if the shoe was on the other foot, the Saskatchewan Party would have allegations against NDP members investigated.

WATCH | Meara Conway comments on gun incident:

Sask. NDP's Meara Conway comments on Sask. Party's Jeremy Harrison bringing gun into legislative building

4 months ago

Duration 1:32

Sask. NDP MLA Meara Conway spoke Tuesday about former government House leader Jeremy Harrison's admission that he had brought a gun into the legislative building years ago.

"I think Jeremy Harrison would be leading the charge as he has in the past," Conway said."Jeremy Harrison has always been holier than the Pope, you know, when it comes to stuff like this and for things that are not nearly of grave and serious nature as this."

Not much of a punishment: prof

The incident involving Harrison and the firearm was "remarkably irresponsible," said Tom McIntosh, a professor in the department of politics and international studies at the University of Regina.

"This is a fascinating story and it was shocking when I first heard it," McIntosh told CBC's Blue Sky host Leisha Grebinski on Monday.

"Even if the gun was properly cased and everything, someone who was a minister went walking through the halls of the legislature to his office to do work carrying a firearm and it's just wildly inappropriate."

McIntosh said he agreed with the NDP's Beck that Harrison escaped severe consequences.

"You've taken away his position as House leader. The House isn't sitting and there will be an election before it sits again, so there's not much of a punishment. He remains a minister and a member of the caucus."

McIntosh said others have been removed from caucus for "somewhat lesser offences."

"We saw Nadine Wilson lie about her vaccination status. She was almost immediately removed from caucus," he said."We were in the midst of a pandemic. It was clear it was meant to send a signal."

Wilsonresigned from caucus in 2021 and is currently an MLA representing the Saskatchewan United Party.

Before making his way back into cabinet, Hargrave was removed from cabinet after taking a trip toPalm Springs during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, at atime whenSaskatchewan residents were advised against travelling for non-essential purposes.

Moe removedRyan Domotor from caucus in 2023, after he was charged with procuring sex during a Regina police vice unit operation.

Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrenceresigned from caucus in January after being charged with assault and assault by choking.

Domotor and Lawrence are not candidates in the upcoming election.

McIntosh said the government is expected to set an example.

"It's always incumbent on the government to act swiftly and decisively and consistently to uphold the principles upon which they were elected."

McIntosh said recently the Saskatchewan Party government has been displayinga "digging-in" attitude and "an arrogance."

"That is a little disconcerting," he said.

"You see this in governments that have been in power for a very long time. They tend to view their position as right, as opposed to having been an elected government that can be unelected."