Cabinet minister in camouflage with gun nearly caused security alert at legislature
Jeremy Simes
Wed, May 29, 2024
REGINA — A leaked letter says Saskatchewan Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison nearly triggered a security incident when he walked into the legislature in camouflage gear toting a long gun in a case.
The Opposition NDP said Wednesday the document stokes further suspicions of Harrison’s story and reinforces that he has lost trust and needs to be fired from Premier Scott Moe’s cabinet.
“These are not minor inconsistencies,” NDP Leader Carla Beck told reporters while presenting the letter, which was also obtained by The Canadian Press.
“The minister has been caught again red-handed in a lie. This has to be it. The premier has to show some leadership here.”
Beck noted the Saskatchewan Party member took the gun into the legislature in April 2016, more than a year after a lone gunman killed a ceremonial guard at the War Memorial in Ottawa before entering Parliament, where he was shot to death.
“There was heightened security (after that). We saw a number of security measures come in, and this is (Harrison's) judgment?” Beck said.
When the matter came to light two weeks ago, Harrison denied it happened.
Earlier this week, he admitted he did bring a gun inside the legislature but insisted security was kept in the loop.
The letter, however, says security was not informed.
The letter, dated April 29, 2016, is from the acting sergeant-at-arms. The legislature was not sitting at the time, as the provincial election had been two weeks earlier.
The name of the person the letter was sent to is redacted.
On that day, the letter says things got tense when security noticed an unrecognizable man wearing camouflage holding a gun case walking towards the legislature.
The letter says a desk officer "was at the point of keying his radio and announcing that there was a GUN.”
A security officer got closer to the man to get his attention by saying, "Sir,” before realizing it was the legislature member.
"Harrison walked past the (security) kiosk carrying his gun case and disappeared around the corner. The gun itself was not visible, however, it was obvious that it was a gun case," the letter says.
It adds that Harrison was going to go coyote hunting with the Speaker at the time.
In the letter, the acting sergeant-at-arms writes security "should be advised in advance of this type of behaviour, even by an MLA.”
The letter also says security should be allowed to confiscate all weapons. "There is no need for anyone to have a gun in this building under these circumstances.”
The letter is the latest turn in the controversy that began May 16 and has embroiled both Moe and his governing Saskatchewan Party.
On the last day of spring sitting, Speaker Randy Weekes publicly accused Harrison of: once bringing a hunting rife into the building; wanting to carry a handgun; and threatening the Speaker by flashing the inside of his suit jacket as if to suggest he had a gun.
A day later, Moe told reporters the Speaker's allegations were “unequivocally false.”
In the days that followed, as pressure mounted on Harrison to explain himself, he admitted in a statement that he did bring in a gun into the legislature about a decade ago to prevent it from being stolen from his truck.
He apologized and said he was quitting his job as government house leader but staying in cabinet.
Harrison also insisted that he brought his gun into the legislature "with the knowledge of security officials."
On Monday, he went further, telling reporters he initially forgot about taking the gun into the legislature and that his family had helped jog his memory.
He also said he had notified security but did not say which security officials.
A spokesperson for Moe's office said Wednesday the premier stands by Harrison and has a different interpretation of the minister's statement about security.
“(Harrison) indicated (he carried in the gun) with the knowledge of security officials,” said the spokesperson.
Weekes has cut ties with the Saskatchewan Party. Earlier in the sitting, the Speaker also accused fellow caucus members, including Harrison, of sending him inappropriate text messages to try to intimidate him in his role as the impartial facilitator of house debate.
Harrison did admit to sending a text to Weekes with an expletive and said it wasn't appropriate.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.
Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
Saskatchewan NDP asks Speaker to call meeting on gun allegation, invite investigation
Jeremy Simes
Tue, May 28, 2024
REGINA — Saskatchewan's Opposition is calling on the Speaker to set the wheels in motion for a third-party investigation into gun-carrying and bullying behaviour inside the legislature.
NDP democracy critic Meara Conway told reporters Tuesday that Speaker Randy Weekes chairs the all-party house services committee and could call for that panel to vote on whether to launch a third-party probe with authority to summon witnesses.
The allegations surround Premier Scott Moe’s governing Saskatchewan Party, particularly Trade Minister Jeremy Harrison. Saskatchewan Party members form a majority on the house services committee, meaning such an investigation couldn't happen without their support.
Conway said if Weekes calls a committee meeting, it would provide a “clean route” to getting an investigation.
“There is an alleged culture of bullying and harassment at the core of Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party caucus,” said Conway.
“Minister Harrison remains one of Moe’s senior ministers and essentially the face of Saskatchewan to international investors and trade partners, despite the fact he’s now an established liar and has displayed conduct well below what we’d expect from any minister of the Crown.”
In a letter to Weekes sent Tuesday, Conway said the issue is bigger than both parties.
“The rule of law must be upheld and the basic principles of workplace safety and accountability must be respected,” she wrote.
Weekes declined to comment on whether he would call such a meeting.
Moe’s office said in a statement that it supports an investigation through the legislature’s anti-harassment policy, with formal complaints filed with the assembly clerk.
It said a third-party probe is a non-starter.
“We would support any investigation that may occur pursuant to the Members’ Anti-Harassment Policy but would not support pursuing this matter through House Services Committee, as that is not the appropriate avenue,” said the statement.
Weekes, who must be impartial in his role as Speaker, failed to secure a nomination to run for the Saskatchewan Party in the upcoming fall election and recently cut up his party membership card.
He surprised the house in April by announcing he had been the subject of intimidating text messages from fellow Saskatchewan Party caucus members, particularly Harrison.
On May 16, the last day of the spring sitting, Weekes added more accusations. He said Harrison had flashed the inside of his jacket at the Speaker, a gesture suggesting the minister was carrying a gun. Weekes also said Harrison once brought a rifle into the building and also wanted to bring in a handgun.
A day later, Moe told reporters the allegations against Harrison were “unequivocally false.”
But Harrison later issued a statement saying he did indeed bring a long gun into the legislature a decade ago to prevent it from being stolen from his truck.
On Monday, Harrison explained more in media interviews. He said he had initially forgotten he took a rifle into the legislature but was reminded of it by family and passed the new information on to Moe.
He denied the accusation from Weekes of wanting to bring a handgun into the legislature. But Harrison said texts to the Speaker were regrettable and part of the cut and thrust of politics.
Harrison resigned his position as government house leader but remains in his cabinet post. Moe said he still has confidence in Harrison.
Last week, the NDP wrote to legislative security and the chief firearms officer asking what they knew about Harrison bringing a gun and wanting to carry one in the legislature.
Dani Herman, the director of legislative security, wrote in response that any allegations of an offence would need to be reported to Regina police.
A spokesperson for Regina police said he could not find any recent reports of complaints of guns at the legislature.
Blaine Beaven, legal counsel for the Saskatchewan Firearms Office, said in a letter that he couldn’t say whether Harrison requested to carry a handgun, as the office can’t release personal information.
Beaven said authorization to carry is only given in very limited circumstances.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2024.
Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
Conservative attacks on Speakers in Ottawa, Regina a pattern, say Liberals and NDP
Mickey Djuric
Wed, May 29, 2024
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals and NDP say conservative politicians are displaying a pattern of attacks against Speakers' independence, an allegation the Conservatives in Ottawa strongly deny.
The accusation comes a day after the federal Conservatives tried, and failed, for the third time to get House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus to resign over allegations he is too partisan for the role.
Their attempts are designed to intimidate and delay House work, government House leader Steven MacKinnon said.
"The fact is that this culture of intimidating the chair is something we have seen in other legislatures and I think Canadians are rightly horrified by it," he said.
His NDP counterpart Peter Julian said there's a "disturbing undercurrent" in Ottawa and in Saskatchewan by conservatives who are attacking independent institutions, with their latest target being Speakers.
Julian drew a connection to Saskatchewan by linking Jeremy Harrison, former Saskatchewan Party House leader to federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Both were elected to Parliament in 2004 as Conservatives. Harrison served one term in Ottawa before being defeated in 2006. He was elected provincially in 2007.
While Poilievre is undermining the Speaker in Ottawa, Harrison is doing the same in Regina, Julian charged.
"It's a pattern now," he said to The Canadian Press.
On May 16, Saskatchewan's Speaker Randy Weekes accused several Saskatchewan Party members and staff, including Harrison, of intimidation, including sending him harassing text messages about his rulings. Weekes was elected as a Saskatchewan Party MLA, and served briefly in cabinet.
Last fall he lost the party's nomination to run in the next election and he tore up his party membership card this month when he made the allegations of intimidation.
Weekes also said Harrison once sought permission to bring a gun into the legislature. Harrison initially denied the allegation but resigned last week after admitting he had forgotten about the incident which happened more than a decade ago.
"The disturbing undercurrent as we see in Saskatchewan, as we're seeing here, is attacks on independent institutions," Julian said.
"And this isn't something we've seen before from Conservatives, but since Mr. Poilievre has become leader we're seeing this more and more."
A spokesperson for Poilievre rebuked Julian's connection.
"This is something that happened in the Saskatchewan Legislature regarding an entirely different party and has nothing to do with the Parliament of Canada and its Liberal Speaker or the Conservative Party of Canada," said Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
"This is just another pathetic, desperate attempt by the coalition NDP to distract and play defence for Justin Trudeau and their Liberal masters."
The Conservatives argue that Fergus has proven himself to be biased, including ejecting Poilievre from the House of Commons last month for refusing to retract his comment calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a "wacko." Fergus was forced to pay a $1,500 fine and apologize after he delivered a partisan tribute to an outgoing interim Liberal leader in Ontario on a video played at the party's leadership convention.
The Liberals apologized to Fergus earlier this month after an invitation to an event in his riding was posted with language attacking the Conservatives. They said the invite was posted by a party staffer using boilerplate terms by mistake. It was replaced.
That incident is what prompted a Tory motion to oust Fergus, which failed Tuesday when the Liberals and NDP voted against it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.
Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press
MPs set to vote on whether to oust Speaker Greg Fergus
CBC
Tue, May 28, 2024
Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus appears as a witness before the House of Commons standing committee on procedure and House affairs in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press - image credit)
MPs are set to vote tonight on whether to allow Greg Fergus to stay on as Speaker of the House.
The Conservatives put forward a motion Monday asking the House to remove Fergus from the role over partisan language that appeared in an ad for an event in his riding.
Fergus is likely to remain in his job; the NDP is expected to join with the Liberals to vote down the motion.
But debate and questions about Fergus's impartiality took up time in the Commons chamber and at the House procedures committee on Tuesday.
Conservative MP Chris Warkentin moved the motion to remove Fergus after Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont ruled that the use of partisan language in the ad amounted to a prima facie question of MPs' privilege.
House of Commons rules state that questions of privilege take priority over all other matters. MPs spent most of Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning debating the issue.
The Liberals, with the support of the NDP, passed a closure motion on the privilege debate, which will force a vote on the matter on Tuesday evening.
Conservatives grilled Fergus during his Tuesday appearance before the House procedures committee.
Conservative member of Parliament Michelle Rempel Garner reacts at the start of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to discuss the Government's Response to the Final Report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner questioned how opposition MPs could approach House Speaker Greg Fergus about workplace harassement issues given the concerns about his impartiality. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
The committee is reviewing the House workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, which the Speaker has a role in overseeing.
Conservative MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Jamil Jivani questioned how opposition MPs could approach Fergus about workplace issues given the concerns about his impartiality.
Rempel Garner pointed to Fergus's past defence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he elbowed former NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau during an incident in the House in 2016.
"Do you think opposition MPs would feel safe or empowered to report incidents of any form of harassment given that this … falls under your supervision?" Rempel Garner asked.
Fergus replied that MPs should have "complete confidence" that complaints will be given the "full treatment" by his office.
Rempel Garner responded by saying many women feel uncomfortable reporting to men in power because they fear their concerns won't be heard.
"I am not sure that if I reported something to you that you would treat me fairly, that I wouldn't have my issue twisted for partisan gain because of the repeated incidents of partisanship," she said.
Fergus's actions have raised questions before
The online ad for "A Summer Evening with the Honourable Greg Fergus" included a line that took aim at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. It accused him of pursuing Conservative policies "that would risk our health, safety and pocketbooks" and promoted a Liberal plan to "grow an economy that works for everyone."
The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter last week, saying the language posted on the event page was the auto-populated, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.
The language was posted without Fergus's knowledge and "as a result of a miscommunication between the Party and the riding association," said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party's national director.
This is not the first time Fergus, who was elected to the chair in October, has had his impartiality questioned by MPs.
Fergus initially lost the support of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs when he taped a video tribute to outgoing Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser while wearing the Speaker's robes.
He also participated in a fundraising event in his riding last fall, something billed as a "cocktail militant" for Liberal supporters.
Fergus held on to his job after the NDP backed him during the fracas over the video. He apologized and paid a fine for breaking Commons rules that forbid the use of parliamentary resources for partisan purposes.
The NDP has maintained that Fergus behaved appropriately in this most recent case by having the event cleared by the Clerk before proposing to host it.
Mickey Djuric
Wed, May 29, 2024
OTTAWA — The federal Liberals and NDP say conservative politicians are displaying a pattern of attacks against Speakers' independence, an allegation the Conservatives in Ottawa strongly deny.
The accusation comes a day after the federal Conservatives tried, and failed, for the third time to get House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus to resign over allegations he is too partisan for the role.
Their attempts are designed to intimidate and delay House work, government House leader Steven MacKinnon said.
"The fact is that this culture of intimidating the chair is something we have seen in other legislatures and I think Canadians are rightly horrified by it," he said.
His NDP counterpart Peter Julian said there's a "disturbing undercurrent" in Ottawa and in Saskatchewan by conservatives who are attacking independent institutions, with their latest target being Speakers.
Julian drew a connection to Saskatchewan by linking Jeremy Harrison, former Saskatchewan Party House leader to federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Both were elected to Parliament in 2004 as Conservatives. Harrison served one term in Ottawa before being defeated in 2006. He was elected provincially in 2007.
While Poilievre is undermining the Speaker in Ottawa, Harrison is doing the same in Regina, Julian charged.
"It's a pattern now," he said to The Canadian Press.
On May 16, Saskatchewan's Speaker Randy Weekes accused several Saskatchewan Party members and staff, including Harrison, of intimidation, including sending him harassing text messages about his rulings. Weekes was elected as a Saskatchewan Party MLA, and served briefly in cabinet.
Last fall he lost the party's nomination to run in the next election and he tore up his party membership card this month when he made the allegations of intimidation.
Weekes also said Harrison once sought permission to bring a gun into the legislature. Harrison initially denied the allegation but resigned last week after admitting he had forgotten about the incident which happened more than a decade ago.
"The disturbing undercurrent as we see in Saskatchewan, as we're seeing here, is attacks on independent institutions," Julian said.
"And this isn't something we've seen before from Conservatives, but since Mr. Poilievre has become leader we're seeing this more and more."
A spokesperson for Poilievre rebuked Julian's connection.
"This is something that happened in the Saskatchewan Legislature regarding an entirely different party and has nothing to do with the Parliament of Canada and its Liberal Speaker or the Conservative Party of Canada," said Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
"This is just another pathetic, desperate attempt by the coalition NDP to distract and play defence for Justin Trudeau and their Liberal masters."
The Conservatives argue that Fergus has proven himself to be biased, including ejecting Poilievre from the House of Commons last month for refusing to retract his comment calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a "wacko." Fergus was forced to pay a $1,500 fine and apologize after he delivered a partisan tribute to an outgoing interim Liberal leader in Ontario on a video played at the party's leadership convention.
The Liberals apologized to Fergus earlier this month after an invitation to an event in his riding was posted with language attacking the Conservatives. They said the invite was posted by a party staffer using boilerplate terms by mistake. It was replaced.
That incident is what prompted a Tory motion to oust Fergus, which failed Tuesday when the Liberals and NDP voted against it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024.
Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press
MPs set to vote on whether to oust Speaker Greg Fergus
CBC
Tue, May 28, 2024
Speaker of the House of Commons Greg Fergus appears as a witness before the House of Commons standing committee on procedure and House affairs in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press - image credit)
MPs are set to vote tonight on whether to allow Greg Fergus to stay on as Speaker of the House.
The Conservatives put forward a motion Monday asking the House to remove Fergus from the role over partisan language that appeared in an ad for an event in his riding.
Fergus is likely to remain in his job; the NDP is expected to join with the Liberals to vote down the motion.
But debate and questions about Fergus's impartiality took up time in the Commons chamber and at the House procedures committee on Tuesday.
Conservative MP Chris Warkentin moved the motion to remove Fergus after Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont ruled that the use of partisan language in the ad amounted to a prima facie question of MPs' privilege.
House of Commons rules state that questions of privilege take priority over all other matters. MPs spent most of Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning debating the issue.
The Liberals, with the support of the NDP, passed a closure motion on the privilege debate, which will force a vote on the matter on Tuesday evening.
Conservatives grilled Fergus during his Tuesday appearance before the House procedures committee.
Conservative member of Parliament Michelle Rempel Garner reacts at the start of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to discuss the Government's Response to the Final Report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner questioned how opposition MPs could approach House Speaker Greg Fergus about workplace harassement issues given the concerns about his impartiality. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
The committee is reviewing the House workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, which the Speaker has a role in overseeing.
Conservative MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Jamil Jivani questioned how opposition MPs could approach Fergus about workplace issues given the concerns about his impartiality.
Rempel Garner pointed to Fergus's past defence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he elbowed former NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau during an incident in the House in 2016.
"Do you think opposition MPs would feel safe or empowered to report incidents of any form of harassment given that this … falls under your supervision?" Rempel Garner asked.
Fergus replied that MPs should have "complete confidence" that complaints will be given the "full treatment" by his office.
Rempel Garner responded by saying many women feel uncomfortable reporting to men in power because they fear their concerns won't be heard.
"I am not sure that if I reported something to you that you would treat me fairly, that I wouldn't have my issue twisted for partisan gain because of the repeated incidents of partisanship," she said.
Fergus's actions have raised questions before
The online ad for "A Summer Evening with the Honourable Greg Fergus" included a line that took aim at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. It accused him of pursuing Conservative policies "that would risk our health, safety and pocketbooks" and promoted a Liberal plan to "grow an economy that works for everyone."
The Liberal Party apologized to Fergus in a letter last week, saying the language posted on the event page was the auto-populated, standardized language the party uses for events on its website.
The language was posted without Fergus's knowledge and "as a result of a miscommunication between the Party and the riding association," said the letter from Azam Ishmael, the party's national director.
This is not the first time Fergus, who was elected to the chair in October, has had his impartiality questioned by MPs.
Fergus initially lost the support of Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs when he taped a video tribute to outgoing Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser while wearing the Speaker's robes.
He also participated in a fundraising event in his riding last fall, something billed as a "cocktail militant" for Liberal supporters.
Fergus held on to his job after the NDP backed him during the fracas over the video. He apologized and paid a fine for breaking Commons rules that forbid the use of parliamentary resources for partisan purposes.
The NDP has maintained that Fergus behaved appropriately in this most recent case by having the event cleared by the Clerk before proposing to host it.
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