REGINA - Christmas is coming, but members of the Legislative Assembly this week were in much more of a “Festivus” mood.
There was definitely the “airing of grievances” during the final week at the Leg, right before they head home for the holidays.
It was almost a “three ring circus” atmosphere as members of the Legislature traded one-liners, quoted former Premiers and also each other, and hurled insults one last time with the sitting set to wrap Wednesday. What's more, the mayhem erupted with Premier Scott Moe away for the week to Washington, D.C. for a trade mission.
Among the exchanges on Monday, Dec. 5, was between Trent Wotherspoon and Minister of Trade and Export Development Jeremy Harrison, both of whom have had famous dust-ups in the Legislature this year.
In that exchange Monday, as recorded in Hansard, Wotherspoon accused the government of “drinking their own bathwater, Mr. Speaker. Completely out of touch with the reality Saskatchewan people are facing.”
Wotherspoon then repeated his call for an inquiry about food prices, but instead Harrison responded by addressing the issue of housing units.
“I have to address something in the preamble to that member’s question, one of the previous questions — the NDP approach on housing. The member opposite says there’s going to be the need for 100,000 additional housing units. I can tell you,Mr. Speaker, that was an issue that never existed under the NDP. And why did that issue never exist, the need for more housing? Because they chased everybody out of here. Their approach? Chase everybody out; keep population under a million people. Then you never have to actually worry about any of the challenges associated with growth.”
“Mr. Speaker, he didn’t even touch the question about groceries!” Wotherspoon replied.
When Wotherspoon asked again about food prices, Minister for Crown Investment Corporation Don Morgan responded: “Mr. Speaker, the member opposite complains that we’re not answering the question. Well, his questions have got so much preamble, so much bluff, so much bluster, you can say anything and you’re answering his question, Mr. Speaker. Because there often is no question; it’s just a general rant.”
Wotherspoon then brought up comments made to reporters by former Premier Brad Wall last week, after the unveiling of his portrait last week.
Mr. Wotherspoon — “Mr. Speaker, of course it’s not just us that are calling for a food and meat pricing investigation in Saskatchewan. Last week former Premier Brad Wall said this about an investigation:
‘I think you’ll see provincial governments, especially in the West, line up in favour of having a look at this.'
‘Something in the system ain’t working. If you’re paying what you’re paying for a pound of ground beef at Sobeys and the ranch gate’s not seeing much of it, why is that?’
"And when asked specifically about our call for a provincial investigation:
‘I don’t think anything should be ruled out. More talking about it can’t hurt.’
"On this front that government hasn’t listened to the stock growers. They haven’t listened to us. But why won’t they listen to former Premier Brad Wall?”
Deputy Premier Donna Harpauer responded:
“You know what? I was waiting for them to finally recognize the merit and the wisdom of the former premier, Brad Wall. The former premier, Brad Wall, had this to say years ago before there was a carbon tax. He said:
‘A carbon tax will be detrimental to the economy. It will be detrimental to the citizens of Saskatchewan because it will mean that absolutely everything will cost more.’
"Mr. Speaker, a carbon tax that those members opposite have supported... They will not stand up for Saskatchewan…”
Opposition critic Aleana Young had her own quote-worth one-liner ready for the government.
Ms. A. Young: — “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know if it’s the bathwater or the desperation, but you can smell it in here today. Because these members opposite won’t come close to touching the question of affordability.”
She asked “the Hon. Minister, you know, champion of the common man: why won’t you scrap the rate hikes that are making life this much more affordable for Saskatchewan people?”
Morgan responded by “commending the member opposite for at least being focused enough that we could figure out who might take the question, which is something that’s been a challenge on this side of the House because of the spraying method of some of the members opposite…
"Mr. Speaker, when we talk about affordability the members opposite want to quote Brad Wall, and good for them for doing it. They should read a lot of the speeches that Brad Wall made in the House. He had a lot to say.
"But, Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote somebody a little bit more recent than Brad Wall. The current member of the opposition, the current Leader of the Opposition, as recently as September 13th of this year, had this to say: ‘In an affordability crisis, we have some of the best rates as a province.’ Mr. Speaker, we agree with that member opposite on that.”
Tempers then boiled when Wotherspoon roasted Agriculture Minister David Marit on the food price issue.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — “Well I’ll send it over to the Ag minister, who’s been selling out producers day in, day out by failing to..."
The Speaker: — “Member, withdraw and apologize. That’s …"
Mr. Wotherspoon: — “I withdraw and apologize for that comment.”
The Speaker: — "Yes."
Mr. Wotherspoon: — “Yes, I withdraw and apologize for that comment. Why won’t that Agriculture minister do the right thing, finally listen to the stock growers, listen to this call, and finally listen to the call now from Premier Brad Wall?"
The Speaker: — “I recognize the Minister of Agriculture.”
Hon. Mr. Marit: — “Well first and foremost, Mr. Speaker, let’s say this: the NDP have no credibility in the ag sector in this province at all. They have no respect within the agriculture community that... give no respect.”
The next day in the Legislature, Dec. 6, Wotherspoon was involved in yet another exchange with Minister Harrison, this time over the previous day's announcement of plans for a new provincial Crown corporation to collect corporate income tax. Again, that exchange was recorded in Hansard.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — “To the minister: what local business wants a more cumbersome, less efficient, more complex tax system, not to mention more red tape, that forces them to file two sets of taxes?”
Hon. Mr. J. Harrison: — “My goodness. You know what, Mr. Speaker? For folks who don’t watch question period every day, I think today is a pretty good example — as was yesterday — of the NDP coming in here day after day after day running down the economy, running down our private businesses, running down our job creators, attacking the industries that create jobs, that create opportunity, that create employment.
“Today we have now the member standing up and saying, well there’s a labour force shortage. Meanwhile you have the member for Regina — I forget where — saying the exact opposite of that day after day after day, Mr. Speaker. This is precisely why the NDP have no credibility on the economy.
“Today we made a very, very exciting announcement, Mr. Speaker, creating pathways for newcomers to have their credentials and skills recognized, something of genuine significance for tens of thousands of people here in this province and those to come. Not one single question on that, Mr. Speaker. Instead they stand up and spread doom and gloom and attack the economy day after day.”
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Rosemont.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — “Wild, Mr. Speaker. Didn’t even touch the question. I think we have to remind members opposite that they’re here to run a government, not a clown show, Mr. Speaker, full of spin and condescension for the people of Saskatchewan.
"… Will this government see the error in their way and shelve this costly, virtue-signalling project that’s completely without merit and proves just how utterly out of touch this government has fallen?"
Hon. Mr. J. Harrison: — “…You want to talk about a clown show? Look at those members opposite. This is the same crew that earlier this week, stands up, votes for the government on second reading for The Saskatchewan First Act, then claim that they don’t actually support The Saskatchewan First Act; they just vote for everything on second reading, Mr. Speaker.
“That is a clown show of an opposition that is entirely lost, and that is a party that is entirely lost under that leader. Even under the previous leader, at least you knew where they were going, Mr. Speaker. It was in the completely wrong direction, but at least you knew they had a direction. What you’re seeing day after day in here is an example of a party opposite that is a clown show that has no idea where they are going and that is completely lost.”
The Speaker: — "I recognize the member from Regina Rosemont."
Mr. Wotherspoon: — “Two questions, not a single answer. And I can understand why. Because it’s indefensible how this government’s acting on this front. Here is the bottom line — it’s wasteful. It makes our tax system more complex, more cumbersome, more costly. They’re adding costs, government, and red tape, and of course less efficient for local businesses. No one was calling for this, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the minister couldn’t explain the program, how much it would cost, certainly couldn’t defend the bogus revenue-neutral claims, Mr. Speaker…
"To the minister: why don’t they simply do the right thing and scrap this costly, backwards vanity project?”
Finance Minister Harpauer responded:
“Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that the member opposite didn’t hear anyone calling for this because corporations know what the NDP think of corporations, even though they’re the job creators. So I’m sure they didn’t dial them up and say they’re interested in this.
"But, Mr. Speaker, where were those members opposite when the federal government made changes to the passive income, that was going to be harmful, particularly . . . not just all corporations but to companies that were run by professional women? Where were they when those professional women came forward and said, you know what, this way we have the passive income structured, that is what helped us to keep our clinics open when we took a maternity leave?
"A party that say that they defend women and women’s rights. When this was harmful to those very, very professional women, where were they? Silent yet again. They will never stand up to the federal government. They just say they will in the House, but in reality they have never stood up to the federal government. They support them time and time and time again, and that’s why they’re down to 12 seats.”
In speaking to reporters Tuesday after Question Period, Opposition Leader Carla Beck acknowledged tensions seemed high.
“I certainly felt that sense of frustration today with some of the behaviour I saw,” she told reporters.
“Like I was saying today, there’s a lot of real frustrations… When you’ve been talking to people who are hurting, you’ve been in a room with people who are facing pink slips and facing a very difficult Christmas, you do take some of that passion in there with you to the legislature. Sometimes it spills over.”
