REGINA - Minister of Corrections and Policing Christine Tell showed some contrition at the Legislature Tuesday in relation to her comments about Colin Thatcher to the media the previous week.
Tell had been in hot water for days following the Throne Speech appearance of Thatcher, convicted of the murder of his ex wife JoAnn Wilson.
After Thatcher’s appearance inside the Assembly, Tell faced the media scrum and had asserted to reporters that Thatcher had a right to be there and was a “free citizen” — comments which came under fire from the opposition.
In remarks in the Legislature, Tell responded to a call from opposition critic Nicole Sarauer to apologize for her comments.
“As the Premier stated yesterday and on behalf of the government, he offered an unequivocal apology and I share in this apology.
This subject, being invited and being present in the Legislature, sent the wrong message, and I absolutely support the Premier’s statement yesterday.
Last week I was asked about the subject’s presence and I responded. I responded without considering the implications that this invitation would have.
The member who invited this subject should have shown better judgement, the subject should never have been invited to the Legislature.”
When asked by Sarauer what she was thinking “when she defended Colin Thatcher so enthusiastically last week,” Tell said this:
“My comments were in no way defending this subject or his reprehensible actions. What he does, what he did was horrific and wrong on so many levels. As a former police officer I was an investigator in interpersonal violence unit and child abuse unit. I know from first hand experience up close and personal Mr Speaker the horrors and tragedies that survivors of domestic and interpersonal violence face each and every day. As such, I will continue as I have to fight to ensure their safety and well-being. I will continue to work every day to address the issues that matter to the people of Saskatchewan: increasing public safety, reducing gang related violence including gun, drug and human trafficking Mr. Speaker, and of course continuing to increase our efforts on domestic and interpersonal violence.”
In speaking to reporters Tuesday she explained what had happened during the media scrum last week.
“When I responded right after the Throne Speech,” said Tell, there “wasn’t a lot of time to figure out what has gone on, what went on, that type of thing, and I just needed to answer why he was here or how could he be here.”
“And I thought I did, without the benefit of understanding what the ramifications were of the entire situation. So that’s what I spoke about today,”
Tell reiterated she “fully embraced what the Premier has said.” She added the invite by the MLA was “wrong, absolutely wrong.”
In speaking to reporters Sarauer said she was “happy to hear her apologize.”
“The remarks she made on Wednesday were incredibly offensive,” said Sarauer. “I think everybody heard very loud and clear from those in the province especially including those survivors of intimate partner violence and those who work in the area how offensive her comments were. Happy to hear her apologize today - not sure why it took so long.”
As for Tell’s apology, which was not so much a personal apology as it was concurring in the apology issued by the Premier, Sarauer said “that’s probably as good as we are going to get from this Minister, so in that vein I’m satisfied, but frankly any sort of apology no matter how robust it is is meaningless without actual action behind it.”
