The seemingly nasty tone of the spring session of the legislature was again in evidence this past week.
With Premier Brad Wall on the road attending a climate change summit in Quebec City , his ministers were left to defend him in the legislature as the session resumed following a one-week Easter break.
Monday in question period the NDP opposition hammered the government over the issue of the hyperbaric chamber in Moose Jaw again, as well as on the topic of temporary foreign workers.
Based on the account from Hansard, things boiled over when opposition MLA Trent Wotherspoon brought up an issue involving a painter who had lost his job.
Wotherspoon: Troy Jessop is here today. He was a painter with Deveraux Developments, but he has shared with us that he was displaced by temporary foreign workers and laid off. Does the premier agree that this is entirely inappropriate and unacceptable?
The Speaker: I recognize the Minister of Immigration.
Hon. Mr. Harrison: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In the absence of the premier, I’ll be taking that question. As I’ve said, we take an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to our labour market. That means that we want to see Canadians and Saskatchewan residents hired first for available job opportunities.
Harrison went on to point to strong job numbers in the province but in the exchange that followed Wotherspoon accused the premier of a special relationship with the company in question.
Mr. Wotherspoon: Mr. Speaker, it’s pathetic that the minister won’t even come close to addressing the actual issue and the displaced Saskatchewan worker that’s in the assembly here today.
This is the same company that was handed a health region contract in Prince Albert. This is the same company that walked away from a low-income housing unit contract in Regina with this government’s blessing. In fact this government let them scrap the contract and keep the 48-unit housing project. The Social Services minister said, “I think our relationship with Deveraux warrants the fact that we don’t thump on them.” And we’ve heard from Troy that the premier himself may have a pretty cozy relationship with Deveraux, as apparently the VP [vice-president] of Deveraux brags that the premier has stayed with him at his condo, the VP’s condo, down in Mexico.
Now the premier knows about these facts, about Deveraux laying off Saskatchewan workers and keeping temporary foreign workers. Will this government actually do something, or will the premier let his special relationship continue to cloud his judgment?
The Speaker: I recognize the Minister of Immigration.
Hon. Mr. Harrison: Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite, if he’s making a specific allegation with regard to the premier, he needs to do it, put it on the floor right now. Make that allegation outside, let’s hear what it is.
The Speaker: I recognize the member for Regina Rosemont.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, if you think that minister can get up and scare us away from doing our job and standing up for displaced Saskatchewan workers, that minister and that government has another thing coming. We have a displaced worker that’s in this assembly here. That worker has shared this other piece around the very special relationship that the premier has, and time and time again this premier and this government has showed that this very special relationship has clouded their judgment.
So today, not to the minister, will the premier explain his special relationship with Deveraux and why his government has given this company special treatment, and really finally do the right thing and stand up to this company?
The Speaker: I recognize the Minister of Immigration.
Hon. Mr. Harrison: — Well, Mr. Speaker, in the very obvious absence of the premier, I will be taking that question.
Again, Mr. Speaker, we see some very, very serious insinuations being made by the deputy leader of the Opposition about knowledge that the premier may or may not have had, refusing, refusing on the floor of the Assembly — protected by privilege, mind you — to put on the floor what those actual allegations are. I think he has an obligation, Mr. Speaker, that if he has specific allegations, he puts them on the floor of the assembly. He knows he’s protected by privilege in here. He’s not out there. I challenge him to do it out there as well. He should do that, Mr. Speaker...
Mr. Wotherspoon: Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the allegations that have been brought forward of displaced Saskatchewan workers, and a cozy relationship with the premier, Mr. Speaker, you bet we’ll go out into the rotunda and we’ll stand up for Saskatchewan workers.
This minister’s all over the map, Mr. Speaker, but hasn’t answered a single question here today, hasn’t stood up for Saskatchewan workers saying it’s wrong to displace them, Mr. Speaker, and hasn’t spoken to this very special relationship that this premier and this government has with this developer, the same developer that they gave a housing project to, Mr. Speaker. Why won’t this minister, why won’t this government, why won’t this premier stand up for Saskatchewan workers?
Harrison responded.
Hon. Mr. Harrison: You know, again the member is alluding to or making certain allegations against the premier, about the premier, about some sort of special relationship that the premier apparently has. He refuses though to put any semblance of detail onto the floor about what that supposed special relationship is, Mr. Speaker.
In terms of the economy, in terms of the economy, which they guffaw about this over there, Mr. Speaker, they take every chance they can to talk down the economy over there. We know that, Mr. Speaker. We had some spectacular job numbers on Friday, showing Saskatchewan leading Canada in a whole bunch of categories with regard to our labour market, Mr. Speaker — 18 consecutive months, the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, the lowest youth unemployment rate in Canada by far, by nearly five per cent, Mr. Speaker.
We don’t hear anything about that from them. They have nothing to say about the economy other than Buy Local Day, which you know, that’s fine. We’ll be happy to do that, Mr. Speaker. That’s the only economic policy they have over there. We have a serious plan for our economy, Mr. Speaker, laid out in the plan for growth, which we’ve been delivering on.
The exchange, along with the allegation of the premier staying at Deveraux’s condo in Mexico, prompted the government to rise on a point of order taking issue with Wotherspoon’s line of questioning.
When the legislature resumed Tuesday, Wotherspoon became the latest in a long line of MLAs in recent weeks to apologize and withdraw his remarks.
Mr. Wotherspoon: Mr. Speaker, a statement that I made yesterday when sharing a concern raised by a Saskatchewan citizen was called into question, and the premier has clarified that it was not accurate. So I wish to withdraw and apologize.
Another issue brought up Tuesday concerned the state of highways, a timely topic in light of the CAA’s recent ongoing campaign identifying the worst highways in the province.
Athabaska MLA Buckley Belanger took the government to task alleging money was wasted on consultants’ fees. This is some of the exchange recorded in Hansard:
Mr. Belanger: Mr. Speaker, despite the government having eight long years of record windfall revenues, we keep hearing about highways getting worse all throughout the province because this government wastes too much money too often. Under the Sask. Party, Mr. Speaker, the Highways minister has increased spending — not on roads, but on consultants — by 404 per cent since 2009. And highway contractors have said, highway contractors have said this government’s reliance on private consultants have at least doubled the cost and led to lower quality work. That’s what the highways contractors have said, Mr. Speaker.
To the minister: how could she possibly justify a 400 per cent increase on consultants when highways like Highways 220 and 322 are literally falling apart?
Minister of Highways Nancy Heppner responded by pointing out the government was actually moving ahead on highway infrastructure.
Hon. Ms. Heppner: Mr. Speaker, the member opposite references record revenues that the province of Saskatchewan has seen and, Mr. Speaker, we have coupled that with record investment in our infrastructure in this province. Mr. Speaker, in our last eight budgets we have spent $1 billion more on highway infrastructure than the NDP did in their 16 years in government, Mr. Speaker — half the time, $1 billion more.
We are investing in our highways, Mr. Speaker, and the member opposite asks about consultants. We are doing more than this province has ever seen when it comes to infrastructure, and every one of those projects requires help on the consulting side, Mr. Speaker. We are undertaking projects that the NDP never dreamed of doing — interchanges, twinning, passing lanes, the Regina bypass, working on the Saskatoon perimeter highway, Mr. Speaker — record investment in the highway system in the province of Saskatchewan.
Also of interest on Tuesday was the introduction of the individuals who received the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal from the lieutenant governor. Battlefords MLA Herb Cox stood to acknowledge Ray Fox of North Battleford who was in the legislative gallery that afternoon.
Another individual was also in the legislature Wednesday and Cox was among the number of MLAs to speak about it that day.
Mr. Cox: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As was mentioned in introductions, we have a very special guest here today, Brianne Urzada. At the age of 23, Brianne was diagnosed with stage III Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was approached by friend and photographer, Kiriako Iatridis, about documenting her experience with cancer through photography. Both Brianne and Kiriako decided to use Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages model of grief to depict Brianne’s experience.
After her fourth chemotherapy treatment, the pair did a very powerful photo shoot depicting the five stages of grief through her body and emotions. These photographs show a very unique look at the vulnerability exposed by someone going through cancer. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to be able to say that Brianne is now in remission, and she and her husband will be expecting their first child.
Both she and Kiriako wanted to give back to the programs that made her experience with cancer easier, so on March 27 they held a private art opening called Five Stages, which auctioned off the five featured photographs and one painting. Mr. Speaker, they raised just over $60,000. Money raised is going to the Hospitals of Regina Foundation to buy a new pathology device to be used during oncology surgeries, and the rest of the proceeds going to the patient comfort at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members to join me in thanking Brianne Urzada and Kiriako Iatridis for their very powerful pieces and for donating the money to improving cancer patient care. Thank you.
