REGINA - Opposition Leader Carla Beck was suspended for the day at the legislature Wednesday, after accusing the Minister of Trade and Export Development Jeremy Harrison of "lies" during a heated exchange in the Assembly.
She was tossed out after refusing to apologize for her remarks, following a back and forth between Harrison and Opposition Jobs Critic Aleana Young over the issue of steelworkers jobs and pipelines. The drama played out during Question Period on a day when the Opposition had hoped to highlight the issue of hospitals on bypass; instead, that issue was upstaged by the raucous dispute that ensued over the NDP's stance on pipelines and other issues.
The tumult erupted when Young stood and recognized a large delegation of United Steelworkers union members who filled the gallery, members who were at the legislature to raise their issues.
“And here in Regina, when you’re talking about steel, you’re talking about Local 5890 out at Evraz. As you know Mr. Speaker, the plant isn’t as busy as it should be because there aren’t enough orders, and there aren’t enough pipelines getting built.”
It was the moment that Young said the word “pipelines” that government members visibly recoiled in their seats in disbelief. Minister Harrison stood up to respond.
“I hardly know where to start, Mr. Speaker," said Harrison. "This is an opposition that has stood up at every opportunity to vote against pipelines Mr. Speaker. This is an opposition that has stood up at every opportunity to oppose the energy sector, Mr. Speaker. This is an opposition whose national leader has made it a condition of his support for Justin Trudeau to make sure that no further energy projects happen in this country, Mr. Speaker. The hypocrisy of these members is stunning, and I think Mr. Speaker that everybody in this province knows it very, very well. They have zero credibility on the economy, they have zero credibility on energy, and even less credibility when it comes to pipelines.”
“The member opposite doesn’t know where to start? How about getting a pipeline built to tidewater after 16 years in government!” Young responded.
Young then went on to say that “the Minister knows that everything he just said is dead wrong. We oppose the carbon tax, we oppose Bill C-69, the clean electricity standards, and this is serious, Mr. Speaker. The world is changing and there’s a realization that we need to refocus on manufacturing and build more here in North America. And these women and men make some of the cleanest steel not just in Canada but in the world.”
Young asked what role the Minister saw for steelworkers in Regina being part of a resurgence in manufacturing. In response, Harrison swung back to pipelines.
“They have had the opportunity in this House, over and over and over again, and they stand up and they vote against the construction of pipelines. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, what do they do? They invite Jagmeet Singh to speak at their fundraisers, Mr. Speaker! That individual's entire reason for supporting Justin Trudeau is to make sure another pipeline in this country never gets built. This is why they have absolutely zero credibility on every economic file, and none more so than pipelines and the energy sector!”
It was at this point that Opposition Leader Beck stood up and said the following:
“Mr. Speaker, you know, I think that the minister likes to think him rather clever within the walls of this Assembly. Everything that that minister just said is a dead lie.”
That produced even more howls from the Government side. It was at this point that Speaker Randy Weekes stood and asked Beck to withdraw and apologize.
“Mr. Speaker, I stand by what I said, everything he just said,” Beck said.
Beck was then asked twice more to withdraw and apologize. She responded: “I’m afraid, Mr. Speaker I have to draw the line. I will not withdraw.”
It was at that point that Speaker Weekes named Beck for disregarding the authority of the Chair, and he asked the Sergeant at Arms to remove her. Beck was then escorted out, with members of her caucus clapping and banging their desks in support of her.
Later following Question Period, Harrison himself was asked by the Speaker to withdraw and apologize for using the word “hypocrisy” in his exchange with Young. He did so.
Beck refuses to back down in remarks to reporters
Outside in the rotunda, Beck explained why she had accused Harrison of lying.
“You know, day after day in the session, we’ve had to deal with the Minister standing up and spinning obvious, frankly, lies in the Legislature, misrepresenting our position on things like the carbon tax, on pipelines, on division. Today, we had a delegation here, who came in good faith, worried about issues right across the province, but in particular issues with the Evraz Steel plant right here in Regina. A steel plant that represents thousands of jobs critical to the economy of this province, but in particular to the city…
“Instead, what they get is lies from the minister, and today, you know, I felt I needed to make real plain that I’m done with listening to lies from that minister.”
The United Steelworkers also spoke to the media and made it clear they weren’t impressed with what they saw in the House.
“My sense was the questions were ‘what are you going to do to promote domestic manufacturing?’ ‘What are you going to do to promote the products Evraz makes right here in Regina?’ ‘What are you going to do to help secure their jobs and get those people back to work?’” said Scott Lunny, Director of United Steelworkers for western Canada.
“What I saw was ‘politics’, and ‘Jagmeet Singh’, and a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with those folks. I think it’s kind of disrespectful. We’re here to have those kind of questions answered, to hear what their elected representatives are doing to protect and secure their jobs. And that’s what you get.”
When Minister of Energy Jim Reiter met reporters, he confirmed that he and his government would be meeting with the steelworkers that afternoon, adding it had been long planned.
“We’re looking forward to the discussion with them. I have a great deal of sympathy for the layoffs that they’re concerned about. Our government has always been supportive of the energy industry.”
As for what transpired in the legislature that afternoon, Reiter acknowledged sometimes tensions are high.
“I think on both sides of the house sometimes the rhetoric gets heated. I think that’s what you saw today.”
But he added while it “got pretty passionate, I think (Harrison’s) point on the record’s right.”
“The leader of the Opposition indicated that maybe they are supportive of pipelines now. If that’s the case we welcome that, but there’s a great deal of quotes on the record from members of their caucus that is the complete opposite of that.”
When asked if he agreed with Beck’s description of Harrison’s comments as lies, Reiter said “no, no I wouldn’t.”
“She’s saying she’s supportive of pipelines, but even then she couches it —she says she’s supportive of federally regulated pipelines, federally mandated pipelines. This federal government, and the NDP supporting them, clearly have not been very supportive of pipelines in this country. So no, I wouldn’t agree. I would say while it was heated, it was factual what the minister said.”
