REGINA - Opposition New Democrats are stepping up attempts to tie the Sask Party government to western separatism efforts.
Word is that Opposition Leader Carla Beck plans to move Bill No. 604 — The Referendum and Plebiscite (Keep Saskatchewan in Canada) Amendment Act — in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Notice of that legislation has already been given in the Legislature on Monday. There are few details known about what the contents will be, but based on the title it is widely expected to take aim at the current rules in place for Saskatchewan residents to be able to petition for a referendum on separation.
In another development Tuesday, Regina South Albert MLA Aleana Young was again taking aim at the organization Unified Grassroots. This time she attempted to tie the organization to two newly-elected Sask Party MLAs: David Chan of Yorkton, and Jamie Martens of Martensville-Blairmore.
“According to research that we're releasing today, Unified Grassroots used its resources to help nominate, and I quote, several ‘freedom loving’ candidates who were later elected as Sask Party MLAs in last October's election,” said Young.
Young went on to say that Unified Grassroots “is closely linked to the Alberta Prosperity Project, the group that has been pushing Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to do exactly what she did yesterday: lay the groundwork for a referendum on separating during a formal address.”
“So that's why today we're calling on Premier (Scott) Moe to come clean about the secret separatist support within his own caucus.”
When Young was questioned at length by reporters about whether she was giving more attention to Unified Grassroots by speaking about them, Young doubled down.
“You know what? Frankly, David Chan, Jamie Martens can come out and stand in front of the press and they can talk publicly about the reasons for joining United Grassroots,” Young said.
“I think it's incumbent on those members to talk about why they joined this group… I think these are two of the messier Sask Party nominations that we saw play out. I think these are real questions.”
Wild Question Period ensues
The NDP media event on the steps of the Legislature was followed by a wild Question Period in which Speaker Todd Goudy had to interject several times to keep members in line.
Goudy even warned members beforehand to avoid “mentioning by name people from outside the House who are unable to reply in their own defence.” That seemed to be a reference to Nadine Ness, organizer of Unified Grassroots, whose name has been brought up repeatedly in recent days by the NDP opposition.
During Question Period, Premier Moe pointed to the “members opposite asking, and quite likely moving on, Mr. Speaker, putting in place a policy or even suggesting legislation that would take peoples’ voice away.”
Moe’s comments seemed to be a reference to the NDP plans for a Referendum and Plebiscite Amendment Act motion. “What we see across the way… is an Opposition party that has backed the federal Liberal government in the decisions that have frustrated and angered Saskatchewan residents, and the opposition NDP’s solution is to take the voice of Saskatchewan people away.”
“Once again, the Premier refuses to clearly denounce separatism,” was the response from Opposition Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat.
“Over and over this has happened in this House, and over and over this has happened in the media, Mr. Speaker. He refuses to stand up for Saskatchewan within a united Canada… I wonder if that’s because the Premier knows that he has a bunch of separatists in his own caucus.”
“It’s quite an allegation, accusing another honourable member that has been elected, Mr. Speaker, by their constituents,” Moe responded.
“Although they may not agree with them, they also are Canadians. They’re Canadians and proud people from the province of Saskatchewan.”
When Mowat then pointed to Unified Grassroots' involvement in MLA Chan’s election and asked Moe if he would denounce the radical views of Unified Grassroots, Goudy put a stop to that line of questioning. “We are getting into politics,” he said.
In response Moe ridiculed the Opposition’s calls to denounce individuals.
“There have been calls from the members opposite for days now on the floor of this Assembly and in front of this building, Mr. Speaker ‘Will you denounce this person? Will you condemn this person?’… when in actuality what the opposition NDP mean is ‘Will you silence Canadians,’ Mr. Speaker.”
That drew a loud reaction from the Opposition, and another interjection from the Speaker calling for decorum in the Chamber.
In speaking to reporters afterwards, Premier Moe spoke some more about not discounting people's views.
He pointed to the “frustration and really what I call the alienation that, you know, far too many people in Saskatchewan, as well as other parts of Canada, are feeling. And, you know, those feelings of alienation are a response to the policies that have been put in place over the last number of years…
“And so, you know, those feelings of alienation, anger, they shouldn't be discounted in any way. Those are Canadians. Those individuals are Canadians and they're Saskatchewan residents.”
While Moe said he was “sure there's people that, yes, absolutely want to separate from Canada,” he made known to reporters he thought the mood was more about frustration.
“I think you could narrow that down to largely being frustrated. ‘I'm frustrated with the unconsulted decisions that have come from Ottawa for the last period of time.’ Should that change, I think you'd see those feelings of alienation wane.”
