Sask. MLAs asked to apologize, Opposition member forced to leave on final day of sitting
Government committee investigation into protest called down
Saskatchewan's Speaker of the Legislative Assembly called for two apologies on Thursday. An Opposition NDP MLA was expelled from the chamber after refusing.
The final day of the fall sitting was punctuated by statements from Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison and Opposition Deputy House Leader Meara Conway.
The members were discussing the Nov. 20 protest inside the legislature, which led to the suspension of debate. Dozens of protesters attended question period that day to call on Premier Scott Moe to ask for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
When many started chanting "ceasefire now" in the gallery and did not stop, Speaker Randy Weekes cleared the assembly floor.
Following Harrison and Conway's statements Thursday, the Speaker asked Conway to apologize for "provocative and personal attacks." He also asked Harrison to apologize, but did not specify what for.
Harrison apologized, while Conway refused to apologize and was escorted out by the sergeant-at-arms.
"I didn't apologize today because of serious personal and professional accusations that were made not just to me, but my team. I'm proud that I didn't withdraw and apologize. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I meant every word that I said in there," Conway told reporters afterward.
Conway and Harrison began the back and forth on Wednesday in a committee meeting. MLAs were deciding whether to investigate the cause of the protest.
Harrison said his caucus decided not to pursue the investigation because it would have required significant resources.
In the days following the protest, Harrison and the government accused the NDP of playing a role in the incident. Eventually, the government voted for an investigation but on Wednesday that plan was cancelled.
"[Harrison] knows that the NDP had nothing to do with this. He knew it wouldn't be the outcome of this investigation," Conway told the Canadian Press on Wednesday.
The issue spilled over into the assembly on Thursday morning as Harrison and Conway exchanged statements about the situation.
"Yesterday in committee we witnessed an appalling and frankly embarrassing display by the NDP member for Elphinstone Centre [Conway] vigorously defending antisemitism and an antisemitic phrase that was chanted in this legislature," Harrison told the assembly.
Harrison was referring to protesters who chanted "from the river to the sea" as they left the legislature on Nov. 20.
The phrase is common at pro-Palestinian rallies. Jewish advocates previously told CBC News the phrase is antisemitic because it insinuates hate and violence against Jews, particularly those living in Israel. Pro-Palestinian advocates have said it is about human rights, while not diminishing those of Jews.
"The NDP and the Canadian left in general has a serious and obvious anti-Semitism problem," Harrison said. He said Conway was defending the chant.
Conway told reporters afterward the slogan was "fraught and divisive."
"[Harrison] keeps wanting to come back to the slogan."
In the committee meeting on Wednesday, Conway read a letter from an anonymous Saskatchewan Jewish person, who when referring to the slogan said, "It cannot be inherently violent to call for your own dignity to be respected."
Harrison calls protest 'riot'
While Harrison and Conway disagreed on the slogan, they also disagreed on the nature of the protest.
Harrison referred to the protesters as "rioters."
When asked to explain by reporters later, Harrison stood by the characterization.
"I'll tell you that's the word I'm using. What I saw was a riot," he said. "The Speaker doesn't call grave disorder and shut down the chamber because things are peaceful and happy.
"The chamber was shut down because the Speaker called grave disorder, which has not happened as long as I have been here and I'm told has rarely happened in the history of the assembly."
Opposition Leader Carla Beck said the use of riot was "reckless."
Harrison said that, upon leaving the chamber, protesters attempted to pull down the Israel flag that had been hanging there since Oct. 10.
Harrison and his fellow MLAs were not in the area same as the protesters and other gallery guests when they exited the building. Government MLAs were in another area outside the chamber.
Legislative security has indicated the protest did not lead to any arrests and has not reported any damages.
Security director Dani Herman told CBC recently that one of the "huge challenges" was returning guests' identification to them as they crowded around the front desk in the entrance.
Conway said Thursday she believes the reason the investigation from the protest was nixed is because of comments made by Harrison following the protest.
The government said the Opposition was involved because it met with members from the protest about a week before. It pointed to social media posts about the protest shared by NDP MLA Jennifer Bowes as another connection. It also pointed to the Opposition hosting overflow visitors in its office who were involved in the rally.
The NDP denied these things linked the party to any involvement in the protest's outcome.
"He lied about a few things, to be frank," Conway said. "He has indicated that we were involved in that disruption. That is false. The reason that he's done a huge 180 on this privilege investigation, a complete U-turn, is because he knows that investigation would bear that out."
She also pointed to comments Harrison made about him and his cabinet members being "locked in a secure location" and had to follow security protocols.
"We raised that with the director of security because we were concerned because we weren't locked in a secured location or informed of protocols or made to follow any and our movements in the building weren't secured."
Conway said a letter from the head of security at the legislature which was read in committee on Wednesday contradicts Harrison.
"The director of security has clarified that they did not lock anyone in secure locations or follow any protocols or restrict movements in the building. And if cabinet ministers or government MLAs did that, they locked themselves in secure locations."
Harrison said Thursday he and the government were concerned about the school groups that were in the gallery and attended that day.
"When all this broke out, nobody knew what was going to happen. Nobody knew whether there was a broader plan," Harrison said.
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with files from Nick Frew and the Canadian Press