Saskatchewan’s premier spoke up in defence of his government house leader on Friday, rejecting allegations that Jeremy Harrison brought or wanted to bring guns into the legislature and describing the claims as false.
Scott Moe said Harrison told him that he also never flashed his jacket at the legislature’s Speaker as if he was carrying a concealed weapon.
“I have been informed they are all unequivocally false,” Moe said of the allegations, while speaking at an unrelated news conference.
“I don’t quite understand where the concerns are coming from. I don’t discount that maybe the Speaker does have concerns.”
Speaker Randy Weekes made the allegations on Thursday, the last day of the spring sitting of the legislative assembly.
Weekes said Harrison threatened and harassed him to a point where the Speaker feared Harrison was packing a handgun.
Weekes said he received repeated texts from government members, including Harrison, who wanted the Speaker to bend to their will.
He also said a government staffer lunged at him while leaving the chamber and an unnamed MLA tried to head-butt him at a private event.
Weekes further alleged Harrison “flouted the rules” by bringing a hunting rifle into the legislature building.
Moe said he wouldn’t describe all the text messages as harassing.
“I can’t speak for what the Speaker is feeling, what the Speaker is thinking,” he said.
“There are avenues to have these discussions that are more effective than the avenue he chose.”
Moe said it’s up to legislative security to investigate the matter, adding he doesn’t intend to request a probe.
“If this is raised with the appropriate authorities, and they view there should be an investigation, they would make that decision,” he said. “Not the premier, not anyone else.”
The Public Safety Ministry, which oversees legislative security, said in an email it had no information to provide this week.
Security in the building was changed two years ago, when the Saskatchewan Party government transferred powers to the public safety ministry from the sergeant-at-arms, which runs independently from government.
Weekes lost his nomination to represent the party in the Kindersley-Biggar constituency for the upcoming fall election.
Moe said Thursday he believes Weekes has “sour grapes” and is a “sore loser.”
