REGINA – The involvement of a Saskatchewan Party MLA in a human trafficking court case in Rosetown has drawn calls from the Opposition for his removal.
The NDP are calling for Cypress Hills MLA Doug Steele to be removed as government caucus chair.
“My call isn't being made lightly,” said Opposition Ethics and Democracy Critic Brittney Senger at the legislature Monday.
“It comes following a troubling court testimony in an ongoing human trafficking case that has resumed in Rosetown. The case centers around a woman who was allegedly trafficked against her will and sexually assaulted.”
Senger pointed to “disturbing details” about the involvement of Steele in the case. Senger noted that it was admitted under cross-examination that Steele had “call(ed) the victim Pretty Lady in private messages on at least one occasion.”
“He is also alleged to have deleted his messages with her, failed to contact the police despite admitting to fearing for her safety, kept no formal records of casework documenting his interactions with her, and solicited assistance from an unrelated MLA and a political staffer instead of taking concerns to appropriate authorities.”
Senger also accused Steele of not following proper procedures to protect vulnerable people, saying when a constituent's safety might be at risk, “there's no room for shortcuts.”
“He could have called in the RCMP. He could have called in Victim Services. Why would he choose to deal with this young, scared, vulnerable woman on his own and in what seems to be an inappropriate way?
“Given all of this, Premier Moe must take immediate action and remove Doug Steele as caucus chair to uphold public trust and ensure all his MLAs follow proper ethical and safety protocols.”
Currently, Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider are on trial in Rosetown facing charges of trafficking a person, with Masum also charged with three counts of sexual assault.
The court case has been ongoing since the spring and involves two current or former Sask Party MLAs.
During the trial, former Kelvington-Wadena MLA Hugh Nerlien had testified both he and Steele grew increasingly concerned about the woman’s safety after she was moved unexpectedly multiple times and sometimes her location wasn’t known.
“She had been moved a couple of times, so we didn’t know where she was or if she was safe potentially for days,” Nerlien had told the court in May. Nerlien also said Steele had raised alarms about the woman’s treatment.
“Mr. Steele had expressed to me that he was concerned with how [the victim] was being observed and that something was not quite right,” in the employer-employee relationship, he said.
When asked why the NDP are making this call for Steele’s removal now instead of earlier, Senger acknowledged this case has gone on for some time. But she said their first hope was to see “if perhaps MLA Steele did handle things properly and if the government would take action.”
“In fact, we have learned that neither are true. Very clearly, Doug Steele did nothing to follow procedures and as well, the Sask Party government has taken no action to remove Steele as caucus chair.”
Senger said she had a “lot of concerns” about what went on. “I really do believe that more action needs to be taken and this is a very, very serious issue and should not be taken lightly.”
In a statement, the Government of Saskatchewan had this to say about the NDP’s comments about Steele:
“Mr. Steele’s testimony as a prosecution witness indicates he was attempting to help a vulnerable individual escape a difficult situation. The NDP trying to score cheap political points while the trial is still underway is irresponsible and reckless.”
With files from Lisa Joy.
