REGINA — Decorum in the legislative assembly became an issue this week after Speaker Todd Goudy struggled to keep a lid on unruly MLAs.
During question period, Goudy had to interject several times during a heated debate Thursday, asking for order and for MLAs to listen to ministers’ answers to questions. He also pleaded for direct questions to get direct answers from ministers.
The boiling point Thursday came over the issue of SaskPower’s 3.9 per cent rate hike. Things got heated when NDP Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat and then SaskPower critic Aleana Young repeatedly pressed Minister of Crown Investments Corporation Jeremy Harrison on when Premier Scott Moe knew that power rates were going up.
“When did the premier know that power bills were going up?” Mowat asked.
Harrison dismissed the NDP’s questions, going on the attack against their position on the issue.
“These are members who believe you can run a power system on pixie dust and their own self-righteousness. That’s not the case, Mr. Speaker.”
That drew a reaction from Speaker Goudy, as recorded in Hansard.
“Before the minister responds, I’m going to pixie dust a little. Let’s avoid that, doesn’t sound . . . like good debate words. But on the other side, I would expect that we’re going to listen.”
Young then proceeded to grill Harrison.
“When did the premier know? When was he informed that he would be hiking power rates?” she asked.
“As I said both in the rotunda and here in the assembly, we don’t actually talk about the days of cabinet meetings and those things,” Harrison replied. “But, Mr. Speaker, when we had made the comments, we had not given consideration to what that application was going to look like to SaskPower. That’s the reality.”
When Young pressed Harrison again on that issue, Goudy stood up.
“That question has been asked six times. I think we can move on. If you want to bring that up in other places, the answer was . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . What is totally inappropriate is that when I am . . . [inaudible interjection] . . . Okay, so members need to respect the role of the Speaker.”
The Speaker’s comments drew interjections from MLA for Regina Elphinstone-Centre Meara Conway.
Goudy replied: “Member from Regina Elphinstone-Centre, I appreciate your passion, that you stand for the people and for the answers, but you need to respect the chair of this assembly. So I’d ask that we will move on in your questioning.”
At one point, Minister of Rural and Remote Health Lori Carr was heckled so loudly by the NDP over her answers on urgent care centre staffing that Speaker Goudy called out the particularly offending MLAs.
“Members, we’ll be listening to answers, please. Member from Regina Walsh Acres. Different ones, member from Cumberland. I can mention 10 names. But please.”
At the end of question period, NDP House leader Nicole Sarauer rose on a point of order on Goudy’s ruling that Young’s questions were out of order.
“I would ask that, for clarity of the House, you explain specifically which rule her question violated,” Sarauer asked.
Goudy replied that “that same question had been asked a number of times already from the member and from other members. But I will take your concern, and I will speak with the clerks on whether I was founded in that ruling to move on in the questioning.”
Speaking to reporters afterward, Government House Leader Tim McLeod made known his disgust with the decorum in the assembly that day.
“I think what we saw today was just profound disrespect for our Speaker and for this institution," McLeod said.
“We had the member from Regina Elphinstone questioning a ruling of the chair, arguing with him, impugning his impartiality. … For centuries, the role of the chair has been respected by all members. He's an elected member, elected by the entire assembly. And what we saw today was just profound disrespect for the Speaker himself and his role.”
McLeod was particularly taken aback by Sarauer’s point of order.
“Well, you can't raise a point of order against the Speaker. That's not even a thing. And so effectively what the opposition House leader is doing is challenging a ruling of the chair. Now, in fairness to her, she's asked for clarity of a ruling, but he has made a ruling, and challenging rulings of the chair are prohibited under the rules of this assembly. That's just another example of disrespect towards the Speaker.”
When asked if he had talked with his own Sask Party MLAs about decorum, McLeod said he has.
“Yeah, as the House Leader, I feel it is my role to remind members that the Speaker has asked for proper decorum, and we will respect that request. And, you know, tensions can get high, and things can get emotional in there, but I think for the government's side of the House, we have been very well behaved, the Speaker would say, I think. And to my recollection, there haven't been very many calls for decorum coming from the Speaker towards the government side of the House. They've primarily been asked of the opposition side.”
McLeod did say that he and Opposition House Leader Sarauer “regularly meet with the Speaker to confer about a variety of things. Decorum often comes up. We are striving to make sure that this is an honourable place. We're all honourable members who have been duly elected by the people of this province. I think the Speaker has made it clear that he expects the behaviour in the assembly to represent exactly what the people of Saskatchewan would expect.”
Speaking to reporters, Young said she would await the Speaker's ruling, but she pledged to continue to grill the government on when it made the decision on power rates.
“We’ve asked this question 16 times and we will ask it 136 times if that’s what it takes to get to the bottom of who knew what and when about this $136 million power hike on the people of Saskatchewan during a cost of living crisis.”
