REGINA — The Sask. Party majority has passed a motion at the Legislature finding that Cumberland MLA Jordan McPhail had breached privilege rules in the Assembly.
The motion, which passed 33-20 with the NDP voting against, came after Speaker Todd Goudy ruled that a prima facie case for breach of privilege had been established against McPhail.
The controversy centred on McPhail’s activities April 22 connected to his continued line of questioning into Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff’s lease arrangements for his Saskatoon constituency office — in particular, his subletting or split-lease of office space with another tenant.
McPhail had repeatedly attempted to raise the issue in Question Period over several days, with Speaker Todd Goudy repeatedly ruling against his line of questioning.
In his remarks in the legislature Wednesday, Government House Leader Tim McLeod characterized McPhail as having "shown a regular pattern of disregard or disrespect for the Chair. He has frequently ignored rulings of the Speaker, sometimes multiple times per day for multiple days in a row. He has consistently ignored the boundaries of what is appropriate behaviour in this place."
"And, Mr. Speaker, that member last week went too far," McLeod said. "He carried that inappropriate behaviour outside the Chamber. He called a press conference and distributed a letter to the media demanding that you violate the privileges of another honourable member of this House."
At that April 22 news conference in Regina, which was attended by SaskToday, McPhail told reporters he sent a letter that morning to Speaker Goudy calling on him to "release all leases for the office run by Minister Cheveldayoff."
"Saskatchewan people deserve honesty, they deserve transparency, and they deserve to know how their money is being used. This is simple: release the lease. Sooner or later, the truth, and all of it, will come out," McPhail had told reporters.
McLeod told the Assembly the activity did not stop there.
"Seemingly in an effort to capitalize on what they saw as a political opportunity, that member in the NDP caucus published an attack-style infographic on their social media using your image, Mr. Speaker, to demand that you release confidential information of another honourable member. The member from Cumberland also recorded and published a video that was posted on his and other members of the NDP caucus’s social media, where he again called upon you to violate the privileges of another hon. member of this House as though he was entitled to it, Mr. Speaker. All of this was done after the letter had been sent to you and before you had had a chance to address that letter, in what appears to be an attempt to apply public and political pressure to your office."
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, McLeod called it a "violation of the rules to disrespect the Speaker" and said "we called the member out on the carpet on that today. It was found there was a prima facie case of contempt and breach of privilege and that's what we saw in the Chamber today."
McLeod said, "We're all honourable members of the Assembly" and expected to behave honourably.
"We can disagree without being disagreeable. We don't have to disrespect one another; name-calling has no place in the Assembly. Certainly, when the Speaker is calling out behaviour that is unparliamentary, we all must respect the rulings of the Chair… we must give him the due respect that role deserves."
In the Assembly, Opposition House Leader Nicole Sarauer defended the Opposition’s actions.
"It’s what’s expected of the official opposition. These were not public attacks on the rulings of the Speaker. Not at all. We take this all very seriously. We are all honourable members, Mr. Speaker."
She said, "While it may not be what the government wants, it may not be what the government likes, they might find it distasteful, but it’s the work of the official opposition. It’s what we are here to do, and it’s what we will continue to do, Mr. Speaker."
Speaking to reporters following the vote, Sarauer stood alongside McPhail and said they "respect the ruling of the Speaker."
On the accusations against McPhail, Sarauer contended that it is common for the NDP to issue news releases and social media posts after making requests of the Chair. "The government didn't see it that way," she said.
As for their pursuit of the Cheveldayoff issue, Sarauer added they are "not going to stop asking questions and trying to get information here" on that matter.
