Premier Moe Refutes Claims that Saskatchewan House Leader Brought Gun Into Legislature

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe refuted accusations against Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison, responding to comments made by the Speaker on the last day of the legislative session. The Speaker claimed that Mr. Harrison had harassed him and possibly brought a gun into the legislature.

During an unrelated press conference, Mr. Moe stated, “I have been informed that these allegations are completely false. I am unsure of the source of these concerns. I do acknowledge that the Speaker may have his own worries.”

In a speech on May 16 in the legislature, Speaker Randy Weekes accused Mr. Harrison of harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Mr. Weekes claimed that Mr. Harrison had a fixation on firearms and had expressed a desire to carry a handgun into the legislative assembly.

“My interactions with the Government House Leader included threatening gestures whenever I ruled against him in the Assembly. He would raise his voice at me, stand up, and flash his suit jacket. As his behavior grew more aggressive, I became concerned that he might be carrying a weapon,” he explained.

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Mr. Moe mentioned that Mr. Harrison assured him he had never displayed his jacket to insinuate he was carrying a hidden weapon.

Mr. Weekes also alleged that a former special constable reported that Mr. Harrison had violated regulations regarding weapons by bringing a hunting rifle into the legislative building.

“These types of weapons can be easily altered to hold more than four shots,” he stated.

He also recounted an incident where Reg Downs, an adviser to Premier Moe, had acted aggressively toward him, almost physically striking him.

“This was not the first time I felt threatened like this. Another MLA approached me aggressively at a party event, almost head-butting me,” he added.

Mr. Moe expressed his belief that the text messages were not intended to be harassing.

“I cannot speak for the emotions or thoughts of the Speaker,” he stated.

“There are appropriate channels to address these concerns that are more effective than the route chosen by the Speaker,” Mr. Moe added, emphasizing that it is the responsibility of legislative security to investigate the issues raised by Mr. Weekes.

“If these matters are reported to the proper authorities and an investigation is warranted, they will make that determination, not the premier or anyone else,” he clarified.

Mr. Moe suggested that Mr. Weekes may have been disgruntled after losing the party nomination last December.

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.