Sask MSM Only Covering SOME Of The Serge Leclerc Scandal
I have been staying away from the Serge Leclerc scandal for a couple of reasons. First, I don't care who anyone goes to bed with as long as it is between consenting adults.
Second, unlike the Right Wing, I consider drug addiction to be a progressive disease that is difficult to recover from and where stopping is no longer a question of choice once the individual has become addicted.
However, in an attempt to prompt Saskatchewan's main stream media to cover some of my concerns in this scandal, I am bringing the following excerpt forward from yesterdays Hansard of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan:
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, well before the cocaine affair came to light, the Premier should've been looking into the potential misuse of taxpayers' dollars by his legislative secretary. Anyone who visits this individual's personal website, which he uses to promote himself as a public speaker, will find that the person responsible for booking those highly lucrative speaking engagements is Ryan Long. Ryan Long is also the individual's constituency assistant, whose salary is paid by the taxpayers. The same person who served as the constituency assistant is also the main contact for the individual's company. To the Premier: does he still think it is appropriate for Saskatchewan taxpayers to pay Ryan Long to book lucrative speaking engagements for his legislative secretary?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.
Hon. Mr. Morgan: — Mr. Speaker, the matter has been turned over to the Regina Police Service. We will continue to co-operate fully and completely with the Regina Police Service. We do not intend to make any further comments on this matter while the matter is with the police service, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to urge the members opposite, if they have other information, if they think there's an impropriety, they can raise the matter with the Board of Internal Economy. They can give the matter to the police. Mr. Speaker, we will, on this side of the House, give our full, complete, candid co-operation with the Regina Police Service. Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite have any other additional information, I'm sure the Regina Police Service would be glad to receive it. Mr. Speaker, I urge them to give the same level of co-operation that this side of the House has given.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, we know the Premier's legislative secretary for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing was potentially using his constituency assistant and his office inappropriately for his personal affairs. And we know that the Premier did nothing about it for two years. What we don't know is whether this individual was also using his position as a legislative secretary in an inappropriate manner. Weeks ago the official opposition asked written questions about this legislative secretary's expenses and travel. The government has refused to answer those questions. To the Premier: why the secrecy? Was his legislative secretary for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing using taxpayers' dollars inappropriately for his own personal gain?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.
Hon. Mr. Morgan: — Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite have some additional information that would be beneficial to the Regina Police Service, I would urge them to give it to them. If they have other issues that they wish to raise, let them raise it in the Board of Internal Economy. Let them raise it through written questions, (???)* Mr. Speaker. Let them raise it in the ordinary and usual fashion . . .
[Interjections]
The Speaker: — Minister of Justice.
Hon. Mr. Morgan: — Mr. Speaker, the matter is with the Regina Police Service. We will let them do their work. The members opposite should let them do their work. We've made comments on this earlier in the media. We do not intend to make any further comments. We will let this matter work its way through in the ordinary course. The police are involved, Mr. Speaker, and that is where we are going to stop our comments, Mr. Speaker. The matter is with the police and we will give the police our co-operation. Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite have some other information, let them give it to the police or let them deal with it appropriately.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, it's a basic question. Did the legislative secretary for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing use his position for personal gain? But the Premier refuses to answer and keeps hiding behind a police investigation. But the issues that will concern the Regina Police Service are very different from those that concern the Legislative Assembly.
April 21, 2010 Saskatchewan Hansard 4955
[(???)* huh .. submit more written questions for the Sask Party to ignore!!!]
Second, unlike the Right Wing, I consider drug addiction to be a progressive disease that is difficult to recover from and where stopping is no longer a question of choice once the individual has become addicted.
However, in an attempt to prompt Saskatchewan's main stream media to cover some of my concerns in this scandal, I am bringing the following excerpt forward from yesterdays Hansard of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan:
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, well before the cocaine affair came to light, the Premier should've been looking into the potential misuse of taxpayers' dollars by his legislative secretary. Anyone who visits this individual's personal website, which he uses to promote himself as a public speaker, will find that the person responsible for booking those highly lucrative speaking engagements is Ryan Long. Ryan Long is also the individual's constituency assistant, whose salary is paid by the taxpayers. The same person who served as the constituency assistant is also the main contact for the individual's company. To the Premier: does he still think it is appropriate for Saskatchewan taxpayers to pay Ryan Long to book lucrative speaking engagements for his legislative secretary?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.
Hon. Mr. Morgan: — Mr. Speaker, the matter has been turned over to the Regina Police Service. We will continue to co-operate fully and completely with the Regina Police Service. We do not intend to make any further comments on this matter while the matter is with the police service, Mr. Speaker. And I'd like to urge the members opposite, if they have other information, if they think there's an impropriety, they can raise the matter with the Board of Internal Economy. They can give the matter to the police. Mr. Speaker, we will, on this side of the House, give our full, complete, candid co-operation with the Regina Police Service. Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite have any other additional information, I'm sure the Regina Police Service would be glad to receive it. Mr. Speaker, I urge them to give the same level of co-operation that this side of the House has given.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, we know the Premier's legislative secretary for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing was potentially using his constituency assistant and his office inappropriately for his personal affairs. And we know that the Premier did nothing about it for two years. What we don't know is whether this individual was also using his position as a legislative secretary in an inappropriate manner. Weeks ago the official opposition asked written questions about this legislative secretary's expenses and travel. The government has refused to answer those questions. To the Premier: why the secrecy? Was his legislative secretary for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing using taxpayers' dollars inappropriately for his own personal gain?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of Justice.
Hon. Mr. Morgan: — Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite have some additional information that would be beneficial to the Regina Police Service, I would urge them to give it to them. If they have other issues that they wish to raise, let them raise it in the Board of Internal Economy. Let them raise it through written questions, (???)* Mr. Speaker. Let them raise it in the ordinary and usual fashion . . .
[Interjections]
The Speaker: — Minister of Justice.
Hon. Mr. Morgan: — Mr. Speaker, the matter is with the Regina Police Service. We will let them do their work. The members opposite should let them do their work. We've made comments on this earlier in the media. We do not intend to make any further comments. We will let this matter work its way through in the ordinary course. The police are involved, Mr. Speaker, and that is where we are going to stop our comments, Mr. Speaker. The matter is with the police and we will give the police our co-operation. Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite have some other information, let them give it to the police or let them deal with it appropriately.
The Speaker: — I recognize the member from Regina Dewdney.
Mr. Yates: — Mr. Speaker, it's a basic question. Did the legislative secretary for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing use his position for personal gain? But the Premier refuses to answer and keeps hiding behind a police investigation. But the issues that will concern the Regina Police Service are very different from those that concern the Legislative Assembly.
April 21, 2010 Saskatchewan Hansard 4955
[(???)* huh .. submit more written questions for the Sask Party to ignore!!!]
