‘It’s candid discussion’: Harrison denies allegations of lying, harassment

Former Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison said candid conversations and an adherence to gun safety are behind allegations made by Speaker Randy Weekes at the end of the session this month.

Weekes had accused Harrison of bringing a gun into the legislative building, wanting to carry a handgun in the building, and years of bullying, intimidation and harassment.

While he had at first denied all the allegations through the premier, on Friday Harrison admitted he had brought a gun in the legislative building around 10 years ago.

“This was a mistake, this was a bad mistake. It’s something I deeply apologize for. It shouldn’t have happened, and I’m accountable for that,” he said.

He said he was on his way to hunt when he stopped to pick up some work, and didn’t want to leave the gun unattended in his vehicle while he was inside.

“One of the things I’ve been taught since I’ve been a kid – and my father was a conservation officer – is you never leave an unattended firearm in the back of your truck, because it gets stolen,” explained Harrison.

He said he didn’t remember the incident before he spoke to some people close to him, and that all he remembers now is passing by the security desk. Harrison said security was aware when he brought the gun into the building, and it was inside a case.

The Meadow Lake MLA said he’s an avid hunter and it’s not uncommon for him to travel with a gun.

“(Hunting) is my passion. This is what I love doing. It’s values and skill sets I want to pass along to my kids, as my father and grandfather passed them along to me,” said Harrison.

Though he originally told the premier that allegation wasn’t true, Harrison said he didn’t lie, and when he recalled that it did happen he immediately called Premier Scott Moe to tell him.

When asked how people can trust what he’s saying now, Harrison said “because it’s the truth.”

The minister doesn’t believe he’s forgetting anything else.

“I’ve thought long and hard about whether there has been anything else, and there has not,” he said.

Harrison denied Weekes’ allegation that he wanted to be able to carry a handgun inside the legislative building.

The bulk of Weekes’ allegations were centred around texts from Harrison and other government MLAs that Weekes characterized as harassing, bullying and aiming to intimidate him into ruling in government’s favour.

Weekes read out one text where Harrison used an expletive to describe a ruling the speaker had made.

“I regret that text, I shouldn’t have sent that text or, for sure, should have worded it differently,” said Harrison on Monday.

But Harrison disagreed with the characterization of that text as bullying or harassment.

“We have had, historically, probably a lot more candid conversations than that with different elements of the assembly,” Harrison explained.

“There are difficult conversation that happen, and it’s not meant to be bullying. It’s not meant to be harassment. It’s candid discussion, and that’s something that I think has served the assembly well.”

He said difficult conversations have to happen, and it’s nothing new.

Moe has also denied that the Speaker was harassed or intimidated, saying Weekes made his claims for the first time shortly after losing a Sask. Party nomination race.

Harrison said the conversations used to happen in regular meetings with house leaders and the Speaker, but those don’t happen any longer. He said he hopes they go back to in-person meetings in the future.

Though Harrison resigned as house leader, he is still in the Sask. Party caucus and a cabinet minister.

While the Saskatchewan NDP has accused Moe of lying when he denied the allegations, Moe said it was a miscommunication.

“He gave me the information he had and he clarified it at the first opportunity,” the premier said.

“The official lines of communication here have faltered, and I need to make sure I am doing what I can here to correct that.”

Meanwhile, Moe acknowledged the breakdown in communication between the house leadership teams and the Speaker.

“I have now become aware that maybe those have gone by the wayside, so you don’t have that avenue of official communications between the house leadership teams and the Speaker’s Office.”

He acknowledged that there is work to be done to improve the environment and communication channels between house leaders and the Speaker’s office.

Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said she doesn’t believe Harrison’s story.

“Let’s be clear. Nobody believes the minister suddenly remembered after talking to one or two family members.”

Beck said the Saskatchewan government and Harrison got caught in a lie.

She said they need to be honest.

“This is, I think, insulting to people in the province that this is the story they have to tell,” Beck said.

“This is about the premier again turning a blind eye to some very concerning behaviour.”

–with files from Abby Zeiverink