Sask. Party candidate says sorry for using racial slur a year ago

REGINA — A Saskatchewan Party candidate apologized Tuesday after it came to light that he used a racial slur in the government caucus office a year ago.

David Buckingham, who is running again in Saskatoon Westview in the Oct. 28 election, said it was wrong.

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“There was one occasion where I repeated a racially inappropriate word, as I was recounting a story of another individual using that word,” Buckingham said in a statement.

“That was wrong and I should not have used that word, regardless of the context. I immediately apologized to caucus staff, realizing it was a wrong thing to say, and then apologized to my caucus colleagues at the first opportunity.”

His apology was part of a statement issued by the party.

“The Saskatchewan Party does not tolerate any form of racism within the party, government or caucus,” it said in the statement.

“Mr. Buckingham realized he should not have done that, apologized and took sensitivity training.”

Buckingham is seeking a third term in the legislature. He was elected in 2016 and 2020 and has served as the Saskatchewan Party government caucus chair.

The apology came after Buckingham’s former caucus colleague Randy Weekes recounted the story to reporters earlier in the day.

Weekes, who was Speaker during the last legislative sitting, says a caucus staff member told him she overheard Buckingham use the racial slur referencing a Black person.

Weekes said the woman, who is Black, was traumatized and reported Buckingham to human resources.

She later quit, Weekes said.

“Her responsibilities were downgraded,” Weekes said, adding the woman doesn’t want to speak publicly.

“The young woman has been taking counselling courses through the church,” he said.

Weekes is not running in the election. He lost the Saskatchewan Party nomination for his constituency of Kindersley-Biggar last year.

He later quit the party, accusing those in the government caucus of bullying him.

He made headlines earlier this year when he said Jeremy Harrison, the trade and export development minister, had taken a gun into the legislature nearly a decade ago.

Harrison initially denied it but later said he remembered taking a gun into the building while on his way to go hunting. Harrison was removed as government house leader but kept his cabinet position.

Weekes said he is publicly supporting the NDP in the election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.

Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press