REGINA 鈥� Saskatchewan鈥檚 two main political leaders had agreed before October's provincial election not to target the families of candidates during the campaign, says Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck.
It was a commitment she says was broken.
In a recent year-end interview with The 91原创 Press, Beck said she and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe had promised one another they would keep families out of partisan attacks.
It was a step too far when the children of an NDP candidate were tied to a Saskatchewan Party campaign promise over change rooms, she said.
鈥淭he premier and I don鈥檛 have a lot of time to speak (to one another). But we do on occasion often speak about families, the need to have vigorous debate. There are lines that we shouldn鈥檛 cross. One of those lines that we鈥檝e discussed is around not bringing families into this,鈥� Beck said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a commitment that I expected him to honour. It鈥檚 a commitment that people in the province would understand is necessary.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bar that never should have been crossed.鈥�
During the election campaign, the two transgender children of NDP candidate Jared Clarke were the subjects of a complaint over using a girls鈥� change room at a southeast Saskatchewan school.
Clarke has said a news article about the complaint was published Oct. 16 and, later that day, a photo of his family was shared on social media linking them to the article.
Moe was asked at a press conference the next day about the complaint and announced he would ban 鈥渂iological boys鈥� from using girls' change rooms at schools if his Saskatchewan Party won the Oct. 28 vote.
He also touted the pledge would be his first order of business as premier, but it wasn't in his party鈥檚 platform document.
After Moe's Saskatchewan Party was re-elected, and Clarke became a new legislature member, Clarke publicly said Moe had put a target on his children and that his family received unimaginable hate.
Clarke also demanded an apology from the premier.
Moe has said he was unaware of the kids鈥� identities when he made the change room promise.
Beck said she hopes the impacts on Clarke鈥檚 family are understood.
鈥淚 would expect to never see that happen again."
Beck also said Moe should apologize.
鈥淪crutiny is something that's part of the job. It should never, never involve children," she said.
Moe said in a recent interview he agrees with Beck that families should be off limits in politics.
鈥淚 agree with her, when we have that discussion (on family). My family, her family, no one鈥檚 family. They don鈥檛 have their name on the ballot,鈥� he said.
When asked if he would apologize to Clarke, the premier said he had no comment.
鈥淚 just won鈥檛 comment on people, and I didn鈥檛 from the beginning,鈥� he said.
A week after the election, Moe announced a change room ban was no longer a legislative priority and that school divisions were working on plans to support all students.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just working through what policies are there, and the goal is to get to a place of support for every child in every school,鈥� Moe said.
鈥淚 think we鈥檒l be able to find our way there.鈥�
Beck has said a ban on change rooms would make vulnerable kids more vulnerable and it's appropriate for Moe to no longer make it his first priority.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to focus on the things that are most important to Saskatchewan people,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou always have to move forward, but you never forget what happened.鈥�
After the election, Beck鈥檚 NDP nearly doubled its seat count in the legislature to 27, sweeping Regina, the northern region and all but one riding in Saskatoon. Moe鈥檚 Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, due to its strength in rural constituencies, and formed its fifth-straight majority government.
Beck said her party has more work to do to gain support from those outside the big cities.
The cost of living, health care, crime and education issues are top of mind among residents across the province, she said.
鈥淚 have a lot of confidence about our ability to win trust and show people of this province that this is truly a government in waiting,鈥� said Beck.
Moe said he鈥檚 heard the message from voters that they want change, promising to do better on health care and education.
His government also recently passed affordability legislation that plans to reduce income taxes, saving an average family of four $3,400 over four years.
鈥淭here鈥檚 many people who have voted for us previously that didn鈥檛 this election, and so there鈥檚 some change that needs to happen,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 think you saw much of that change reflective in the speech from the throne.鈥�
This report by The 91原创 Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024.
Jeremy Simes, The 91原创 Press
