UPDATED: Hickie speaks out on staying MLA until 2016

“I was also looking forward to… working on some of the missing and murdered aboriginal files because that was very important in my mind,” he said.

He said in this role he wouldn’t be in a very public or active role in the city, “but I would have been doing a very valuable service to the families of those that have been missing or murdered.”

However, he will stay off that file as he announced he will stick with his role as an MLA.

As his training became public through the NDP, Hickie said on Friday that the police service doesn't need distraction from its work.

“They have a very difficult and dangerous job day in and day out as they protect and serve the people of Prince Albert. I never, ever wanted that to happen where I was going to be a distraction. As a result of the situation this week, I took it to heart that this is now causing a distraction. It just makes sense now that the most intensive part of my training is done that I go back to being an MLA.”

On Wednesday, Premier Brad Wall stated that if Hickie was to return to active duty, he would have to decide between the force and being an MLA.

Hickie sloughs off NDP criticism that if he went back to work with the police force he wouldn’t be able to represent constituents properly. He explained that a lot of his work as an MLA is out in the community.

“A lot of the job, a lot of the time as an MLA I get approached by people out shopping at Safeway, having coffee with friends, or at the gym. So, one thing people who know me understand that I’m an A-type personality. I’m able to manage many, many things at one time,” he said.

He explained why he returned to training with so many years left on his term as MLA.

“I had some time to do it and I knew that it was going to be an intensive training cycle. I knew I was able to jump in with other officers that needed refresher training as well,” he said, adding that keeps him from needing to taking the training by himself at a later date.

“In hindsight it was selfish and self-serving, yes, to get back in the game so to speak. But it also made sense because I was grouped with other officers.”

He confirmed he was being paid at that time.

Hickie maintains that “I could have done both, I believe in my mind. But this is politics and I’ll leave it at that.”

NDP response

The entire topic of Hickie’s double-duty has led to heated comments from both himself and the NDP.

“I’m disappointed that my ethics were brought into question by the NDP, that I would be able to do both jobs,” he said.

He cited his clean ethics record from the election campaign in 2006 and 2007, which he ran as an officer.

NDP leader Cam Broten’s first focus when speaking with paNOW was the two full-time incomes Hickie would be receiving if he continued with police.

“I can’t believe that Mr. Wall and Mr. Hickie are trying to defend this. I think it speaks to the sense of entitlement that we see by the Sask. Party MLAs but especially Mr. Hickie,” Broten said.

“It really speaks to the fact the Mr. Hickie has checked out and would rather be doing another job, and the only reason that he’s stopped the arrangement is because he was caught.”

Broten added that Hickie doesn’t seem interested in voicing the major issues for people in Prince Albert with the province.

He reiterated previous NDP statements that “we were approached by people in the community who were really concerned with having their MLA in a police uniform, working as a full-time police officer.”

Earlier in the week, the NDP’s John Nilson said people had called them saying Hickie was seen working the traffic beat.

To that, Hickie said “the NDP took liberty with the truth. I was never on active duty on patrol, in traffic, stopping cars or otherwise. It was a political drive-by smear.”

-With files from Thia James

claskowski@panow.com

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk

by Chelsea Laskowski

UPDATED: Hickie speaks out on staying MLA until 2016

What's Trending