(File photo)

By Derek Craddock

RESIGNATION

MLA Nadine Wilson resigns from Sask Party

Sep 30, 2021 | 10:12 AM

A member of the Saskatchewan Party has announced she has resigned from the party caucus.

In a release Thursday morning, the governing party said that Premier Scott Moe has accepted the resignation of MLA Nadine Wilson.

Wilson has served the riding of Saskatchewan Rivers since 2007, having been re-elected for her fourth term in 2020.

In a Thursday afternoon news conference, Premier Scott Moe said he accepted Wilson’s resignation as a result of her “mispresenting her vaccination status.”

Caucus chair David Buckingham was in charge of seeing proof of vaccination from every Sask. Party MLA after receiving verbal confirmation in the spring.

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“That’s when we found out that one of our members was not indeed vaccinated. That had to be dealt with. That’s not acceptable,” Buckingham said Thursday shortly after the party accepted Wilson’s resignation.

Earlier in the year, Moe was quoted as saying the entire caucus was either vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated.

“It forced the premier to make statements that were not as good as they could be,” Buckingham said.

The party confirmed that all 47 of its remaining MLAs are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Buckingham said Wilson never forged any documents, but did not provide her proof of vaccination ahead of Friday’s launch of the vaccine passport system.

During Question Period at the Legislative Assembly on May 14, Wilson could be seen wearing an “I got my COVID-19 vaccine” sticker.

(Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan video archives)

In a statement sent to paNOW, Wilson said she could no longer support the direction of the Saskatchewan Party government or follow them with true conviction regarding the current health situation.

“The desire for a just and fair democratic province has helped shaped my decision to leave and sit as an independent member. I have taken time to listen to the people in my riding and reflect on my role as an elected official and citizen. I was elected by the people, for the people, in the Saskatchewan Rivers constituency. I will continue to work for them to the best of my abilities. I believe in the fundamental values of freedom of personal choice, voluntary informed consent, without the element of duress or coercion.”

Official opposition leader Ryan Meili was not impressed the premier decided to make the announcement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation rather than Wednesday or Friday.

“If the Premier knew about this deception yesterday, he should have announced this at the COVID briefing, rather than taking attention away from residential school survivors whose voices deserve to be heard today,” Meili said.

When asked why he chose to announce this on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as opposed to any other day on the calendar, Moe said he simply wanted to go public once the caucus learned of Wilson’s vaccine status.

Meili went on to say he was disappointed to hear Wilson was not fully vaccinated , despite representing herself to be.

Wilson never served in cabinet but was appointed by former Premier Brad Wall to numerous committee positions, including Provincial Secretary.

She stepped down from that role in 2019 following an assault charge. That charge was withdrawn following a mediation process.

–With files from CKOM

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Derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @PA_Craddock