Sask Party MLA Lyle Stewart has apologized for inviting convicted wife murderer Colin Thatcher to the throne speech..“Each MLA is given the opportunity to invite a number of guests to the throne speech. It was my decision alone to invite Colin Thatcher, who is a constituent and long-time friend. In retrospect, this was an error in judgement as his presence was a distraction from a very positive and forward-looking throne speech, which included a number of new initiatives to keep Saskatchewan families safe in their communities,” read the statement from him on Thursday.. Lyle Stewart .Thatcher is the son of a former premier, and was a sitting MLA and cabinet minister when he was charged and sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife January 21, 1983. JoAnn Geiger had been bludgeoned and shot..On 30 November 2006 Thatcher was granted full parole..The opposition went after the government during Question Period..NDP Leader Carla Beck called on Premier Scott Moe to “explain his government’s choice to invite convicted murderer Colin Thatcher as a guest of the provincial government and demand an immediate apology.”.“Will he condemn that decision and apologize?” asked Beck..Speaker Randy Weekes called it “out of order” and Moe did not have to answer the question..In the media scrum, Beck said the government shutdown her question.."We saw the government, you know, not want to talk about this today and procedurally to have it shut down," Beck told the media..In the media scrum, Moe did respond to Thatcher being invited and said he would not have invited him personally.."I would have made a different decision with respect to that particular invitation," said Moe.. Scott Moe Oct 27 2022Scott Moe .Moe said it distracted from the public safety and crime reduction initiatives in the speech.."The speech from the throne really did have a focus on keeping families safe in their communities," said Moe.."Our caucus members throughout their travels, not only through the summer, but over the course of the last number of months is they want increasingly for government to invest in safer communities. And so we had a focus on that in the speech from the throne.".READ MORE Sask government’s plan to reduce crime and increase public safety, new marshalls.NDP Critic for the Status of Women Jennifer Bowes asked the government “what message does it send to invite a convicted wife murderer when Saskatchewan has the worst inter-partner violence rates in the country?”.The speaker stopped Bowes before she could finish her question..On Wednesday, the media asked Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell about Thatcher’s attendance and the message it sends during a tough-on-crime throne speech..“No, he has a right to be here, just like anybody else. He is a free citizen,” Tell told the media..Thatcher, 84, was “happy” to accept the throne speech invitation from Stewart..The throne speech had a tough-on-crime focus while Thatcher sat next to a provincial police chief..“Many Saskatchewan residents see the federal government as too lenient on violent offenders who commit gun crimes and too focused on punishing law-abiding gun owners,” said Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty during the throne speech. .“This session, my government will take significant action to crack down on the illegal and violent use of firearms in the commission of crimes to ensure families feel safe in their communities.”.JoAnn Wilson was murdered in the garage of her Regina home in 1983 with 27 different wounds during an intense breakup and custody battle with her husband Thatcher..Thatcher served 22 years of his life in prison sentence for the first-degree murder of Wilson..Thatcher continues to say he is innocent and his three children appeared on their father’s behalf at his parole hearing.
