Saskatchewan Party candidate David Buckingham apologized for using a racial slur inside a government caucus office in 2023. Buckingham is seeking re-election in Saskatoon Westview and admitted to using "a racially inappropriate word.""There was one occasion where I repeated a racially inappropriate word, as I was recounting a story of another individual using that word," said Buckingham 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.".Sask NDP to investigate $203M healthcare payroll system debacle.Buckingham said he apologized immediately to caucus staff and later to his caucus colleagues.The Saskatchewan Party responded to the incident in a statement."The Saskatchewan Party does not tolerate any form of racism within the party, government or caucus. Mr. Buckingham realized he should not have done that, apologized and took sensitivity training," said the statement.Buckingham, who served as the government caucus chair, is running for his third term in the legislature after winning elections in 2016 and 2020.The apology came after former caucus colleague and Speaker Randy Weekes told reporters about the incident. Weekes said a Black caucus staff member overheard Buckingham use the racial slur..Sask parents outraged after sexually explicit video shown to elementary school kids.According to Weekes, the woman reported Buckingham to human resources and later quit her job. "Her responsibilities were downgraded," said Weekes. "The young woman has been taking counselling courses through the church."Weekes did not run in the election after losing the Saskatchewan Party nomination for his constituency of Kindersley-Biggar in 2023. He left the party, and on the final day of the spring legislative session, Weekes accused government caucus members of bullying him.Earlier in 2024, Weekes claimed Sask Party MLA Jeremy Harrison brought a gun into the legislature nearly a decade ago.Harrison denied the allegation but later admitted to bringing a gun into the building during a quick stop at the legislature on his way to a hunting trip. As a result, Harrison lost his position as government house leader but kept his cabinet role as minister of trade and export development.Weekes stated he plans to vote for the NDP in the October 28 provincial election.
