The Saskatchewan NDP and Sikh community called for Premier Scott Moe to take more action Thursday against Humboldt-Watrous MLA Racquel Hilbert who recently apologized for calling federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh “a terrorist.”
Hilbert made the remark more than two weeks ago during a speech on the floor of the legislature.
“We did not hear the Opposition denounce their federal leader as being a terrorist in India and denounce the collateral trade damage to Western Canada,” she had said on March 25.
During Question Period Thursday, the NDP asked how the Sask. Party can justify keeping Hilbert in its caucus following her comment.
“The member made comments in this chamber that were clearly written out in advance. This was premeditated hate, she planned to say this. How can this premier and this government possibly claim to represent the people from diverse communities when they continue to have a member in their own caucus who holds and openly states such hateful views,” Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat said.
NDP MLA for Saskatoon University-Sutherland Tajinder Grewal said he has spoken with fellow members of the Sikh community after Hilbert’s comment came to light and said it caused many tears to be shed.
“Calling someone a terrorist only for being Sikh is hate speech. It does so much harm,” Grewal said.
“Members of the community are asking me a question that I will ask the premier now, ‘Why does the member who spreads so much hate continue to sit in the government caucus?‘”
The Sikh community says this was not simply a misstatement from the floor of the legislature.
“Every Sikh resident of Canada that has heard about it is feeling the hurt because nobody and especially someone who has been elected, not someone who has been elected to an office should be calling another elected official a remark like terrorist,” Manmeet Singh expressed.
In addition to wanting the MLA removed from caucus, the Sikh Society of Saskatchewan is also calling for anti-racism training for MLAs and wants a clear statement from the premier’s office denouncing hate speech.
Moe did not directly say why Hilbert remains in caucus but pointed out numerous times that her comment was “very inappropriate” and that she apologized both in the legislature and publicly through the media.
“Yesterday we saw both publicly and on the floor of this assembly, the member from Humboldt-Watrous rose and [acknowledged] that the comments that she had made in her Speech from the Throne were inaccurate and inappropriate. She retracted those comments on the floor of this legislature, she apologized as well as apologizing publicly in the media,” Moe said.
The premier went on to say that for more than 100 years, Saskatchewan has been built by people from many backgrounds. “Which is why our motto is ‘from many people’s strengths,‘” Moe added.
Grewal said an apology is not good enough.
Hilbert was first elected for Humboldt-Watrous in 2024.
