At what point do we move on from a tragedy like the Humboldt bus crash?

By Brian Zinchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

REGINA – At what point do we move on from a tragedy, and is three years too soon? That was the fundamental question raised by New Democratic Party Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon in a press release on Feb. 23, and responded to by Premier Scott Moe on the same day.

For the NDP, they feel that having budget day on the three-year anniversary of the Humboldt bus tragedy, which killed 16, is inappropriate.

Wotherspoon said, “Last month, avoiding accountability, the Sask. Party government announced that they would be delaying the start of session and the introduction of their budget to April 6th. This April 6th will mark the three-year anniversary of the devastating Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy.

“Having heard from the family of one of the victims, expressing outrage that this government has now chosen to introduce the budget on the anniversary of this tragic accident, I agree wholeheartedly that this is a highly insensitive and inappropriate move by the current government.

“The Official Opposition is calling on Premier Scott Moe and his government to move the start of the legislative session and budget to an earlier date out of respect for the families and those affected by this tragedy.”

Asked about this during the Feb. 23 COVID-19 briefing in the Legislature, Premier Scott Moe said that the critic, Wotherspoon, put out a press release, when he could have reached out to Humboldt’s MLA instead. Moe said, “The critic could have just as easily reached out to the MLA for Humboldt, who happens to be the Minister of Finance, who also happens to be the deputy premier. And if we think back to three years ago, when the Humboldt bus tragedy occurred, it affected everyone in this province, beyond this province, and I would say in many cases affected people all around the world. In this building, and with my colleagues, it affected no one more than the Minister of Finance, the MLA for Humboldt, Donna Harpauer.

“At that particular time, our budget was set to take place about four days after that event. I had offered to the minister of the day, also the MLA for Humboldt, represents many of these families that were impacted by that tragedy, ‘Should we move the budget?’ and she wouldn’t hear of it, on that day.

“She has honored those families and those individuals and all of those involved with that tragedy, each and every day since then. And I know for certain that our Minister of Finance, when she delivers a budget this spring, will also be honoring those families, all of those impacted. She’ll have her sticks outside her door. We’ll have them outside of the Legislative Assembly. We most certainly, I would like to acknowledge, the way that our Minister of Finance has, honored all of those involved in that tragedy, every day since it’s occurred.”