Premier Brad Wall pictured in August. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
Emotions ran high for Saskatchewan politicians in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday as they addressed four recent suicides in the north.
Premier Brad Wall said the province is currently offering services in Deschambault Lake in relation to the death of a 10-year-old girl, which happened on Tuesday.
Wall’s voice wavered as he said “we can afford to lose no more,” in response to a question by NDP leader Trent Wotherspoon about what steps are being taken to address the crisis.
Wotherspoon, too, was visibly shaken as he spoke.
“In politics, the words ‘tragedy’ and ‘crisis’ are sometimes used so much that we can almost lose sight of what they actually mean,” he said.
In relation to the girls – all under the age of 14 – who saw suicide as the answer to darkness and despair, Wotherspoon said “this crisis is playing out in the north but it affects all of the people of Saskatchewan a every corner of our province.”
Wall listed off many of the supports being offered by the province as it works with Lac La Ronge Indian Band at this time. He also said the issue of suicides in the north has been a top concern for a number of years.
“Clearly more needs to be done,” he conceded.
The exchange between Wotherspoon and Wall was a departure from the usual Question Period fireworks.
In a rare show of solidarity, Wotherspoon said the NDP is standing as a partner with the government and affected communities in responding to the deaths.