What happened to Jonathan Smithereens?
Saskatchewan politics is filled with random events not making any headlines. In this weekly feature, political reporter D.C. Fraser shares some of those stories.
MOE WAS ONCE ‘JONATHAN SMITHEREENS’
Add this to the Saskatchewan political trivia category. In the 2011 election, a not-to-be-named-buthighly-respected newspaper announced the winner of the Rosthern- Shellbrook seat as ... Jonathan Smithereens.
No such person appears to exists. And for sure nobody of that name ran for the seat, let alone win.
The actual winner? Scott Moe, who a few years later would become premier.
MOST PENALIZED MLA As mentioned a few times now, question period can get heated. When it gets too heated, Speaker Mark Docherty will call out specific MLAS. Sometimes he asks them to retract a statement. Sometimes they have to apologize.
My unofficial count determined NDP Regina-rosemont MLA Trent Wotherspoon was the one Docherty called out the most.
HOTBOXING MAKES IT TO THE RECORD
... And you can hotbox a tent camping, but not smoke around a tent.
In a committee meeting on cannabis legislation, NDP Regina-douglas Park MLA Nicole Sarauer ensured the term “hotboxing” will be forever preserved in Saskatchewan’s political record.
Hotboxing is when you smoke marijuana in a small area that doesn’t allow air circulation... this allows those partaking to get both first and second hand intake from the marijuana.
Sarauer was discussing rules around smoking weed (once legalized) at a campsite.
“Hotboxing your tent is allowed but smoking a joint around a campfire is not allowed. Is that correct?” Sarauer asked Attorney General Don Morgan.
He replied by saying he is not “really familiar with the term of hotboxing a tent” and explained how you can smoke inside a tent while camping, but not around a campfire.
THREE THOUGHTS:
Morgan is ... not young (sorry Don!), but I don’t believe for a second he doesn’t know what hotboxing is. It makes no sense for the province to allow people to smoke inside a tent while camping, but not around a campfire. I can almost guarantee Morgan will tell me I am “dead to him” for saying he is not young.
THE PROVINCE, THE NATION AND THE CONTINENT
Stand in scrums with Moe for six months and you start to recognize certain things. One very noticeable thing about Moe is that he oft will say the “The Province of Saskatchewan” or “The Nation of Canada” as opposed to just “Saskatchewan” or “Canada.”
He will even say “Continent of North America” sometimes. Someone counted Moe saying “Province of Saskatchewan” 99 times in a single committee meeting.
So I asked the premier why this was.
“I have no idea why I say it, but now I’m going to be apprehensive every time I do,” Moe told me.
I asked if it was just a thing he did, and he responded by saying: “Yeah, I guess. And I’m from the Town of Shellbrook.”
MOE NOT COMMITTING TO VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Last week, I wrote in this space about how Moe should get behind supporting the Las Vegas Golden Knights in their quest for the Stanley Cup. Much of that suggestion was based on thinking it would be good for Moe to get behind Justin Reves and Greg Moore.
Through the Justin & Greg Show, the two have convinced Vegas to adopt Saskatchewan. But Moe is being diplomatic — there are Saskatchewan connections to the Knights and the other team in the final, the Washington Capitals.