A Saskatoon man who lost his son, daughter-in-law and two grandkids in a drunk-driving crash just months ago says he doesn’t want to see Don McMorris return to cabinet or the Saskatchewan Party caucus.
Lou Van de Vorst says Premier Brad Wall should not allow McMorris back into the party after an impaired driving charge was laid against the now-former cabinet minister.
“Should he be allowed back into cabinet? I don’t think so. I think there should be more, stronger repercussions in terms of this. I think at least — at the very least — he should not be allowed back into caucus,” Van de Vorst said.
McMorris was charged Friday after slowing down at a construction zone east of Regina, where he said he was pulled over by RCMP. He was driving a government-issued vehicle at the time.
The impaired driving charge has not been proven in court and McMorris has declined to say what his blood-alcohol level was at the time of charge, but he has said he “should have never got behind the wheel after drinking.”
He’s since resigned from cabinet and left the Saskatchewan Party caucus, and is now serving as an independent MLA in his Indian Head-Milestone constituency. He was serving as deputy premier and minister responsible for Crown Investments Corporation, Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority and the Public Service Commission before his resignation.
“I was more angry with Mr. McMorris than I was with Catherine McKay, who killed my son, because he’s in a position of responsibility and authority and he knows all the stats,” Van de Vorst said.
“He’s in a position that he should know better.”
Van de Vorst’s son Jordan and daughter-in-law Chanda, alongside their two children Kamryn and Miguire, were killed after a drunk driver ran her SUV through a stop sign at Wanuskewin Road and Highway 11 and struck the family’s car Jan. 3.
The driver, McKay, was travelling 120 kilometres per hour and her blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit at the time of the crash. She’s since been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“We need to get to a point where drinking and driving is not socially acceptable,” Van de Vorst said. He wants to see the province explore the idea of a zero-tolerance policy for drivers of all ages.
“The question is do we need to adopt a policy of zero tolerance — period,” he said. “You’ve had a drink, don’t drive.”
Wall has so far not commented on McMorris’s future with the Saskatchewan Party, but has said McMorris is making the right decisions about accountability.
"He's decided, I think most importantly of all, to get some help, to get some counselling and so as a friend, I'm glad that he's doing that,” Wall said.
Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter will take over McMorris's responsibilities, except for the role deputy premier, on an interim basis. Wall said he will not name a new deputy premier until a cabinet shuffle in two or three weeks.
--- with files from CTV Regina’s Ken Gousseau and The Canadian Press
