Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says the opening prayer at the province's legislature will remain despite a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Wall says the province's justice department doesn't believe the top court's ruling about a prayer at council meetings in Saguenay, Que. has any effect on provincial legislatures or Parliament.
The Saskatchewan prayer that Wall shows in a video on his Facebook page is from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and asks for God's favour and help.
It also asks that their work glorifies God's name and asks for everlasting life through God's mercy.
In a unanimous judgment released Thursday, the Supreme Court said the reading of a Catholic prayer at council meetings in Saguenay infringes on freedom of conscience and religion.
Wall says he believes that starting the day with reflection is a good thing and he doesn't see any indication that non-Christians feel excluded by it.
"I have not had one complaint. Not one concern registered. We're very fortunate in Saskatchewan to have seen unprecedented population growth and we're attracting people from all over the world," Wall said Saturday from his home in Swift Current.
"They all have certainly different beliefs and I've just never heard the concern. And that's why I don't think there's any particular call for it to change."
Regina Mayor Michael Fougere has already announced that the practice of praying before council meetings will stop. But in Oshawa, Ont., Mayor John Henry said the judgment will not change anything in his city.
The New Brunswick legislature will begin with a prayer on Tuesday, Speaker Chris Collins said, but legislature staff are studying the ruling and will forward their findings to a committee.
Pierre Thibault, assistant dean of the law faculty at the University of Ottawa, said the spirit of the ruling will apply to Parliament and the legislatures. But he said it cannot force them to stop their prayers.
"There is a separation between the church and the state, and the state and God," Thibault said. "But the legislatures and Parliament are protected by parliamentary privileges."
"The Charter cannot override these privileges."
But his colleague in the faculty, Gilles LeVasseur, said parliamentary privileges aren't absolute and he believes the Supreme Court ruling prohibits such prayers.
"You cannot discriminate against other religions," LeVasseur said. "When you have the word 'lord,' 'god,' or whatever, you're doing that."
Wall said the prayer has been around as long as he can remember, and is general.
He also noted that the Constitution recognizes the supremacy of God.
"Our prayer asks for continual help. If any group of people need that help it's elected people, politicians of the country," Wall said.
