Former NDP MLA says she was muzzled by party leader on Compassionate Intervention Act

Newly independent MLA Betty Nippi-Albright revealed a bit more about her frustrations with her former party on Wednesday.

The former NDP MLA said she commissioned an analysis of Bill 48, The Compassionate Intervention Act, which would allow people in Saskatchewan to be forced into addictions treatment under certain circumstances.

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However, Nippi-Albright said she was told by NDP Leader Carla Beck that she couldn’t bring up the report during her second-reading response to the bill or during committee discussions.

“On the leader’s directive I was told very clearly, do not reference the report, do not read from the report, do not table the report in committee. This was despite the fact that the report was commissioned by my office, paid for by my office budget, and was fully non-partisan and evidence-based,” said the Saskatoon MLA.

Nippi-Albright called it being muzzled. She said all that was used from the report were the recommendations.

Had she been able to talk about it, she said she would have been able to educate the public earlier.

Nippi-Albright explained that the report found a number of concerns in the bill around expanded detention powers without safeguards, an increased overdose risk, lack of treatment capacity in Saskatchewan and disproportionate impacts on Indigenous and racialized communities.

There were concerns about Indigenous rights and representation – that only one person on the assessment panel is required to be Indigenous and that the bill doesn’t reflect the Gladue principles of meaningful consideration of Indigenous rights.

She said there are also concerns that private health information – like ambulance calls for overdoses or treatment in emergency rooms – will be used against people in assessments and that could cause people to choose not to get medical treatment that they might need.

“Evidence should never be withheld because it is convenient,” said Nippi-Albright.

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On Monday, after all 17 of the NDP’s amendments were shot down by the government members in committee, the NDP put out a news release.

Nippi-Albright said she was shocked to find Beck saying in that news release the NDP supported forced treatment, albeit with more guardrails than Bill 48 had, and as a last resort.

“It stated in there, we support forced treatment, and I was like, ‘No.’ I was shocked, disappointed. I thought, ‘no, ethically, I cannot,’” said Nippi-Albright.

The NDP all voted against Bill 48 on Tuesday, a vote which Nippi-Albright said was performative, given the support of forced treatment.

She announced her departure from the NDP the next day.

Nippi-Albright wouldn’t speak on Wednesday about whether there were more reasons she left the party, saying that would come in a different news conference.

She said her voting going forward will be based on her consultations with her constituents and what’s best for the people.

“All I want to do is do an effective job for the people that elected me and I want to do that with integrity,” Nippi-Albright said.

Puzzled and offended

NDP Leader Carla Beck spoke a short time after her former MLA on Wednesday.

“To say today, even after (Nippi-Albright’s) press conference today that I am surprised, honestly, is a bit of an understatement,” said Beck.

She claimed Nippi-Albright wasn’t muzzled, pointing to the 17 amendments the NDP moved on Bill 48 in committee.

“I think the facts show that that was not the case, that that report was considered – in fact, was the basis of those amendments. And certainly, Betty, her voice has been present throughout the debate on this bill,” said Beck.

Nicole Sarauer, Opposition House Leader, also spoke up, saying Nippi-Albright has always had a very prominent role in caucus.

“She’s been in multiple press conferences. I think the leader has given her a lot of opportunity to push issues that are that are important to her, that she’s raised around the caucus table,” Saraur said. “And we’ve done everything we can to accommodate that, including last term, we prioritized a duty to consult as private members legislation a few times,” said Sarauer.

NDP Leader Carla Beck

Beck said she did tell Nippi-Albright not to table the entire report, saying reports are normally used to inform their work and usually aren’t tabled. The leader said several times that she didn’t stop Nippi-Albright from talking about it.

Beck said Nippi-Albright wasn’t being entirely honest and accused her of mischaracterizing what happened.

When asked about the disconnect between Nippi-Albright’s and the party’s support of forced treatment, Beck said suspending someone’s civil liberties shouldn’t be taken lightly but that in a small number of extreme cases, forced treatment could be used as a last resort.

She said what’s happening in the province can’t continue, and she’s spoken to parents who wonder if forced treatment had been available, if their family member would still be alive.

“That’s pretty persuasive,” said Beck.

The leader also took offence to the idea that her party’s votes against Bill 48 were performative.

“I think that really mischaracterizes the thoughtful, heartfelt discussion that was had by our caucus, our response to this bill and the drug crisis,” said Beck.

Neither Nippi-Albright nor Beck left the door open to reconciliation.

Beck said she wishes Nippi-Albright well, but that trust has been broken and she wouldn’t be welcomed back to caucus.

Premier weighs in on opposition departure

Premier Scott Moe was asked about the situation on Wednesday morning on the Evan Bray Show.

“Betty’s very principled in the voice that she brings to the floor of the assembly, and she appears to be standing by those principles,” Moe said.

He said he would talk to her as an independent MLA, just like he speaks to other opposition MLAs.

“She has a very principled view on a number of issues and a number of topics, and there might be something that the government can draw from that. Whether she’s in the NDP caucus or sitting as an independent, that wouldn’t change,” he said.

Bill 48 passed its third reading on Tuesday afternoon, and now awaits the signature of the province’s lieutenant governor before it becomes law.