[RedHot25]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/halifax...speech-6012534

Saskatchewan kicked off its fall legislativesession with a tough-on-crime throne speech presented while aformer cabinet minister turned notorious convicted killer sat in the chamber.

Colin Thatcher says he was invited by a member of the Saskatchewan Party government.

He says MLA Lyle Stewart is a very good friend and he was happy to accept the invitation.

Thatcher spent more than two decades in prison for first-degree murder in the 1983 slaying of his ex-wife — a crime he has always denied.

https://leaderpost.com/news/politics...sask-party-mla

Saskatchewan Public Safety Minister Christine Tell says it shouldn’t matter that one of her fellow caucus members invited convicted murderer, Colin Thatcher, on Wednesday as a guest for the Throne Speech.

Thatcher was convicted in 1984 of first-degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson, after she was beaten and shot in the garage of her Regina home in the midst of a protracted custody and divorce battle.

He was released from prison in 2006 and has spent decades declaring his innocence.

Tell was asked whether Thatcher’s invitation appears problematic given the province has one of the highest intimate partner violence rates in the country.

Statistics Canada data from 2021 shows the province’s domestic violence rate is more than double the national average. Advocates have said more programs are needed to help people feel safe in their communities.