‘A statement of respect:’ Sask. MLAs unanimously pass poppy rights law

In a rare show of togetherness, all Saskatchewan MLAs voted together to immediately pass the government’s poppy legislation after it was introduced on Wednesday.

“I don’t remember many times — and I’ve been around here a long time — that a bill would go through so quickly, unanimously with support from opposition and, of course, government,” said Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Don McMorris.

The Saskatchewan Remembrance Observance Act, which was teased in the throne speech, enshrines into law a person’s right to wear a poppy at work between Nov. 1 and Nov. 11, as long as it doesn’t risk workplace health and safety, like in health care for example.

McMorris said the government had seen a couple of complaints from workers who had been told they couldn’t wear their poppies.

“There was a store down in the southeast that an employee who has spoke to us a number of times that was asked to remove his poppy,” said McMorris.

He also talked about a person at the Estevan courthouse who was asked to remove their poppy because it wasn’t seen as being neutral.

McMorris said he thinks that poppy, in that case, was being seen as a political statement.

“We don’t feel it’s a political statement at all. I think it’s a statement of respect for those that came before us,” he explained.

The minister said a simple conversation could have straightened these situations out, but he also said the statement made by the vote in the Assembly on Wednesday was significant.

“Obviously not only government but opposition felt it was very important that we clear the air and make sure that people understand that they have the right to wear a poppy in the workplace,” he said.

What constitutes an appropriate poppy under this act is being left up to the Royal Canadian Legion, according to McMorris.

“The Royal Canadian Legion has been at this for a very long time, they have their standards as to what is recommended as a poppy that signifies remembrance in their mind, and we’ll leave that to them,” he said.

The law, and therefore the right, came into force immediately after it was passed Wednesday.