The Moose Jaw Police Service says in a news release a 58-year-old resident has been charged with assault. The resident in question is former Sask Party MLA, Gregory Lawrence, who is now sitting as an Independent.

An email from caucus late yesterday afternoon stated that Lawrence resigned from caucus began of the police investigation. He has been the MLA for Moose Jaw-Wakamow since 2011, and announced last year he wouldn’t be running in this year’s election. Lawrence is charged with assault and assault by choking. His first court appearance is March 18th at Moose Jaw Provincial Court.

Premier Scott Moe made a statement on the situation today.

“Yesterday, I learned that it was confirmed the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow was under active police investigation and resigned. Today, I learned through media the nature of the charge. I am deeply concerned by this news. Our government has enacted some of the strictest measures and implemented some of the strongest programs for violence prevention. Our work will not be deterred, and we will continue to focus on violence prevention initiatives to protect our families, our communities and our province.”

Last November, former Sask Party MLA for Cut Knife-Turtleford, Ryan Domotor, was removed from caucus when the Premier learned he had been charged with soliciting sexual services. Back in 2021, Nadine Wilson, MLA for Saskatchewan Rivers, resigned from caucus for what the Premier called misrepresenting her COVID vaccination status.

The leader of the provincial NDP says the public expects a higher standard from its elected representatives.

“Sometimes when governments have been in power for a long time, there’s a tendency to think the rules don’t apply them, there’s a tendency to stop listening, there’s a tendency to perhaps think that they’re above the law, or what applies to regular folks doesn’t apply to you. We have to always be fighting against that I think,” Carla Beck stated in her reaction to the news. “The Sask. Party has been in power for 16 years. The old boys club in the Legislature clearly thinks the laws and rules don’t apply to them.”

Beck says the Premier needs to explain the timeline of events leading up to the news.

“I think the reasonable question that people in this province are asking, the question that we’re asking, is when did Scott Moe and his staff know about this, what more can they tell us about this, and are there more announcements like this to come?” she questioned. ”

Lawrence will make his first court appearance on March 18th