聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Before anything more is said about Don McMorris, the Indian Head-Milestone MLA, allow me to relay a story.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The lives of those at the Regina Leader-Post became a little sadder four years ago when we lost the late, great Ron Petrie, who was a friend and writer of extraordinary talent.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Losing his battle with cancer, Petrie left behind his incredible wife Joan and four kids. 聽聽 Three of them were his 15-year-old triplets.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McMorris, who was really a stranger to Petrie, did an extraordinary thing for the family.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Notwithstanding the needs of his own family and his own busy schedule as health minister, McMorris, a one-time driving instructor, took time out to teach the triplets to drive.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Few know about this, largely because McMorris didn鈥檛 want anyone to know.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But in the wake of McMorris鈥檚 drunken driving conviction, maybe people should have an opportunity to judge the man by something other than his worst decision.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Driving with a blood alcohol content two and half times the legal limit was surely Don McMorris鈥檚 worst decision.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That it happened in the late morning - after what he described as late night drinking with an old school friend - has caused many to wonder.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 His lawyer Arron Fox suggested after McMorris pleaded guilty that it was to be described as 鈥渁n issue with alcohol.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That painful admission has been one of many for the Indian Head-Milestone MLA.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He immediately lost his high-ranking standing as the deputy premier and minister responsible for SGI and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And, quite frankly, it鈥檚 difficult to understand right now how he should be allowed to keep his seat.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The rules of the legislature say MLAs can be booted out for criminal code convictions while serving, but only for sentences greater than two years. McMorris鈥檚 punishment was a one-year driving suspension and a fine of $1,800.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But can a law-breaker fulfill his duties as a law-maker? Many Saskatchewan people feel it鈥檚 just not right.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Premier Brad Wall has already determined he can. McMorris鈥檚 conviction, however, means there is a total of four people elected to the current Saskatchewan Party caucus with a history of drinking and driving.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That鈥檚 not the message that should be sent out by any provincial government, let alone one that is presiding over a province with the highest rate of drinking and driving convictions in the country.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But there might be one good thing emerging out of the McMorris鈥檚 story.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is one of the things forcing the Saskatchewan Party government - and the rest of us, for that matter - to begin to a serious dialogue on how we need to change.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 On his Facebook page, Premier Brad Wall offered some rather heartfelt and important words on the subject.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 "Saskatchewan.聽We have a serious problem.聽We have had it for some time," Wall wrote. 聽聽聽 "Too many of us are still drinking and driving and it is taking the lives of our neighbours and friends, fathers, mothers and our kids. And it is devastating the lives of others who are left behind.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 "We need to stop this."
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It鈥檚 a sentiment that is hard to dispute, although there are some who still do.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to an August Mainstreet/Postmedia poll, one in five of us still seem to believe it's OK to drive drunk if it's only for a short distance.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This speaks to a long-standing culture - especially in rural Saskatchewan - where we use long distances, cold nights and the lack of taxis or public transportation as a convenient excuse.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Admittedly, Wall鈥檚 Facebook post likely had less to do with McMorris than it has with a rash of incidents in our province this summer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is McMorris, however, who will be the lightning rod.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But maybe that鈥檚 a good thing.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Maybe McMorris鈥檚 woes should remind us all how much is at stake when we drink and drive.聽
