Saskatchewan Party MLA Eric Olauson has been told to apologize after an email revealed that he planned to do a background check on a constituent before replying to her letter.
The constituent, identified as Heather Landine, wrote Olauson about a plan to protest provincial cuts to library funding. The protest was to be held at his office last Friday.
She also asked him to defend the government’s cuts to education and cities.
“I would also very much like to hear from Mr. Olauson how he can support his party’s $11 million cut to the City of Saskatoon grants in lieu program — specifically due to his past position as city council,” wrote Landine.
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Landine got an email response that appeared to be intended for Olauson’s staff, in which the MLA tells staff to “research her in Compass.”
“Don’t reply to her about that protest. I will once I know more about her. And it will be epic,” Olauson wrote.
Olauson said Tuesday that Compass is a Saskatchewan Party database. He said he misspoke by referring to Compass in the email.
“I recognized her name from before and so I was looking for that information,” he said.
Olauson also said the word “epic” was “obviously not a good word to use.”
“What I meant by epic, you know it was a flippant word, a flippant way to phrase things and the tone was wrong. What I meant was, it was going to be a very long email,” he said.
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The provincial government said in statement to media that Olauson made an error in judgment.
“It is not the practice of government MLAs to do any sort of background check on constituents before they reply to correspondence. It was inappropriate of Mr. Olauson to do so,” said the government email.
Olauson has also been removed from his position on the Meewasin Valley Authority board.