Speaker of the Saskatchewan legislature resigns

Corey Tochor has resigned as Speaker of the Saskatchewan legislature, effective immediately, but will keep his seat as MLA for Saskatoon Eastview.

“Serving as Speaker in our legislature has been the greatest honour of my professional career,” Tochor said in a statement Friday.

“Resigning the position is not a choice that I made lightly, but I have some decisions ahead of me that I cannot make while I wear my non-partisan Speaker hat.”

In order to be elected as Speaker, the candidate must have support from the majority of MLAs. Tochor was first elected Speaker in May 2016. He was the second youngest Speaker in Saskatchewan’s history.

“Even after a heated debate, members from opposing sides respected Corey’s ability to find a way forward,” Greg Brkich, the government house leader, said.

“My goal when I became Speaker was to ensure that members from each side had their views heard,” said Tochor.

“I always strived to be as fair as possible and I am excited to take this time to consider future public service options.”