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Dustin Duncan

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For the American public health researcher, see Dustin T. Duncan.

Dustin Duncan
Duncan in 2020
Member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly
for Weyburn-Big Muddy
In office
June 19, 2006 – October 1, 2024
Preceded byBrenda Bakken-Lackey
Succeeded byMichael Weger
Personal details
Born1979 (age 44–45)
Weyburn, Saskatchewan
Political partySaskatchewan Party
SpouseAmanda[1]
ResidenceWeyburn, Saskatchewan

Dustin Duncan is a Canadian politician. He is the Saskatchewan Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Weyburn-Big Muddy. Duncan was first elected in a 2006 by-election when he was 26 years old and remained in office for 18 years, until choosing not to stand for re-election in 2024.

Political career

[edit]

Duncan was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Weyburn-Big Muddy in a 2006 by—election, defeating Liberal David Karwacki with 49% of the vote. Duncan has been re-elected four times, most recently in 2020, when he received 77% of the vote.[2]

Minister under Brad Wall

[edit]

After he was first elected in 2006, then-Opposition Leader Brad Wall named Duncan the critic for both Youth Opportunities and Immigration.[3] Duncan went on to hold a number of cabinet portfolios under Wall's premiership, beginning as the Minister of Tourism in 2009 and also holding positions as the Minister of Environment, Health, and Energy & Resources. Duncan also served as the Minister responsible for SaskTel and SaskEnergy.[4] As Minister of Health, a portfolio he held for four years, Duncan passed legislation introducing private MRI clinics and CT scans to the province.[5][6] Duncan also appointed an advisory panel to review reducing the number of regional health authorities in the province; this resulted in a 2017 recommendation to consolidate the province's 12 regional authorities into a single provincial authority.[7] While he was health minister, he announced that the Sask Party government would not be meeting its 2012 pledge to eliminate surgical wait times by 2017.[8]

While Duncan was responsible for SaskTel, the government mused openly about privatizing the crown corporation, to the point where Duncan admitted to speaking with private firms about a sale.[9][10] This came after the Saskatchewan Party passed the controversial Bill 40 in 2016; the bill defined privatization in a way that would allow the government to sell up to 49% of a crown corporation. However, the bill proved unpopular and was repealed in 2017.[11]

When Scott Moe succeeded Wall as premier in 2018, Duncan maintained his portfolio as the Minister of Environment—a portfolio he inherited from Moe—in Moe's cabinet.

Minister under Scott Moe

[edit]

Minister of Environment

[edit]

Duncan held the environment portfolio at a time when the province was resisting federal planning to address climate change, and in particular the imposition of carbon pricing.[12] Duncan was Environment Minister when Saskatchewan launched a court challenge against the federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act; Duncan stated in 2018 that he was confident the province could "put forward a very strong argument... as to why the federal government shouldn't have this ability."[13] The case ultimately progressed to the Supreme Court, where in 2021 the Act was ruled constitutional, which resulted in Saskatchewan having to adopt a carbon pricing scheme.[14][15]

Duncan introduced Saskatchewan's own climate change strategy in 2017, which originally did not feature carbon pricing.[16] When the province unveiled the performance standards for the plan in 2018, Duncan stated that Saskatchewan would not be submitting the plan to Ottawa for assessment.[17] While environmental critics offered praise to the Saskatchewan government for releasing a climate change plan for the first time, the plan, called "Prairie Resilience," was widely criticized as inadequate in its targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lacking in enforcement mechanisms.[18][19]

In late 2019, Duncan announced that the government would not be meeting its pledge to reduce GHG emissions 20% by 2020, but unveiled a new, narrower target of a 40% reduction in SaskPower emissions by 2030.[20]

Minister of Education

[edit]

Duncan took on the education portfolio after the 2020 election and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Duncan persistently downplayed the need for public health measures in the school system, and at one point in 2021 wrote a letter to school divisions directing them to allow unvaccinated students to participate in extra-curricular activities, which at the time was in contravention of a directive by a local medical health officer.[21] The Opposition education critic, Carla Beck, called for Duncan's resignation in January 2022 after it emerged that he lied about consulting with school divisions about delaying the start of the semester, as Saskatchewan was experiencing a new COVID wave with record case counts and high levels of hospitalization driven by the omicron variant.[22][23]

In the summer of 2022, the Ministry of Education came under scrutiny after more than two dozen former students of a private Christian school in Saskatoon—one of many such schools that had begun receiving funding from the Saskatchewan Party government in 2012—came forward with allegations of abuse against current and former staff members at the school. Those students launched a class action lawsuit against the school, in which the government was also named as a defendant.[24] The case brought funding for private schools, and in particular private religious schools, under increased scrutiny. In response to the allegations, Duncan appointed administrators to provide oversight at the school in question along with two other schools employing former staff from the first; those administrators also reported on the schools' finances and curriculum, which the Opposition later revealed to contain charges of financial impropriety.[25][26]

Just weeks before the start of a new school year, in August 2023, Duncan unveiled new policies placing restrictions on sexual health education in Saskatchewan schools—including a ban on third party sexual health education—and requiring parental consent for children under the age of 16 who wished to change their preferred names or pronouns while at school.[27] Duncan stated that the policy was an attempt to bolster "parental rights," while critics denounced the policy for potentially endangering vulnerable children. While it became clear that the Ministry did not consult its school divisions, the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, or the province's Advocate for Children in designing the policy, a national Christian lobbying group took credit for pushing the policy, claiming to have sent over 10,000 messages to Duncan and Moe and to have met with Duncan's staff earlier in 2023.[28][29] The assistant deputy minister of education reported receiving 18 letters over the summer of 2023 that were in support of a similar policy that was introduced in New Brunswick.[30] It was later reported that the policy was developed in only 9 days.[30] The province's Advocate for Youth reviewed the policy and recommended extensive revisions, while the University of Regina's UR Pride centre launched a lawsuit against the government to try and have the policy repealed.[31][32] On September 28, a Regina Court of King's Bench Justice granted an injunction against the policy, stating that "the protection of these youth surpasses that interest expressed by the government, pending a full and complete hearing."[33] The policies would ultimately form the basis for the Parents' Bill of Rights, which was passed into law on October 20, 2023.[34]

In a cabinet shuffle on August 29, 2023, Duncan was moved out of the Education portfolio and became the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation, responsible for the province's crown corporations.[35]

Minister of Crown Investments Corporation

[edit]

Duncan took over the crowns portfolio at a time of renewed tension between Regina and Ottawa surrounding the federal carbon tax. After the federal government decided to introduce limited carbon tax exemptions to home-heating oil, Saskatchewan argued that the exemption unfairly excluded natural gas, which is used by the majority of homes in Saskatchewan. The province quickly introduced legislation instructing SaskEnergy to stop remitting the carbon tax on natural gas, with Duncan apparently assuming full legal responsibility and stating that he was willing to go to "carbon jail" over the issue.[36][37]

Duncan will not seek re-election in the 2024 provincial election,[38] stating in a farewell speech to the Assembly that he had achieved his main objectives in office and wanted to spend more time with his family.[39]

Personal life

[edit]

Raised in Halbrite, Duncan is a graduate of the Weyburn Comprehensive School and has a B.A. in History from the University of Regina. He has also completed the Canadian Securities Course. Prior to being elected in Weyburn-Big-Muddy, he worked as a researcher for the Saskatchewan Party caucus and in the provincial Department of Health.[40]

Electoral results

[edit]
2020 Saskatchewan general election: Weyburn-Big Muddy
Party Candidate Votes %
Saskatchewan Dustin Duncan 5,972 77.00
New Democratic Regan Lanning 1,021 13.17
Buffalo Collin Keith 673 8.68
Green Shane Caellaigh 89 1.15
Total valid votes 7,755 99.56
Source: Elections Saskatchewan
2016 Saskatchewan general election: Weyburn-Big Muddy
Party Candidate Votes %
Saskatchewan Dustin Duncan 6,177 78.73
New Democratic Karen Wormsbecker 1,260 16.06
Green Barry Dickie 155 1.97
Progressive Conservative Glenn Pohl 131 1.66
Liberal Dylan Hart 122 1.55
Total valid votes 7,845 100.0  
Source: Elections Saskatchewan[41][42]
2011 Saskatchewan general election: Weyburn-Big Muddy
Party Candidate Votes %
Saskatchewan Dustin Duncan 5,194 75.71
New Democratic Ken Kessler 1,517 22.12
Green Gene Ives 149 2.17
Total valid votes 6,860 100.0  
Source: Elections Saskatchewan
2007 Saskatchewan general election: Weyburn-Big Muddy
Party Candidate Votes %
Saskatchewan Dustin Duncan 4,972 60.71
New Democratic Sharon Elliott 2,060 25.15
Liberal Colleen Christopherson-Cote 1,004 12.26
Green Al Birchard 154 1.88
Total valid votes 8,190 100.0  
Source: Elections Saskatchewan
June 19, 2006 By-Election: Weyburn-Big Muddy
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Saskatchewan Dustin Duncan 3,585 49.01% +3.89%
  Liberal David Karwacki 1,985 27.14% +12.90%
  New Democratic Party Graham Mickleborough 1,745 23.85% -16.79%
Total 7,315 100.00% 0.1%

Cabinet positions

[edit]
Saskatchewan provincial government of Scott Moe
Cabinet posts (3)
Predecessor Office Successor
Don Morgan Minister of Crown Investments Corporation
August 29, 2023– 		Incumbent
Gordon Wyant Minister of Education
November 9, 2020–August 29, 2023 		Jeremy Cockrill
cont'd from Wall Ministry Minister of Environment
February 2, 2018–November 9, 2020 		Warren Kaeding
Saskatchewan provincial government of Brad Wall
Cabinet posts (5)
Predecessor Office Successor
Scott Moe Minister of Environment
August 30, 2017–February 2, 2018 		cont'd into Moe Ministry
Bill Boyd Minister of Energy & Resources
August 23, 2016–August 30, 2017 		Nancy Heppner
Don McMorris Minister of Health
May 25, 2012–August 23, 2016 		Jim Reiter
Nancy Heppner Minister of the Environment
June 29, 2010–May 25, 2012 		Ken Cheveldayoff
Christine Tell Minister of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
May 29, 2009–June 29, 2010 		Bill Hutchinson

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dustin Duncan". Archived from the original on 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  2. ^ Ellis, Brendan (2020-10-26). "Sask. Votes 2020: Results for all 61 constituencies". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  3. ^ "Population up". The StarPhoenix. 29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  4. ^ Graham, Jennifer (2016-08-23). "Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall shuffles cabinet". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2016-09-02. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  5. ^ "Saskatchewan passes legislation allowing people to privately pay for MRIs". CTV News. The Canadian Press. 2015-11-04. Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  6. ^ Langenegger, Stefani (2016-06-08). "Sask. patients will soon be able to buy CT scans". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2016-06-12. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  7. ^ Baxter, David (2017-01-04). "From 12 to 1: Sask. Government will move to single Provincial Health Authority". Global News. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  8. ^ "Saskatchewan will not end ER wait times by 2017: Dustin Duncan". CBC News. 2015-10-13. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  9. ^ Baxter, David (2016-08-24). "Pros and Cons: Examining the case to potentially sell SaskTel". Global News. Archived from the original on 2016-08-25. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  10. ^ Baxter, David (2017-04-28). "SaskTel minister confirms he's spoken with a communications company about a minority SaskTel sale". Global News. Archived from the original on 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  11. ^ Langenegger, Stefani (2017-11-21). "Sask. repeals law allowing it to sell up to 49% of a Crown corporation". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
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  13. ^ Baxter, David (2018-03-13). "Sask. environment minister confident in carbon tax legal challenge despite unanswered questions". Global News. Archived from the original on 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
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  18. ^ Baxter, David (2019-04-12). "Saskatchewan climate plan update promising but has holes: researcher". Global News. Archived from the original on 2019-04-14. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
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  20. ^ "Province has a plan to reduce GHGs, says environment minister". CBC News. 2019-11-19. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  21. ^ Vescera, Zak (2021-11-18). "School boards' association president says minister's letter sowed confusion". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  22. ^ Kurz, Larissa (2022-01-10). "Sask. NDP critics call for resignation of "unfit" education minister". Sask Today. Archived from the original on 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  23. ^ Bamford, Allison (2022-01-24). "Officials consider patient transfers to rural areas as Sask. COVID-19 hospitalizations reach highest count since October". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  24. ^ Langager, Brody (2022-12-13). "Sask. Government among others added to $25 million church-run school lawsuit". Global News. Archived from the original on 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  25. ^ Kliem, Theresa (2022-08-11). "Ministry appointing administrator for 3 Sask. private Christian schools in wake of Saskatoon abuse allegations". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  26. ^ "'Many concerns' found in redacted reports into qualified independent schools: NDP". Regina Leader-Post. Saskatoon StarPhoenix. 2023-05-02. Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  27. ^ Quon, Alexander (2023-08-22). "Youth advocate reviewing Sask. policy requiring schools to get parental permission for pronoun changes". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  28. ^ Patterson, Dayne (2023-08-25). "Sask. School Boards Association calls on province to pause new sex education and pronoun policies". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-03. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  29. ^ Simes, Jeremy (2023-09-08). "'We are not backing down': Premier Moe says legislation on parental rights coming this fall". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  30. ^ a b Hunter, Adam (2023-09-23). "Sask. Ministry of Education took 9 days to create naming and pronoun policy, affidavit shows". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  31. ^ Lynn, Josh; Brezinski, Caitlin (2023-09-15). "Sask. Child Advocate: Pronoun policy could run contrary to human rights laws, needs changes". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  32. ^ Benson, Andrew (2023-09-05). "First hearing for Sask. LGBTQ2 group lawsuit over government pronoun policy in schools announced". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06.
  33. ^ Warick, Jason (2023-09-28). "Sask. premier to use notwithstanding clause to veto judge ruling on school pronoun policy". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  34. ^ Salloum, Alec (2023-10-20). "Saskatchewan passes school pronoun bill using notwithstanding clause". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  35. ^ Prisciak, David; Bamford, Allison (2023-08-29). "Merriman, Duncan moved to new portfolios in major Sask. cabinet shuffle". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  36. ^ Hunter, Adam (2023-10-31). "Sask. government preparing for fallout after threat to stop collecting carbon tax on heating". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  37. ^ Simes, Jeremy (2023-11-16). "Sask. government introduces law to stop collecting carbon tax on natural gas". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  38. ^ Quon, Alexander (6 February 2024). "4 high-profile Saskatchewan cabinet ministers won't seek re-election: Sask. Party". CBC News. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  39. ^ Schick, Lisa. "Last day of session looms for MLAs not running in upcoming election". 650 CKOM. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  40. ^ Mandryk, Murray (2006-06-15). "Karwacki hits a sore spot". Prince Albert Daily Herald.
  41. ^ "Register of Official Candidates by Constituency - March 19 - FINAL" (PDF). Elections Saskatchewan. 19 March 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  42. ^ "2016 General Election Results". Elections Saskatchewan. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.


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