Some advocates concerned about message Thatcher invitation sends to survivors of domestic violence

Jo-Anne Dusel says she was surprised and disturbed when she learned about the invitation of convicted murderer Colin Thatcher to the throne speech on Wednesday.

The executive director of Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services (PATHS), Dusel is an advocate for victims of domestic violence.

Thatcher, a former provincial cabinet minister, was found guilty in 1984 of the first-degree murder of his ex-wife JoAnn Wilson, who was found beaten and shot to death in the garage of her home.

"What we shouldn't be doing is bringing someone with that history to a place of privilege, a place of power," said Dusel.

"It's an honour, you know, to be invited to the throne speech, and to honour someone who's committed so heinous an act [is] just really so unfortunate."

Thatcher, 84, was a cabinet minister under the Grant Devine government. He resigned from cabinet four days before Wilson was murdered.

Thatcher was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years.

He was granted full parole in November 2006.

While Dusel recognizes that the former Saskatchewan MLA served his prison sentence, she said inviting Thatcher to the throne speech showed a lack of understanding and a sense of normalization of domestic violence.

In a statement on Thursday, Saskatchewan government MLA Lyle Stewart said his decision to invite Thatcher as his guest to Wednesday's throne speech was an "error in judgment."

Dusel says she is happy that Stewart acknowledged his mistake of inviting Thatcher, but she is concerned about the message the incident might send to people.

"The message that's sent out to victims of intimate partner violence and to survivors of intimate partner violence is that what happened to them doesn't matter," she said.

"The message perhaps to those using violence in their relationship is equally or more so disturbing, that you can do the ultimate form of intimate partner violence — which is homicide or femicide — and you do your time and then it's good. You get welcomed back to your former life and yet ... the victim doesn't have that opportunity."

 Barb Pacholik, city editor of the Regina Leader Post told CBC Radio's Afternoon Edition that being granted full parole doesn't mean Thatcher's sentence is done.