By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Parliamentary proceedings descended into unprecedented chaos yesterday as the delayed arrival of opposition members and a contentious adjournment debate sparked a nearly-hour long confrontation over budget debate protocols.
The Minister of Public Utilities and Information Technology and Member of Parliament for St John’s City East, Melford Nicholas concluded his presentation before the House adjourned for lunch.
The chaos began when Parliament reconvened shortly after 2pm and the Speaker of the House Osbert Frederick returned to the Chamber, only to find the majority of the government MPs present, but only the MP for St John’s Rural West Richard Lewis seated on the Opposition side.
The Prime Minister, who is also the minister finance, sought advice from his government colleagues on the next steps, most of whom suggested to wrap up the debate, which he then proceeded to do.
“Mr Speaker, just before the lunch break that based on the system of rotation that their members should be here this afternoon to commence the proceedings and to respond accordingly to the Budget.
“The Leader of the Opposition, the Member for All Saints East and St Luke said to me before he left that if his members fail to show that I should wrap up the debate and that it is precisely what I shall do,” the Prime Minister claimed.
However, as members of the opposition began to file in in the midst of the wrap-up, chaos ensued.
The Prime Minister initially gave St George MP Algernon Watts and St Mary’s South MP Kelvin Simon the opportunity to debate, to which neither seemed to respond affirmatively.
However, the Leader of the Opposition Jamale Pringle who arrived later then sought to raise a Point of Order complaining to the Speaker that there were members of the government who haven’t spoken on the Budget.
MP Pringle sought to cite Standing Order 45(3) which states that “…a motion may be made for the adjournment of the debate or of the House…unless it appears to the Chair that the motion is an abuse of the rules of the House or an infringement of the rights of the minority…”
However, the Speaker denied that motion, explaining when he was an Opposition Senator, debates on bills were often wrapped up prematurely by the government.
As the Speaker sought to elaborate further on the situation and his ruling on the matter, members of the opposition began to interrupt further.
Barbuda MP Trevor Walker emphatically declared to the Speaker that “the people of Barbuda voted for me … they have an obligation to hear what I have to say on a national budget”.
MP Walker then began to call the government “cowards” to which the Speaker rose to his feet for the first of many times during this time—no member is supposed to speak nor be standing once this is done.
The Leader of the Opposition then began to argue that the rotational order—that is a government MP speaks first, then an opposition MP speaks—does not exist in the Standing Orders, thus any expectation that government MPs do not need to speak should be disregarded.
According to the Standing Orders, once the finance minister and the Leader of the Opposition speak on Appropriation Bills, it is the prerogative of members whether or not to debate, and it is up to the Speaker to recognize a member’s desire to speak.
However, traditionally both sides tend to agree to have a rotation between government and opposition.
The Prime Minister then sought to resume his wrap-up, during which the Leader of the Opposition interrupted again, claiming a Point of Order.
The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and MP Walker then engaged in a shouting match between themselves and the Speaker of the House.
St John’s City South MP Steadroy Benjamin and St John’s Rural West MP Richard Lewis also got involved in the debacle.
The nearly-hour long saga came to an end after the Opposition called for a motion to resume the Budget debate on Thursday, which failed by seven government votes to six opposition votes.
