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Fireworks Go Off In The House Of Assembly

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Speaker of the Barbados House of Assembly Michael Carrington

In a stormy debate so far at today’s sitting of the House of Assembly the leader of the opposition has sought to raise a matter (emergency debate on CLICO) which was ruled against by the Speaker. While seeking to clarify the matter along with her colleague George Payne of St. Andrew, the Speaker took the unusual step for Barbados of asking the Marshalls, with the assistance of the constabulary if required to remove the two members (to be confirmed).

Interesting to note Dale Marshall is currently being allowed to narrate events which led up to the gun incident between himself and David Estwick, interesting to say the least. Estwick who offered an apology last week when the opposition boycotted was not seated.

To the BU family, the filibustering strategy of the BLP does not come as a surprise in light of the recent gun incident in parliament and the escalating events of the CLICO issue. Given the adversarial design of the Westminster System how can one blame the opposition? Time will determine how sound the strategy proves itself to be.

The display of disorder which was witnessed this morning would have saddened all who witnessed or heard it.

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188 responses to “Fireworks Go Off In The House Of Assembly”

  1. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    I am at a loss regarding the expulsion of the two members. How can you rule against something without hearing what the person was going to say?

  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    David, the marshalls didn’t touch them and the police were not involved. after a few minutes of not budging the 2 packed their bags and left. marshall stayed on to give his statement and then everyone else from the bees walked out after the statement was finished.

  3. Avatar
    Anonymous

    OK, another mystery solved. Tell Me Why is Mia Mottley herself. LOL. CTFU!

  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oh, and to answer your question TMW. Even if (and it’s a big IF) the Speaker makes a bad ruling you still have to respect the chair for chrissakes. Don’t do like Payne and say ‘You can’t tell me what to say or make me sit down’, or continue to speak when the Speaker is speaking or on his feet. I think the Speaker put up with a lot today and gave them too many warnings and chances actually.

  5. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    @TMW

    Was a time allotted for the hearing of the matter which the Opposition boycotted? That was unfortunate but the Speaker was called upon to make a ruling at that time. The rules does not allow it to be raised again, if I am not mistaken.

    As lawyers, both George Payne and the Leader probably know what they are doing, because there are ways around things. Then again, maybe they got what they wanted because in the end, political strategy is more desirable than legal outcomes.

  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Meanwhile… the people’s business is being attended to.

  7. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Good analysis ROK. Might be a Phyrric victory though. Mia Mottley’s attempt to lead by confusion has become plain as day.

  8. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    OK, another mystery solved. Tell Me Why is Mia Mottley herself. LOL. CTFU!
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
    Anonymous, you are surely a dummy. How on earth I could be Mia who was in the house and yet could be at my desk listening to 100.7.

    At least we know that you are a hardliner DLP, maybe WIV

  9. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mia’s inspiration?

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1269139/Egg-bombs-hurled-Ukraine-parliament-Russia-Black-Sea-fleet-deal-ratified.html

  10. David Avatar
    David

    Thanks Anonymous for the clarification on how events went down.

    Got the information third hand but felt it was important enough an event to upload.

    Feel free to fill in the gaps on what caused the confrontation.

    Should we rename this blog, ‘Poor Rakey House of Assembly on Display for the World to See’?

  11. Avatar
    Anonymous

    At your desk listening to 100.7 cos you get kick out de house! Hahaha

  12. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    ROK. What really happened, was the speaker preempt the motion without the said motion being vented. You can hear the shaky voice of the speaker trying to defend his decision with the two experience parliamentary debaters on the attack. Anonymous might be more privileged why the motion was not given an opportunity to be vented.

  13. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    Anonymous. Thanks for the clip in the Ukraine Parliament. Probably, you were trying to inform the BU family regarding what probably happened with the Estwick issue.

  14. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mia, yuh deaf? (Just j/k TWM lol). To paraphrase: The Speaker said he was not allowing the motion on CLICO as he felt in his discretion it was not ‘urgent’ in the sense that there were already procedures and individuals in place dealing with the issue… SOI, oversight committee, etc, plus there were clear criminal offences and sanctions under the Insurance Act so the relevant officers could take any action they deemed appropriate. He said the motion wasn’t like one of a major natural disaster or other catastrophe like say Arch Cot or something like that. Sounded fair enough to me. It struck me as the kind of provision in the standing orders that you wouldn’t really use except in extraordinary circumstances. Mia was (to my mind) visually embarrassed/hurt and everything just went downhill from there. Poor thing.

  15. Avatar
    Anonymous

    TMW, u need to get off here trying to be clever with me and go and help wash the egg offa Mia face. LOL. Hahahaaa.

  16. Bo'sun Avatar
    Bo’sun

    In George Payne’s exchange with the speaker of the house, he stated clearly that he saw Estwick pulled a gun on Dale Marshall. In Dale Marshall’s statement, he clearly infers that the gun was pulled in his presence alone. Is Mr Payne “perjuring” himself?

  17. Tell me Why Avatar
    Tell me Why

    The Speaker said he was not allowing the motion on CLICO as he felt in his discretion it was not ‘urgent’ in the sense that there were already procedures and individuals in place dealing with the issue…
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
    It was that urgent, thus the reason for a point of privilege. Why are you so defensive about the issue. Remember, Clico position was tabled in the house, thus any infringement could be brought as a motion by any member. Why stiffle clarification?

    So Anonymous, you have to answer these questions.

  18. Avatar
    Anonymous

    TMW, u need to research for yourself. And lighten up. Now go get a life or some lunch!

  19. David Avatar
    David

    In light of the conflicting positions about CLICO in recent days which speaks to lack of management and leadership on how the CLICO matter is being handled and the obvious implication of such, there is a case to treat the matter as urgent.

    BTW did the BU family listen to the exchange between Sandra Husbands and Tony Marshall?

    To Tony Marshall, BU says this to you, you were being disingenuous in the conversation.

  20. Carolyn Drayton Avatar
    Carolyn Drayton

    The behavior is ridiculous, however the Speaker should have give Ms Mottley the privilege of making her statements instead of interrupting her, he seemed afraid of what she was going to say, I believe this particular Speaker is too partisan quite unlike Mins. Lashley, who seemed more in control and knowledgeable of the House proceedings

  21. Bajan Truth Avatar
    Bajan Truth

    I was following the discussion from the beginning of parliament. Mottley brought a point of privilege to discuss the CLICO ISSUE, posssibly the illegal status of Clico writing business, we will have to check. However the speaker denied her the right to raise it. He constantly denied her the right to state the privilege. he was ruling before the point of privilege was heard. They tried to point to the standing orders that you can raise a point of privilege, if on hearing what it is the speaker determines that the point cannot be hear, then he so rules. He cannot rule before he hears what it is. That is he cannot arbitrarily state you cannot rise on a point of privilege unless you know what the point is. You rule on the point not on whether you can rise on a point of privilege.

    Mottley kept rising, and the speaker kept telling her to take her seat. Payne rose to explain to the speaker what the standing orders were and was ruled out of order. Payne said but a three or four year old could read and understand the difference between ruling on the right to rise versus ruling on the point of privilege . It got hot, and then the speaker said he would put all of them out of Parliament, and Arthur said, what have I done and you are threatening me. Speaker asked the marshall to put Payne and Mottley out.

  22. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Mia say she going back next week. I hope she going with an apology to the House, the Speaker and the entire nation!!

  23. Avatar
    Anonymous

    @Bajan Truth

    “They tried to point to the standing orders that you can raise a point of privilege….”

    You forgot to add that the Speaker’s response was that they needed to use the right procedure (whatever that is) to raise the point of privilige. In particlular, he pointed out that he was gracious enough to give an explanation of his reasons for his ruling when he was not in fact required to do so, so there was no need for the ‘clarification’ which Mia was claiming she needed. I suspect the Speaker realised Mia was just looking to make a speech on the matter under the guise of seeking clarification… oldest trick in the book, so that even if she is overruled she has already made her ‘speech’.

    Now, whether the Speaker’s ruling was right or not, there was no justification for the Opposition to behave scruffy. Respect the Chair, or leff!

  24. Oh dear! Avatar
    Oh dear!

    This is what happens when you take millions from Leroy Parris to fund your campaign. You have to protect him at all cost. Thank God for our built in checks and balances.

  25. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    This clash between Mottley and the Speaker has been building since the estimates debate and probably longer. I watched her behaviour during Thompson, Estwick, Marshall speeches, and it is clear that Mia has no respect for the chair. During one of her points of order she told the chair, that if he is not fear he will open the flood gates, I guess the flood gates have been opened. I have all those videos and will stitch them together at some point.

  26. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    I have to research “Point of privilage” in westminster per May’s definition. For now I will say that during the estimates debate Mia rose on a point of Order, was told to take her seat, she then rose on a point of privilage and was told that the procedure per the Parliament of Barbados standing orders is to present it to the committee of privilages, either Thompson or Sinclir was heard in the background asking if there is such a thing as rising on a point of privilage. She then took her seat.

    Questions I will seek to answer.

    Is there a point of privilage in Westminster? I believe there is

    Can you rise on a point of privilage? Not sure

  27. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Adrian Hinds

    The BLP behaved shamefully if you heard all of what took place this morning in the house.

    The speaker chair should be respected AT ALL times and no bad behaviour reference from other parliaments will suffice for us.

    We should be trying to model good behaviour and not hooliganism by belarus or korean or thailand or even Britain.Steupes.

    Sandra husbands who acts like she is an authority on everything was righfully slapped down for being so insulting.

    People will decide for themselves as to how appropriate the opposition members behaviour were and if that is right leadership.

  28. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Just to point out the above comment is not this Anonymous lol.No more comments from me, I already had my laughs.

  29. Brutus Avatar
    Brutus

    The matter of guns in the House was urgent and now Clico is urgent. Why????

    The gun issue is no longer urgent, otherwise the Opposition would not have felt safe to return to Parliament. Right?

    Why is the Clico matter so urgent that it has to be dealt with right now? As far as I can see only for political gain. Let’s think about it. If Mia were allowed to speak on the Clico matter, how would that make a difference to Clico’s board or management, the oversight committee, the government officials dealing with the matter? It could only make a difference to people who have policies and who may want as a result to go and surrender them. It could only create uncertainty and in some cases panic. Is that urgent?

    This Opposition seems to portray every issue as a crisis.

  30. Bajan Truth Avatar
    Bajan Truth

    The protection of democracy is important for any country. If the speaker is in violation of the privileges of members it needs to be dealt with, in the interest of democracy. if he was unsure he should ask. The standing orders need to be understood and adhered to by the speaker and the members. Ms. Mottley clarified on the call-in programme that the point to be raised was the issue of the validity of the 800 policies, and the question of reinsurance. If Clico is wirintg and continues to write business, that is a very serious matter, and as the matter has reached the stage of a gov’tal oversight committee, then some stand should be taken by the gov’t. If the gov’t is not doing its job, then the opposition has a duty to protect the citizens. it is just a matter of who really has our interest, the citizens of barbados at heart. The charge about illegality came out on Sunday; the boast about selling 800 policies was made about two weeks ago or so. If it was legal the P.M. could have come out by Monday afternoon to declare it was legal, because he would have given permission to rescind the SOI order and he already knew about the policies written since january. he has said nothing. Go figure

  31. WHAT the Heck is going on in this place Avatar
    WHAT the Heck is going on in this place

    Another case of abuse of power by the speaker….. When will we learn.
    Perhaps like our friends in T&T David T will see the error of his ways and do the right thing and call an election so we can see proper governance again

  32. Brutus Avatar
    Brutus

    See – now our democracy is in peril and has to be protected. However, no protests and walk outs from the BLP about govt’s tardiness in bringing anti-corruption legislation, about millions wasted on govt projects, reports by the auditor-general of theft of public funds and breaches of law, and many other urgent issues.

    I am sorry – I can’t buy into this sudden respect for the letter of the law. I am sure bloggers can give numerous examples of the BLP disregarding the law when they were in power.

  33. David Avatar
    David

    @Bajan Truth

    The submission by Mottley to the callin exposed some interesting issues, at the top is why did it take so many to bring the 800 policies sold to light?

    Another question to be asked is whether politics meshed with the gun and CLICO issues have created some issues for Barbadians to effectively reconcile the issues.

  34. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Senator Jepter Ince just raised an interesting point and that is why didn’t mia mottley and the BLP who were in government at the time bring the narsham insurance co and northern insurance company as urgent points of privelege or whatever.

    Could it be that their then minister of transport Rommel Marshall was embroiled in a questionable deal with deo sharma of Narsham insurance who was an old crook?

    As a result of those 2 companies not having the requirements for the stutory funds there are policemen,nurses and many,many poor ordinary barbadians who have never been paid and are still suffering today in 2010.

  35. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Mr.Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I want you ta ‘put me out’ too but ‘knock me out’ first.
    Lawddddddddd, ent he sweet nah?
    mwahhhhhhhhhhhhh

  36. UP YOUR A** WITH FIBRE GLASS Avatar
    UP YOUR A** WITH FIBRE GLASS

    IDIOTS !!!

  37. Raymond Avatar
    Raymond

    The house of assembly has become a haunting ground for all types of loose behaviour with no respect at all for the Speaker of the house.All the same guns n’ roses is the name of the game.Talk til de cows come home Mia ain’t changing wid age and all kinds of anybody is in the house these days. Anyway the people voted for who they wanted.There will never be a speaker of the house like the late Burton Hinds.I can’t wait to hear what happen pon de hill wid certain people in the dlp cvamp. Now dat will be fireworks!!!

  38. Global Voices Online » Barbados: Parliament Action

    […] Barbados Underground reports on the goings-on in the country's Parliament, saying: “The display of disorder…this morning would have saddened all who witnessed or heard it.” Cancel this reply […]

  39. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    What can the parliament of Barbados do to bring judgment on Clico for underwriting policies it was not legally cleared to do? —- Nothing

    What made it a subject to a point of privilege? —- To gather a crowd BU you like most of us got suckered

    Can a member rise on a point of privilege? —- No

    Does May’s compendium of Westminster rules overrule the Barbados parliament? —- No

    Does anyone recall the events in the Barbados parliament back in December 2007? Who was central to them? What was the speaker’s role in that controversy?

    ……It seems to me that Mia Mottley has gotten what she wanted. She knew that our parliament’s standing orders does not allow for a member to rise on a point of privilege, she found this out during Thompson’s rap up in the estimate debate when she got up on two consecutive attempts to deliver a point of order. She was not permitted to do so by the Speaker, she then rose on a point of privilege and was told very clearly by the Speaker that a Member cannot rise on a point of privilege. That they are clear procedures in the Standing orders for bringing a point of privilege

    Knowing this Mia Mottley and BLP in the what I believe was an orchestrated attempt to gather Barbadians attention to what she had to say about CLICO hoped that the Speaker would stick to his guns as he did during the estimates debate and deny her request. She and others would raise a stink, word would get out that parliamentarians are fighting and she would then address the nation having the audience to have an impact with her delivery on CLICO. It worked.

    Pure politics: The DLP must be weakened by 2013 or Mia will be a near miss Leader of anything just the same as Hillary Clinton is.

    Thompson needs to distance himself from CLICO, and let Mia become known for killing it for pure political gain. He needs to do this in part because he said during the same estimates debate; “the one thing that will not happen to this DLP government and this prime minister is that you will not be able to make the allegations against me and any of my ministers that can be safely made against you.”

  40. cat Piss and Pepper Avatar
    cat Piss and Pepper

    And add to this that Barney Lynch was the shortest employee ever, having been fired by the Electorate of Barbados, then fired by the Gov’t of St Vincent and The Grenadines now

    The Caribbean Hotel Association he was FIRED from the post hardly 4 months after taking up the posting.

  41. Avatar
    Anonymous

    AH

    Excellent analysis. Only one thing I might disagree with you on: “It seems to me that Mia Mottley has gotten what she wanted”. I think she got more than she bargained for. I don’t think that in her wildest dreams she would’ve been ejected from the House. That’s a blot she has to live with for the life of this Parliament. After the political embarrassment of last week, and having to go back to Parliament with her demands unfulfilled this week, she now has to go back to parliament again next week presumably having to apologise to the House first for the behaviour that resulted in her expulsion. So she really has to weigh if she is not losing more political capital in trying to score these small victories.

    Head aint brain and brain aint sense!

  42. Jokers the BLP Avatar
    Jokers the BLP

    The Behaviour of the opposition was disgusting and sickening to the core. They need to learn some manners and realise that they were dismissed for poor Governance and corruption and arrogance

  43. ac Avatar
    ac

    BLP? DLP?
    Six of one half dozen of another? Accountabilty is the source of all the commotion and neither side have proven they know how to do that. Left them alone eventually theywill self destruct.

  44. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    @Anon:
    Point taken, i wasn’t sure, and would have been more confident to opinionate on her response to being expelled from the chamber had I seen the video. I would hope that the Parliament post the video of today’s sitting our someone with access to the video clips can email it to me at adrianhinds0@gmail.com

    The format does not matter. It could .flv, or any other.

  45. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    They tried to point to the standing orders that you can raise a point of privilege, if on hearing what it is the speaker determines that the point cannot be hear, then he so rules. He cannot rule before he hears what it is. That is he cannot arbitrarily state you cannot rise on a point of privilege unless you know what the point is. You rule on the point not on whether you can rise on a point of privilege.
    ==========================================

    The above is true for a point of order. It cannot be applied to a point of privilege since rising on a such point is not permitted per the Parliament of Barbados standing orders.

  46. David Avatar
    David

    @Adrian

    Actually it is you who is the advocate of saying to BU that the Westminster system commands adversarial politics. What Mia and the opposition is doing by the leveraging the weakness of the government on the CLICO and Estwick/Marshall gun issue has catapulted them to being top of the public’s mind. We can argue whether this rise in awareness is good value or not but it is part of a process of the opposition to gain a public forum/voice. Now that they have it they will need to strategise how to convert the momentum it has to good effect. You and others can analyse all you want but BU prefers to take the pragmatic view. Time will tell.

  47. Avatar
    Anonymous

    AH

    Just to be clear, the statement: Head aint brain and brain aint sense! refers to the LOTO, not your good self.

  48. ac Avatar
    ac

    Now come on you think that the only thing we the people have to worry about is the gun issue. The opposition is only fooling themselves we have to worry about more important economic matters. These matters are of more importance and urgent.Maybe a topic of discussion would be to do with the outrageous food prices and what to do about them vs. low wages.Now all these side bar issues don”t benefit the public at large. Look how easy it is for them to waste the tax payers money. Give me a BREAK1.

  49. David Avatar
    David

    @ac

    Do a search of BU using “cost of living” and see how much traction it got. The politicians understand what makes the populace jump.

  50. ac Avatar
    ac

    The politicians understand what makes the populace jump.
    The voters will surely make that decision when election comes. At this time the voters might only be enjoying the theatrics. But the politicians will surely pay for not delivering at election time.

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