Barbadians continue to be part of the charade which sees Minister Michael Carrington being allowed to preside over the highest court in the land AND third oldest parliament in the Commonwealth. A reminder: Speaker Carrington was ordered by the High Court of Barbados to pay $200,000.00 to a wheel chair bound septuagenarian former client; monies he had withheld for years. The government via its agent, deputy Speaker Mara Thompson, deflected the matter to the Committee of Privileges. We have been promised a report soon. The working of Parliamentary Committees in Barbados can accurately be described as supine and considered by many to be a big reason the Westminster version of government practiced by Barbados is seriously flawed.

To add to the national embarrassment. Deputy Speaker Mara Thompson was named recently in a Court filing by applicant Leroy Parris in her capacity as executrix of the late David Thompson’s estate.  A case of a good thing gone bad. To lean on the position of former Prime Minister Owen Arthur AND current Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart, no House rules were broken. In other words it should be business as usual. Are we surprised at the moral and social decay that has taken root? How can we expressed horror in response to a murder accuse giving the thumbs up yet ignore the poorakey behaviour of members of parliament being witnessed by our children?

Surely the time has come for good sense to prevail and for those elected to behave like HONOURABLE men and women. A time will come very soon when Barbadians will have to paint all members of the government side with a broad brush if they continue to operate as a collective on this matter.

Barbados has always been regarded by others as a small proud Black nation whose affairs have been managed with aplomb over the years – the envy of many. Yes CLICO and the myriad of issues in the news is important BUT so is this one. It strikes to what has defined Barbados and Barbadians over the years; that is, dignity, order, respect…

The sight of Michael Carrington and Mara Thompson conducting the affairs of the highest court in the land given their personal issues (to borrow the prime minister’s view) before the Court is an embarrassment of galactical dimensions. To add insult to the current state of affairs, it is being supported by members of parliament – who were educated at great expense by Barbadians – opting to toe the party line in the face of a blatant wrong being perpetrated on Barbados and Barbadians everywhere.