Walkout by Hon J. Alvin Christopher forces adjournment of HoA
Four members of the Government side were away as well as two members from the Opposition, namely Hon Andrew A. Fahie and Leader of the Opposition Hon Ralph T. O’Neal OBE. Hon Delores Christopher, sitting in as Speaker of the House, made it five persons short from the Government benches.
The issue stemmed from a letter that the Opposition wrote to the Speaker of the House of Assembly that Hon Christopher (R2) wanted to speak on under ‘other business’ but was denied.
Because Speaker of the House of Assembly Ms Ingrid A. Moses was not there, the Deputy Speaker Hon Delores Christopher sat as Speaker for yesterday’s sitting, the continuation of the Eighth Sitting of the Third Session of the Second House of Assembly.
“We the members of the Opposition wrote a letter to the Speaker stating that the member [Hon Myron V. Walwyn Minister for Education and Culture] who read these letters purportedly from persons who were interviewed before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was in violation of the protocol because one; he had no right under the rules of the House to force any witness to get any statement from them or to have anyone force them to get any statement from them and two; the letters were addressed to the Speaker of the House and the Leader of the Opposition. The Speaker was out of the country and the Leader of the Opposition out of the House and had no access to that letter,” said Hon J. Alvin Christopher.
“The Speaker on her return ratified what Hon Walwyn did by reading into the record the letter that was given to her and cementing that the PAC did not go about doing its work in the right way. We wrote back to the Speaker yesterday [ Wednesday August 13, 2014] informing the Speaker that what the member did was contrary to protocol and the authority to do so and that we chose to place on record our dissatisfaction and asked that an apology be given to the House,” he said.
“In delivering the letter [on Wednesday August 13, 2014] we were told that the Speaker was out of office and they couldn’t tell us when the Speaker would be back. Be that as it may whoever assumes the Chair…is [essentially the Speaker]. So a copy of that letter sent to the Speaker was given to every Member of Parliament. The Deputy Speaker, acting Speaker today [Thursday August 14, 2014] wrote us back and told us that she would leave this matter until the Speaker returns to deal with the matter. We said to her the letter is addressed to the Speaker. But when that Speaker leaves office and you assume the post you are the Speaker and any matter that is to be dealt with in the Council you have the power and right to deal with them,” said Hon Christopher.
Hon Christopher then was told by the acting Speaker that she would not be dealing with the matter. He then attempted to speak on the letter that was delivered to the Speaker in an attempt to get it on record in the House. This too was denied.
“How can we do that in a democracy? I cannot speak about a letter that I wrote to the Speaker. We attempted to get the matter recorded into the records. We did not want this House to sign out without the minutes of this meeting showing that we object in this meeting when the concern was raised,” he said, noting that the House was under ‘other business’ and about to sign out sine die, or without a date announced for the next sitting.
“Every time I rise to speak the Speaker got up and stopped me. She then adjourned the meeting but did not say when it was adjourned to. I pick up myself and I go home,” he said.
“I later heard on the radio that the House was adjourned sine die. The House cannot adjourn sine die without a quorum. She will have to adjourn the House another day,” he said.
“Once you start going contrary to rules you will have this problem and that is why our democracy is being undermined,” he said. “You do not have to agree with me, but once I stay within the rules and guiding principles of the House you cannot tell me I can’t speak,” he insisted.
Commenting on the fiasco following the sitting, Third District Representative Hon Julian Fraser RA, who left the House around the same time as Hon Christopher did, said last evening, “The Opposition presented the Speaker with a letter dealing with the fact that Myron V. Walwyn went and disclosed some correspondences that both her and the Leader of the Opposition received. It is dealing with witnesses who testified before the PAC writing letters to the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition stating that they did not get to see their statements.”
He noted that Hon Walwyn was the one who brought the letters into the House and made them public two sittings prior.
“I don’t know what is going to happen with this letter that we wanted entered into the record…we will have to find a new strategy,” he said.
According to Hon Fraser, in ‘Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice’ there is a clause on ‘molestation of witnesses’. “So anyone who has any dealings with witnesses is considered to be molesting the witnesses and is in contempt. So what the Opposition has done is write to the Speaker informing her that that matter needs to be delved into,” he said, in reference to the actions of Hon Walwyn.
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30 Responses to “Walkout by Hon J. Alvin Christopher forces adjournment of HoA”
There is aa alleged p..t between the speaker and the minister of education to cause pro..ems within the house of assembly.
TPP is water under the bridge, but nevertheless if any skulduggery is unearthed, those responsible should be brought to account. It seems to me that Minister Vanterpool protested too much if there was no wrong doing. No wonder the public are distrustful of our politicians. They don't help themselves get a good press!
“…molestation of or threats against those who have previously given evidence before either House or a committee will be treated by the House concerned as a contempt.”
TPP water under the bridge? Using your logic, if someone robs a bank and the insurance covers it then its water under the bridge and the authorities should let it be, even if they are caught after.
There was misconduct and maybe much more, we don't know. That's why we need the Commission of inquiry.