8 months ago
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The caucus of government senators says it would be appropriate for opposition lawmakers, Peter Bunting and Lambert Brown, to apologise for their disappointing conduct at the most recent sitting of the senate and withdraw offensive language used.
The government senators are also rejecting as blatantly false a claim by Bunting, the opposition senate leader, that senate president Tom Tavares-Finson, was biased in his handling of the sitting.
Kimone Thompson has more.
The statement from the government senate caucus follows a walk-out by opposition senators last Friday when the senate president discontinued Senator Brown’s presentation after he twice accused him of lying.
The incident occurred when Senator Tavares-Finson moved to clarify a suggestion made by Senator Brown that an amendment to the Constitution which was made the previous week had no effect.
In a statement on Sunday, the government senators say they are disappointed that Senator Brown, without any credible basis, repeatedly accused the Senate President of lying.
They say it is also unbecoming that Senator Brown declined to resume his seat when the president, in exercising his authority in accordance with the Standing Orders, was providing important clarification on a matter concerning the legislative affairs of the Parliament and the Constitution of Jamaica.
According to the government senators, they also find it unbecoming that in a loud and offensive outburst, Senator Bunting used the words “dunce” and “idiot” in describing a colleague senator, who he also told to “shut up”.
That exchange occurred when Senator Bunting clashed with government senator Charles Sinclair who had told him that Senator Brown’s language is unbecoming and unparliamentary.
The government senators say it was also unacceptable that Senator Bunting used the phrase “bloody” during what they described as his unhinged display, before storming out of the parliamentary chamber.
Bunting’s outburst, made while microphones were turned off but the senate was still in session, led to government senator Abka Fitz-Henley telling the opposition senate leader to control himself.
The government senate caucus say they believe the conduct of Bunting and Brown represents a flagrant breach of Section 35-4 of the Standing Orders which govern the operation of the senate.
That section of the standing orders states that “it shall be out of order to use offensive or insulting language about a Member of either Chamber”.
According to the government senators, they are also of the view that both Senators Brown and Bunting infringed Section 43-4 of the Standing Orders which prescribes sanctions for disregarding the authority of the president.
The government senators say it would be appropriate for both Senators Bunting and Brown to withdraw their offensive language and issue a suitably worded apology at the next sitting of the senate.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition business in the senate, Peter Bunting, is accusing senate president, Tom Tavares-Finson of stifling the voices of opposition senators.
Senator Bunting says the JLP administration continues to be undemocratic in its practices, reflecting disdain for the principles of parliamentary oversight.
Peter Bunting, leader of opposition business in the senate.
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