Promise of Heated Debate Dashed By P.U.P. Walkout

The walk-out came as a complete surprise, and even some members on the Opposition side were unsure to leave the chambers. There was the promise of a heated debate today with the passage of the amended Petrocaribe Loans Motion. And of course, the Opposition was also expected to speak at length about the inflammatory Melvin Hulse recording and the incendiary Santa Cruz situation, among other critical social issues on centre stage. But that national discourse was derailed, and instead, the Opposition held an impromptu press session at the foot of the National Assembly.

Patrick Andrews, P.U.P. Senator

“I am a Senator; I have immunity in the House. Two things – I want them to show me what I was doing or saying to have the House Speaker feel that he would have taken me out of the House. Yes, there were people behind me saying things, but we live in a democratic society so he had no reasons or condition, and that is why I refused to have you stepped out.”

Patrick Andrews

Reporter

“Now Senator let me ask very clearly. Did you throw words? The Speaker says he continually heard you throw words like you were goading him?”

Patrick Andrews

“Man, the speaker can barely turn his head to see up in the gallery to be honest, so whatever he was hearing I can’t attest to that. I can tell you that whenever our Party Leader stood up to speak, I applauded him and I applauded because he said what was true, that we have a government that continues to waste the people’s money. Now when Minister Faber stood up to try and justify the waste of taxpayers’ money on tacos, how are we to be able to justify that. Again, the speaker has no grounds or saw me say anything to try to put me out of the House.”

Francis Fonseca

Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader

“Events overtook us…touch one touch all – I was sitting directly in front of Senator Andrews. He is in my line of sight, and he did nothing except laugh, fairly loudly, when the member for Collet was making his statement. We, behind us are subjected to that continuously, all during the meeting. So I felt on principle it was absolutely unfair for the Speaker to single out Senator Patrick Andrews. It almost seems that it was preordained, that it was a part of some plan. He singled out Senator Andrews and insisted on having the Police remove him. And even when I appealed to him to reconsider, he refused to do so. So we felt that under those circumstances we could not sit there and participate in a House meeting in which one of our own, Parliamentarian Senator Patrick Andrews was being treated unfairly by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and that is why, on that principle, we walked out of the House.”

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Petrocaribe weh they claim dah the most fundamental issue in this country today, when you get a chance to debate it, yo walk out. It is a gross dereliction of duty. It must be condemned in the strongest term. And it is not Mister Speaker because you tried to stop them from making their contribution; because somebody in the gallery was defiant in terms of your orders and you exercised your obligation as speaker, they will walk out? And leave the nation and those that support them and those that are interested in democracy and debate hanging? Mister Speaker, we on this side of the House say shame.”