“The Most Sensitive and Thin Skin Government”, Senator Peyrefitte

Michael Peyrefitte

Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow remains in the spotlight for his disagreeable reference to the Speaker of the House on Friday. As we reported, the Belize Network of NGOs (B.N.N.) issued a release on Tuesday stating that it is in support of a proposal to have the National Assembly’s Privilege Committee review the statement. In response, the United Democratic Party fired off a statement on Tuesday asking B.N.N. where this level of outrage was when similar comments were made inside the National Assembly in reference to Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton. Michael Peyrefitte, the Chairman of the United Democratic Party, chimed in.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party

“I mean we have Abelardo Mai telling the member from Albert to sit on a carrot, where was your outrage then? Where was the outrage of everybody then? We have the prime minister essentially calling a senator stupid, where is the outrage for that? He wrote a letter, there is to be a response, let us just see, but the UDP we support our party leader.”

Reporter

“But do you agree with his comments that what is said in a correspondence outside the house shouldn’t abide by the same rules that is applied inside the house?”

Michael Peyrefitte

“Inside the house you have immunities and privileges that clearly don’t apply outside the house. You would hope that everybody who writes a letter writes it in a perfect manner acceptable to everybody, but when you are continuously being rude in an unfair manner as he feels, when you table a motion and you can’t even get your motion heard and the people want to hear that motion, debate on that, sometimes you get frustrated and fire off what you need to fire off. I mean we have had members of the House punch dah wall ova deh outta frustration then turn around and blame police and get ketch and have to admit. So, I mean, I think it is much ado about nothing and a lot of things happen in this country and they are going to make it a woman’s issue. A lot of things are done and said by PUP against women and nothing comes of it. Now all of sudden, as I said, this is the most sensitive and thin skin an insecure government I have ever seen in my life.”