P.U.P.’s Lead Senator Says They Were “Caught Off-Guard” by Change in Motions

Eamon Courtenay

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate admitted following the meeting that they were caught off-guard by the sudden change to the Order Paper putting Senator Rocke’s motion above his own. With that, the stage was set for that motion to carry the day, and the most he could do was to temper it to have some more bite.

Eamon Courtenay, Lead P.U.P. Senator

“The then presiding officer, Doctor Barnett, announced that she had reversed the order of the motions and she took Senator Rocke’s motion first. People were caught off guard and so that motion was debated. In the circumstances where the Senate has already voted to establish a committee, it didn’t make sense for me then to move my motion that is asking for the same thing because the committee had already been established. I think therefore used the provision under the standing order whereby a motion standing in my name, I am called upon, I don’t move it. I was not prepared to withdraw it and so the other side asked the president to remove it from the order paper and so that is what happened. We came here fully prepared to debate my motion, but the order was changed and therefore there was a bit of confusion.”