Was Pastor Rocke Wrong to Browse During Senate Inquiry?

Ashley Rocke

Senator for the Churches, Ashley Rocke, has been in hot water in some quarters for not paying attention to his duties during the Senate Special Select Committee. A few weeks ago, journalist Micah Goodin captured a picture of Rocke apparently browsing social media while in a public hearing.  It prompted a stinging reaction from Chairman Aldo Salazar which he expanded on today. According to the Chairman, he considers it irresponsible of the press to snoop on the private affairs of Senators, even those not paying attention to their work. While Senator Eamon Courtenay declined to throw Rocke under the bus, he did express the hope that the incident will prompt closer attention.

Aldo Salazar

Aldo Salazar, Chair, Senate Special Select Committee

“I don’t know about whether he was browsing on social media. We all have, as you can see, we try to manage our time here. For example myself – I don’t think it’s appropriate for anybody to zoom in on my telephone, because there are things that may happen with work, with your family, etcetera that you have to attend to and being the Chairman you can’t get up all the time and go outside. So I don’t think it’s fair to him to assume that because you saw him doing something that it was something wrong he was doing. I don’t think you should assume that this hasn’t been discussed by the Senate Committee so you are making those assumptions as the media. What my point is – and I am not trying to censor the media or anything like that – my point is that I don’t feel that it is responsible journalism to zoom into the personal device, whether it’s a phone, whether it’s a tablet, whether it’s a laptop, of a Senator. I don’t see the reason for that, I don’t know what responsible journalistic story can come out of that, other than sensationalism.”

Eamon Courtenay

Eamon Courtenay, P.U.P. Senator

“All of us as Senators have an obligation to give our attention to what we are doing – it is very important. All of us are very busy and so from time to time, we have to deal with other things during the course of the proceeding and that is understandable – even when the House is meeting, you see people walking in and out because they have other things to do. But I don’t think any member of the Committee or any member of the National Assembly should spend the time doing social media or anything like that for the duration of the sitting. I am not going to criticize or condemn my colleague Senator Rocke; if Senator Rocke was doing it I think he should give an explanation to the media.”

We will have much more from the Senate in Thursday’s newscast.