I stand today with my parliamentary colleagues in full solidarity with Glenys Hanna Martin MP for Englerston and condemn the actions of the Speaker today.

The incident emanates from the Members attempt at last week's proceedings to protect the jobs of two single women with children who were unceremoniously dismissed from their jobs by the government. In standing up to defend these young ladies the Speaker attributed statements to Mrs Hanna Martin which she indicated that she did not make. Mrs Hanna Martin sought the Hansard to check the record.

After obtaining the report from the Hansard, Mrs Hanna Martin rightly met with the Speaker before the session giving notice of having the record corrected..

First she did not say the statements attributed to her.

Secondly that she was not speaking to the House generally but to a particular minister.

Thirdly that when a member makes an allegation on the record and a minister refutes the allegation the member must withdraw it unless able to prove it.

During the session Mrs Hanna Martin produced the report of the proceedings from the Hansard which proved her assertions that she did not say what the Speaker alleged. The Speaker in turn without responding directly to the issues at hand embarked on a broadside assaulting the integrity and character of the member, premising the same on his training as scientist and an " observational analyst".

He then embarked on an inquiry associated with the points of order raised by the Member of Parliament in parliament and concluded that in each instance where the Member alleged that statements were made by others they were all unfounded. The Speaker refused to allow the MP for Englerston or myself to intervene to demonstrate the unfairness of what he was alleging and doing particularly in circumstances where the member was being ambushed by his conclusions without giving her an opportunity to be heard or see the evidence on which his conclusions were based. Not being afforded the opportunity to be heard or to have our say made it untenable for the Opposition to remain in Parliament.

The Speaker's slavish adherence to the rules is a selective exercise, as the Member left the chamber the speaker reportedly named and suspended the member. This is unusual and wrong because if he checks those very rules that he so slavishly insists upon, he will find that he has wrongfully exercised his power to do what he did this morning.

The members rights have been flagrantly violated by the Speaker. We condemn these actions unreservedly.

The expectation of the Speaker's role is to protect the interests of the minority. in this instance the Speaker has assaulted the member and her integrity.