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'DISRESPECTFUL AND DISHONEST': Speaker lashes out again at govt over handling of Assembly COVID outbreak

Thu, May 6th 2021, 07:32 AM
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THE House of Assembly was abruptly suspended yesterday morning after House Speaker Halson Moultrie criticised the Minnis administration, argued with Yamacraw MP Elsworth Johnson and pointedly invited Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to publicly address his claims about the executive branch's "disrespectful" treatment of Parliament.  

The episode was the latest extraordinary instance of the Speaker confronting members of the governing party, creating the kind of tension that longtime observers say has scarcely been seen in the modern history of the House.
#At one point, Speaker Moultrie accused the executive of dragging Parliament around “like a dinghy boat” and he blamed the challenges he faces on “darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places,” a reference to the scriptures.
#His 15-minute rant was in response to “disturbing issues” he said emerged since April 30, when parliamentarians and parliamentary staff were asked to be tested for COVID-19.
#He said he was disturbed that the results of the tests were not communicated to him or the parliamentary clerk, who is in quarantine after catching COVID-19.
#“The most disturbing part for me,” he said, “was to discover that certain persons were called and were notified that they were negative with no conditions attached while others were called and informed that they were negative but they should not attend work or this Parliament until the contact tracing process was complete. There again, no one contacted the Speaker or the clerk with respect to this process.
#“One of the members of this staff was called in out of the quarantine that was established by the Speaker and was told that she was protected because of the antibodies that had developed in her system as a consequence of her contracting the virus. She was called in out of the quarantine but after she did the test on Friday, the same person who was called in out of the quarantine, was told she cannot attend at the Parliament and take her seat at the clark’s table even though she was negative.
 photo
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and fellow Parliamentarians during yesterday’s session. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
#“That caused me to reflect on the circumstance of September 2020 when that very person had contracted the virus. When the Speaker asked for members to be tested, a new COVID protocol was released by the Cabinet that only those persons who were in the presence of that individual for more than 15 minutes needed to take the test.
#“I am concerned because we are dealing with COVID-19 and we cannot be playing games with people’s lives. It was impossible for anyone to determine if they were in the presence of the young staff member who contracted the virus because no one knew that she had it until we got the test but because the Speaker requested that members be tested, a new protocol evolved. The level of disrespect and dishonesty is something that I am severely challenged with because we (are) dealing with COVID-19.”
#Speaker Moultrie added: “The result of telling that individual that she cannot attend this Parliament is that the two persons who are considered loyal to the Speaker are denied the right to be in this Parliament while a member from the Cabinet who I just dismissed this morning and notified her and explained to her it has nothing to do with her and that she should not have been dragged into this situation, members of the Cabinet are allowed to come with no conditions after the test but staffers who are loyal to the Speaker—and should be loyal to the Speaker because they understand the Westminster model of governance—are forced out of this Parliament and I am supposed to just sit idly by and accept such circumstance.
#“We’re dealing with COVID-19. We cannot appear or be seen to be functioning in this way. How could you call someone and tell them that they are protected because they have the antibodies one week and the next week you call them and tell them even though they tested negative, they cannot attend this Parliament and the Speaker is not appraised of that decision, the Speaker has to go and dig and question and thank God for my legal training I was able to glean answers out of persons as to what is really going on.

The episode was the latest extraordinary instance of the Speaker confronting members of the governing party, creating the kind of tension that longtime observers say has scarcely been seen in the modern history of the House.

At one point, Speaker Moultrie accused the executive of dragging Parliament around “like a dinghy boat” and he blamed the challenges he faces on “darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places,” a reference to the scriptures.

His 15-minute rant was in response to “disturbing issues” he said emerged since April 30, when parliamentarians and parliamentary staff were asked to be tested for COVID-19.

He said he was disturbed that the results of the tests were not communicated to him or the parliamentary clerk, who is in quarantine after catching COVID-19.

“The most disturbing part for me,” he said, “was to discover that certain persons were called and were notified that they were negative with no conditions attached while others were called and informed that they were negative but they should not attend work or this Parliament until the contact tracing process was complete. There again, no one contacted the Speaker or the clerk with respect to this process.

“One of the members of this staff was called in out of the quarantine that was established by the Speaker and was told that she was protected because of the antibodies that had developed in her system as a consequence of her contracting the virus. She was called in out of the quarantine but after she did the test on Friday, the same person who was called in out of the quarantine, was told she cannot attend at the Parliament and take her seat at the clark’s table even though she was negative.

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and fellow Parliamentarians during yesterday’s session. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

“That caused me to reflect on the circumstance of September 2020 when that very person had contracted the virus. When the Speaker asked for members to be tested, a new COVID protocol was released by the Cabinet that only those persons who were in the presence of that individual for more than 15 minutes needed to take the test.

“I am concerned because we are dealing with COVID-19 and we cannot be playing games with people’s lives. It was impossible for anyone to determine if they were in the presence of the young staff member who contracted the virus because no one knew that she had it until we got the test but because the Speaker requested that members be tested, a new protocol evolved. The level of disrespect and dishonesty is something that I am severely challenged with because we (are) dealing with COVID-19.”

Speaker Moultrie added: “The result of telling that individual that she cannot attend this Parliament is that the two persons who are considered loyal to the Speaker are denied the right to be in this Parliament while a member from the Cabinet who I just dismissed this morning and notified her and explained to her it has nothing to do with her and that she should not have been dragged into this situation, members of the Cabinet are allowed to come with no conditions after the test but staffers who are loyal to the Speaker—and should be loyal to the Speaker because they understand the Westminster model of governance—are forced out of this Parliament and I am supposed to just sit idly by and accept such circumstance.

“We’re dealing with COVID-19. We cannot appear or be seen to be functioning in this way. How could you call someone and tell them that they are protected because they have the antibodies one week and the next week you call them and tell them even though they tested negative, they cannot attend this Parliament and the Speaker is not appraised of that decision, the Speaker has to go and dig and question and thank God for my legal training I was able to glean answers out of persons as to what is really going on.

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