SPEAKER Bridgid Annisette-George has censured Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young for his controversial remarks against members of the opposition. She said the reprehensible statements generated much public criticism and brought the House into odium and disrepute.
Speaking in Parliament on October 17 after the conclusion of the standing finance committee and the passing of the budget, Annisette-George said she was compelled to address the matter.
She said when the remarks were uttered, the Chair was being handed over to her by the Deputy Speaker and she did not hear them. She said based on the video footage, the opposition members also did not hear them as there was no outcry nor denouncement. She said the statements were not captured on the Hansard but were labelled “cross-talk.”
“However, like the rest of Trinidad and Tobago, I was deeply troubled by the improprieties uttered during a period when the nation should have been focused on the business before the House.”
Annisette-George said the freedom of speech enjoyed by members was to enable them to discharge their functions, but it was a privilege which was subject to the standing orders of the House and to the well-established general rules regarding parliamentary debates as developed by the Practice and Procedures of Parliament.
“It is not to be abused in a manner that distracts members, and the public, from the business before the House, or even worse, in a manner that undermines the dignity of the House of Representatives.
“While it is emphasised that the speech of members cannot be challenged in a court of law, parliamentary privilege is not a licence for offensive, insulting and/or unparliamentary language. Therefore as Speaker, I am not constrained in issuing to any member a reprimand commensurate with the severity of his/her degree of unparliamentary, objectionable, abusive, insulting or offensive language.”
She said while younger people might not have been initially familiar with the meaning of one of Young’s remarks, its connotation and meaning have since been explained in the public space.
“Such crass and distasteful references to other members of this House have no place in this august chamber and have rightly been subject to public contempt.
“I exhort us all not to resort to the obscene and the lewd... It will not be tolerated in this chamber by any member.”
Annisette-George said she did not object to light banter across the aisle and would be naïve to expect anything less in a parliamentary setting.
“However, vulgarity can never be considered banter and rude, unparliamentary language and expletives in particular, certainly do not meet the standards expected of each member of this House.”
The Speaker said it did not matter that Young was not making a contribution, his words were uttered sotto voce but unwittingly captured by an open microphone and were not captured by the Hansard. She said what mattered was his remarks had been heard across the country and diminished the dignity of the House and Young in parti
