Parliamentary indecency

Last month, my column was titled 'Parliamentary decency. It reflected on the high level of decorum and decency with which the prime minister made her contribution to the Budget Debate. It commented on the potential of our Parliament to conduct the affairs of the nation with honour and dignity befitting the highest court of the land.

The column identified and tried to fan the incipient flame of respect shown across the aisles by both sides. Our country's celebration of our golden jubilee of Independence was attributed as a possible factor influencing a new level of maturity among our parliamentarians.

That column was commented on by Tahir Hanfi, director general of the National Assembly of Pakistan. This is what he wrote to his parliamentary colleagues: "A great commentary from Jamaica worth your precious time." No longer is our conduct a mere local concern. We are being viewed by others globally and, therefore, we must appreciate the awesome responsibility to always project to the world the best of our people and country.

This past week, some of our parliamentarians defiled the good name of Jamaica. The deplorable conduct by some of our members of parliament last Tuesday was nothing short of a national disgrace. The display of such rudeness and crudeness demands no less than a parliamentary apology to our nation and the rest of the world who, via the Internet, keep abreast of events in our beloved country.

As a senator, I am ashamed of the conduct of those members of the Lower House who so wantonly brought our Parliament into disrepute. Firm and decisive action must, as a matter of urgency, be taken by the parliamentary leadership to punish those members who deliberately disrespected the Standing Orders of the House and displayed such crassness undeserving of the title 'MP'.

The spectacle of the House marshal, Kevin Williams, being so rudely abused and verbally assaulted by at least one opposition member was captured on television. This diabolic behaviour must be the most shameful incident in our 50 years of parliamentary proceedings as an independent nation. The marshal showed such admirable restraint, grace and calmness under the severe provocation from the serial abuser. This must be a credit to his professionalism, as well as his training in the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), of which he is a former member.

The marshal's response, along with the successful staging more than a week ago of the superbly organised and executed military tattoo, staged in honour of our 50 years of Independence, demonstrated the excellence of which our people are capable. Such excellence shone so brightly on the part of the marshal and the JDF because they adhere to a disciplined approach to life. They set and maintain high standards of probity, respect and decency in their conduct. That is exactly what is lacking in the character of some of many parliamentarians.

sordid events

A disciplined approach to life can be learned. For it to be learned, it must be enforced at all levels of our society. Enforcement must begin in our Parliament. The sordid events of last Tuesday must be the last time our parliamentarians be allowed to so disrespect and disgrace our Parliament, our people and our nation. It has happened too many times before.

The leadership of Parliament must urgently convene a meeting and agree that those who are guilty must be sanctioned. Suspensions from Parliament must take place and apologies must be given to the nation at the next sitting of the Lower House.

Those who follow the activities of our Parliament will recall that only a short time ago, one senator was suspended for using the word 'stupid' to refer to another senator. The flagrant abuse of a member of the parliamentary staff, a decent, hard-working, fair and impartial member of the public service, must not be allowed to happen with impunity.

I disagree with the leader of opposition business and former speaker, Delroy Chuck's, definition that such conduct was "unfortunate". It was intolerable and downright disgraceful. It must not be sugar-coated. The serial abuser and others must be brought to book by the legislators, lest they earn the reputation instead as lawbreakers rather than lawmakers.

Lambert Brown, Contributor

Last month, my column was titled 'Parliamentary decency.

In the past, The Gleaner had to describe the conduct of a group of parliamentarians as rabble-rousing when certain members abused MP Roger Clarke while he was opposition spokesperson on agriculture. In 2007, at the end of the very first sitting of Parliament after the election, opposition MP Ian Hayles was assaulted because he inadvertently did not shake the hand of the then prime minister.

horseplay

Only recently, the opposition spokesman on local government had to apologise over remarks he made against the deputy speaker. Several years ago, Minister Horace Dalley was reported to have thrown a pen across the aisle. No apology was demanded, nor can I recall any being given. The explanation was that it was a mere case of horseplay.

In this our 50th year of Independence, a line must be drawn in the sand. Our schoolchildren who attend or watch the proceedings of our Parliament deserve examples of greatness to aspire towards. The gutter-like conduct must be expunged from our body politic. Our children must be left a legacy of robust debates informed by research, anchored by eloquence of delivery, and cemented in sincerity. It is in search of such inspiration that they visit or view our parliamentary proceedings.

Our founding fathers tried hard to establish such a tradition. Let not the current generation of parliamentarians destroy such a tradition by either barroom-type conduct or the influences of sitting too long on the stool of the bar.

With firm enforcement of discipline, the incipient flame of decency I wrote about in my last column can be sustained and enlarged. The bright prospects evidenced in the announcements of new investments in our tourism sector, made in the very Parliament last Tuesday, can lead our nation towards its goal of prosperity, even as we accelerate our deserved celebrations of progress made over the last 50 years. We are indeed a nation on a mission, where decency and disciplined conduct must be our guiding compass.

Government senator Lambert Brown is president of the University and Allied Workers Union. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and Labpoyh@yahoo.com.