Lloyd B should vacate the chair

By Devon Dick

LAST Tuesday, there was mayhem in the House of Representatives. It was exacerbated when the Deputy Speaker of the House Lloyd B. Smith, after failing to get the support of the members, ordered the marshal to remove J.C. Hutchinson.

Lloyd B. has apologised for not following the proper procedure. In addition, Speaker of the House Michael Peart has acknowledged that an error was made by Smith.

The problem is that Lloyd B. claimed in an interview last Wednesday, with Dionne Jackson Miller on RJR's 'Beyond the Headlines' that he did not ask the marshal to remove Hutchinson but rather for the marshal to stand beside him. Then Jackson Miller, in a clever bit of investigative journalism, played a clip from Parliament in which a voice said "remove him". Jackson Miller then asked Smith if that was his voice. He claimed that it was his voice but he could not recall making that statement. Some would claim that Smith's inability to recall such an important matter and after such short time would disqualify him from the post.

However, the significant breach, as highlighted by The Gleaner's Gavel on Monday, is that Smith spoke an untruth and should vacate the chair. There is a credibility deficit in the country and Smith has made a significant contribution to this deficit. This action is not primarily an issue of competence but, rather, credibility. It is not because he has shown bias but because he bore false witness. Granted that since he was moving for the eviction of a member of Parliament, which is a serious action, he should have ensured he was following the proper procedure.

J.C. Hutchinson has also made a contribution to credibility deficit in his reinterpretation of claiming that he is no 'fish'. He states that he was showing that he was a 'whale', meaning he has been in the House for a long time, while Raymond Pryce is a 'fish' because he is a newcomer. This is quite a stretch of the imagination. In any case, whales are not intrinsically older than a fish, though, on average, whales live longer than fish. It is possible that a small fish could be older than a bigger whale. Furthermore, the significant difference between a whale and a fish is not age but that whales are mammals who breathe through their lungs while a fish breathes through its gills.It appears that Hutchinson should vacate the role as spokesman on agriculture and fisheries based on an unconvincing explanation.

The Bible says let your nay be nay and your yea be yea. It is an exhortation to truth telling which instils confidence and trust in one's words. It will motivate people to follow words of authority and authenticity. However, lack of credibility makes governance difficult.

Horse of a different colour

What to do with Everald Warmington's behaviour? Now, that is a horse of a different colour. His tirade and finger-pointing at the marshal, who was instructed by the deputy speaker, is a new low for parliamentary misconduct. He should have directed his vitriol at Smith and not at a civil servant who was carrying out instructions. He was way off base in trying to correct a wrong instruction. He should have stood on a point of order and explain the proper procedure to evict a member. At the very least, a censure motion should be proffered against him. Other infractions should be reported to the ethics committee.

For the future, there needs to be external persons to hear and rule on parliamentary breaches under the chairmanship of the political ombudsman, and sanctions should include hefty fines.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. Send comments to columns@gleanerjm.com