BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OPPOSITION Senator in the Federal Parliament the Hon. Nigel Carty was ordered to leave the Parliament yesterday (Dec. 8) after Speaker the Hon. Michael Perkins ruled that his conduct was “disrespectful”.
Carty, was at the time making his presentation to the Parliament during the 2017 Budget Debate when he made comments to the effect that a Director of Public Prosecution was dragged out of office.
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris did not take too kindly to those remarks and having risen to his feet on a point of order, expressed that the conduct of the Governor General, Members of the Parliament, Judges etc. cannot be raised except on a motion.
“For us to engage in a matter to do with the DPP is bringing unnecessary scrutiny with respect to the office of the court and the member is going down the wrong way. There is no DPP that was dragged anywhere…,” the Prime Minister explained.
The Speaker expressed that he too was concerned “with your usage of the term the dragging of the DPP out of office”. It is during the uttering of those words that the Senator Opposite erupted in laughter.
A displeased Speaker responded by indicating that he was at the end of the rope so far as that situation was concerned. And to that end, he brought Section 49(2) of the Standing Rules and Orders to bear on Carty.
“A member rose on a point of order, I was ruling, I was about to rule or I had begun to rule on the point of order and you chose to laugh at what I was saying. I find that to be grossly disorderly…and I’m applying section 49(2)…I’m asking you to immediately withdraw from the National Assembly for the rest of the day’s sitting…
“…I find your act of laughing at the Speaker is totally and utterly disrespectful…”
Section 49(2) gives the Speaker or Chairperson of the House the authority to order a Member to immediately withdraw him or herself from the National Assembly if that person’s conduct is deemed “grossly disorderly”.
Carty made a number of attempts to request permission to address the Chair, indicating that he has not been allowed to make a statement on the issue.
The Speaker however was stern in his ruling, informing Carty that if he did not immediately remove himself from the Parliament, another section of the rules would have to be applied.
The House was suspended for about five minutes and when it resumed, Carty, along with other Opposition Members who were present prior to the suspension, were gone.
On the previous day, after the 2017 Budget was presented, the Hon Perkins warned Parliamentarians that he had taken a decision to no longer tolerate disrespectful behaviour in the Parliament.
