UPSET WITH THE way their leader Mia Mottley was treated as she spoke during today’s sitting of the House of Assembly, the remaining 13 members of parliament for the Opposition Barbados Labour Party came together in solidarity.
In a hastily called Press conference in the West Wing of the Parliament Buildings, the MPs, led by Kerrie Symmonds, admonished Speaker of the House Michael Carrington for his actions towards Mottley.
They were clearly annoyed that Carrington had ordered Mottley to sit, as she sought to raise several other ‘serious issues’ during debate on the Holidays with Pay Bill, 2016.
“The Speaker is obviously free to rule as he sees fit. However, I take the position that his ruling indicates a tremendous and flagrant contempt and disregard for the financial circumstances of the people of Barbados.
“Ms Mottley sought to properly raise the fact that without jobs you can have neither holiday, nor can you have pay, so therefore a lengthy exercise about an amendment to the Holidays with Pay Act really and truly is substantially to deflect and to distract from the very serious and burning concerns which are facing the country and which the BLP has raised a number of questions in the public’s domain, as recently as last weekend,” Symmonds pointed out. (RB)
