by Linda Straker
- Dr Mitchell called on Tevin Andrews to apologise to teachers and other public officers
- Andrews stood up on a point of order and asked that the statement be withdrawn
- Dr Mitchell refused to withdraw statement leading to suspension of his presentation
Members of the Opposition in the Lower House of Parliament walked out of the sitting after House Speaker Leo Cato suspended Opposition Leader Dr Keith Mitchell from making his rebuttal to the supplementary budget presentation.
While making his presentation, Dr Mitchell called on Member of Parliament for Carriacou and Petite Martinique Tevin Andrews to apologise to teachers and other public officers for a statement he made in a Facebook Live in which he said that public officers are among the people who are running their mouths on social media in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
“All the people who are running their mouths the most are public officers, teachers, and public officers who are receiving their salaries. Their salaries are still running,” MP Tevin Andrews said, where he further instructed the public officers to go shop at supermarkets.
The opposition leader suggested that MP Andrews apologise to public officers and teachers like he did when he (Dr Mitchell) said in a meeting in New York years ago that hospital staff were stealing chicken from the hospital kitchen.
“When I made a statement about doctors and nurses at the hospital, it was not meant for anybody personally; I should have said some workers… I apologised publicly. Mr Speaker, I ask, therefore, that the Member for Carriacou and Petite Martinique apologise to the teachers of Carriacou and Petite Martinique for the statement made that some of them are able to fix their homes and do other things,” Dr Mitchell said.
Immediately following the Opposition Leader’s recommendation, MP Andrews stood up on a point of order and asked that the statement be withdrawn. “I stand on a point of order and ask that the Leader of the Opposition withdraw that statement because I didn’t make any such statement about teachers.”
The Speaker then instructed the Opposition Leader to withdraw the statement, but he refused, explaining to the Speaker that there were reports of the statement being publicly said. However, the Speaker continued requesting that the statement requesting the apology be withdrawn, and after a short recess, the Speaker ruled that Dr Mitchell’s presentation was suspended.
Dr Mitchell took up his documents and walked out, followed by the 3 Opposition Members of Parliament present for the sitting: Peter David who represents the constituency of the Town of St George; Dr Clarice Modeste who represents the constituency of St Mark and Kate Lewis-Peters who represents the constituency of St Andrew North-East. Emmalin Pierre, who represents the constituency of St Andrew South-East was absent from the sitting.
