The Tribune

FREE National Movement deputy leader Loretta Butler-Turner came under fire from Prime Minister Perry Christie on her handling of the Social Services department during last night’s passing of the 2012 Constitution Referendum Amendment Act in the House of Assembly.

Minutes before the Bill was passed – 27 MP’s voting yes, six no and four absent – Mr Christie rebuked Mrs Butler-Turner for her “tone” and attitude concerning her earlier comments in the day about his and his cabinet’s “incompetence” concerning the much debated gambling referendum.


Mr Christie, while having no issues with her words but only her tone and attitude, lashed out at the FNM’s leader’s own “incompetence” as the junior minister of Social Services.


“I want her to know that the very first problem confronted by my government was the level of incompetence by her in her performance under her responsibility and portfolio as the minister for social services when we looked at the children at Simpson Penn,” the prime minister said.


“I want the record to show that when we came to power and we found that children who were placed in what used to be the Boy’s Industrial School, now Simpson Penn, we found the state that they left that in.

“Anybody ought to have been ashamed of themselves to subject poor black children to that environment.”


Mr Christie questioned the audacity of the Long Island MP to talk about incompetence when he claimed that the current facility left unchecked by the previous administration, has no bedding or mattresses for the young men staying there.


The opposition party deputy leader did not take kindly to the prime minister’s attacks or accusations as she recalled her first order of business when the FNM returned to office in 2007.


“I would like to remind Mr Christie and this honourable House, that in 2007, the first order of this House when I was the junior minister of social services, was for me to go to that very same place to correct a place that was burnt out, where a child had died in the fire and the whole thing had happened,” said Mrs Butler-Turner.


“There were no beds. So this has to happen every five years, Mr Speaker.

"So I take exception to what the Rt Honourable member for Centreville has said. So it’s a repetitious thing.”


The prime minister continued his critique of the former Social Services junior minister.


“Mr Speaker, in her portfolio responsibility, she subjected poor children who has no means of taking care of themselves to savage and barbaric conditions” said Mr Christie as his choice of words led to a chain reaction of back and forth exchanges as House Speaker Kendal Major attempted to restore order in parliament.


Mr Christie resumed his verbal counter-attack on the Long Island MP concerning her statements of the government’s incompetence.
“She is a walking fit of incompetence,” the prime minister exclaimed, adding that, “she walks heavily with it.”


Once the House Speaker regained order over the proceedings, he allowed the prime minister to continue his contribution.

“The record will reflect,” said the prime minister "that the succeeding minister, responsible minister for social services has had $500,000 immediately dedicated to the children who were put in some kind of condition, who were put there for reform.”


The prime minister concluded by saying that the FNM deputy, who “doesn’t walk light,” should be ashamed of herself for her comments.