The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister has said the country needs a new speaker of the House of Assembly as the current one “lacks the acumen and an understanding” of The Bahamas’ parliamentary system.

George Smith, who served as minister of agriculture and fisheries, transport and local government in the Pindling administration, made the remarks while reacting to recent actions taken in Parliament by House Speaker Halson Moultrie.

“I think that the time has long passed when we need a new speaker,” Mr Smith said in a recent interview. “And, tragically that’s not happening. This never would have happened with speakers like Theodore Brennen, Robert Symonette, Vernon Symonette and wiser speakers. That’s the problem we have today. We elect to Parliament people who don’t understand our system. This speaker who is the first commoner of the land, is totally lost.

“His conduct does greater injustice to the system that we have. I’ve long concluded that the speaker lacks the acumen and an understanding of the system. And, as the first commoner of the land, he really ought to find his footing and facilitate the meeting of Parliament. I am lost as to what his motive is. He obviously lacks understanding of what a speaker is supposed to be.”

Mr Smith said the government also bears some responsibility.

“He shares some of the responsibility, but I think the government must find ways to facilitate the meeting of Parliament during these trying times,” Mr Smith said. “They also seem lost. These are difficult times and the speaker must find avenues to get the government to cooperate in facilitating the function of Parliament. That’s not happening and that’s tragic.

“We have an old Parliament and we have amateurs, parading around today conducting the affairs of Parliament. It is tragic and doesn’t serve the Bahamian people well. We embarrass ourselves and are not even aware that we are doing that. I hope that whenever a new Parliament convenes after an election we try to raise the standard of the conduct of a Parliament befitting the obligations that a Parliament has to the Bahamian people. I pray that we elect a body of individuals who can bring back the traditions.”

Mr Smith also took issue with Mr Moultrie going off on “tangents” while in the chair.

“A speaker is supposed to facilitate the members of Parliament to meet and he seems to be on a trend that quite frankly baffles me,” Mr Smith continued. “And, opposed to him trying to find a smooth way for the running of Parliament he’s off on these tangents that make a mockery of the high office of speaker... I think he is actually just lost.

“Yes, he is faced with difficulties, as is the whole Parliamentary system during these difficult times, but it gets worse and the government shares in the responsibility too because they don’t seem to grasp the importance of the House of Assembly meeting to carry out their lofty mandate in the interest of the Bahamian people.”

Last Wednesday, the House of Assembly was abruptly suspended for more than an hour during the morning meeting after Speaker Moultrie criticised the Minnis administration, argued with Yamacraw MP Elsworth Johnson and invited Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to publicly address his claims about the executive branch’s “disrespectful” treatment of Parliament.

At one point during his 15-minute speech, Speaker Moultrie accused the executive of dragging Parliament around “like a dinghy boat” and he blamed the challenges he faces on “darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places”, a reference to Biblical scriptures.

His criticism was in response to “disturbing issues” he said emerged since April 30, when parliamentarians and parliamentary staff were asked to be tested for COVID-19.

In the House on April 28, he accused the government of disrespecting Parliament by ignoring and refusing to implement his COVID- 19 preventative measures, leading him to abruptly adjourn that sitting until May 3.

At the time, Speaker Moultrie urged members of the governing side not to “pick fights or wars,” adding “if you want a war, you can get a war”.