The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE House of Assembly passed a motion yesterday to send to the Committee of Privilege Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis’ complaint that Deputy Speaker Don Saunders breached his privilege when he ordered the Sergeant at Arms to remove him from the chamber last week.

The controversy started after Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar diverged from a debate on a compendium of insurance bills to discuss the air navigation services agreement signed earlier that day. Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin then rose on a point of order to highlight the fact that Mr D’Aguilar strayed from the debate topic and made “misleading statements”.

Mr Davis eventually intervened in the argument that broke out between Mr Saunders and Mrs Hanna Martin to protest the treatment of his colleague.

During the argument, Mr Saunders shouted for Mr Davis to take his seat, but the opposition leader refused to sit down.

At one point, Mr Davis said: “You have to act like a chair.”

Mr Saunders retorted: “Philip Brave Davis, the Member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, is now to be escorted out of this House, Mr Sergeant at Arms. Sergeant at Arms, please carry out your duties. The member for Cat Island is excused for the rest of the evening.”

Mr Davis questioned what rule he contravened, but then left the chamber when Mr Saunders repeatedly beckoned to the Sergeant of Arms.

House Speaker Halson Moultrie allowed Mr Davis to raise and address the matter of his privilege yesterday after being satisfied that Mr Davis had made a prima facie case.

Mr Davis argued that he had committed no infraction that would warrant him being named according to House rules.

He said yesterday: “I was not disorderly nor was I asked to withdraw from the House. The member called the police, the Sergeant at Arms, that’s what he did. That’s contrary to the rule.

“The chair of proceedings…deprived me and breached my privilege by calling upon the Sergeant at Arms to…dismiss me out of the House. He had no such authority.

“I don’t know what got into the Deputy Speaker to have conducted himself in such a fashion to breach my privilege, but I think at the end of the day if this is the conduct to which this House is willing to (operate) fine, but it was despicable for the chair to call the police to remove a member because that member was only seeking to be heard.”