The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Patricia Deveaux delivered a sharp rebuke of Opposition leader Michael Pintard as the budget debate continued yesterday, accusing him of “maligning” her name in a social media post about explosive US court allegations.

The clash is the latest exchange between the Speaker and Mr Pintard over the controversy.

It follows the opposition’s recent visit to the police headquarters where they delivered a letter to Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles, calling for a full investigation into claims that a politician discussed drug deals in Parliament.

After delivering the letter, Mr Pintard shared a Facebook post that opened with the words “drug deals in Parliament” before criticising the House Speaker for rejecting calls for an investigation and instead directing them to take its concerns to the police.

The Speaker addressed the matter in the House of Assembly yesterday after Mr Pintard asked her to strike certain remarks made earlier by Southern Shores MP Obie Roberts.

“You know it's amazing how you sit here and you ask for my protection this morning when you maligned my name,” she said. “You put my full name under the caption of drug deal in the House of Assembly, my name, as if I was involved in some drug deal.”

The Bamboo Town MP said her only position was that Parliament should not be used to discuss the allegations, saying it is where lawmakers debate and pass laws.

She also defended her character, saying she entered public office with her integrity intact and intended to leave with it unchanged.

“I allow banter, and I allow things to happen because I expect a robust debate, but when it comes to the name and the character assassin, I will put my foot down because assassinating one another is not what we came here for.”

She said she would not allow “these halls to be used for what is wrong,” calling Parliament a sacred institution.

However, Mr Pintard disagreed with the Speaker, calling her remarks completely untrue.

“At no point did anyone on this side assert what you were suggesting in what you said,” he said.

“Whatever caption you saw…the reality is the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Prime Minister have a responsibility to launch an investigation when anyone is accused of using the precincts of the House of Assembly to engage in illegal activity, in this case setting up a drug deal,” he said.

Mr Pintard later addressed the matter during the evening session of the House of Assembly.

As the Speaker interjected, he insisted he had not maligned her character and said he had a copy of the post to support his claims.

“Just as you wish to protect your name, I’m reading it to protect mine," he said before reading the post into the record.

He clarified that the June 12th caption referred to her by her title and did not link her to any drug deals, adding that it set out the claims and identified the source of the allegations.

He asked the Speaker to withdraw her comments.

However, she refused to do so and Mr Pintard asked for the matter to be referred to the Committee of Privilege.