Parliament is not a picnic, is a war room

OPPOSITION Senator Wade Mark has responded to President Paula-Mae Weekes' rebuke of the behaviour in Parliament by saying it is not a picnic but a "war room."

Weekes began her feature address to the 44th Annual Conference of the Americas and Atlantic Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at the Hyatt Regency on Monday with a stinging rebuke of MPs' behaviour in Parliament. She said that walk-outs, put-outs, distrust, thinly-veiled insults, inability to arrive at a consensus quickly if at all on the simplest of issues, referrals to the Privileges Committee, whether to apologise or not all, seem to take precedence over formulating laws for the good of citizens. She also expressed concern about the youth copying the behaviour seen in Parliament.

Mark, who was in attendance as part of the TT delegation, told Newsday he fundamentally disagreed with her position.

"It is not a church, a picnic nor is it a tea party. It is highly adversarial and I think our Parliament, contrary to what our Excellency said, is extremely dignified and civilised. Of course you get the odd moment here and there. In any parliament people get a little bit hot under the collar and engage in some powerful cross talk."

He added that there were committees members could be brought before if they violated the rules. Mark said TT parliamentarians carrid out their duties to the best of their abilities and it was not a church, a picnic, a school or any kind of situation where you had to be well-behaved.

"This is a war room. That is what it is. And you will have casualties. This sentimental and romantic approach is not for us. We are well behaved as far as we are concerned."

On Weekes' comments that the behaviour distracted from a focus on making laws Mark said he did not understand what she was talking about.

"We do our duty. We spend hours upon hours in committees of the whole. Sometimes in joint select committees we examine bills so we could have the best legislation."

Mark said if he were President he would have spoken about greater Parliament autonomy and more financial and administrative independence from the Executive.

He stressed the Westminster system was an adversarial system and not everything the Government brings the Opposition would support.

"We represent 350,000 people. We have to speak with passion. We have to disagree and sometimes in a militant and very firm way. Sometimes it comes across as bringing the Parliament into disrepute and indignity and as not decorum. But from the angle you stand you will interpret it."

On Weekes' comment about walk-outs Mark said it is a weapon the Opposition could use. He pointed out the PNM had used it in the past and the Opposition UNC had used it in the present, and would do so in the future. He recalled the Opposition walked out during budget debate in the Senate in October 2018 during a time of flooding and people's lives being dislocated.

"That is our right. We owe no apologies to anybody."

Weekes in her address referred to calypsonian Explainer's song "They Kicksin' in Parliament" but Mark said that does not recognise the role of the Parliament.

"In other parliaments people engage in fighting. They toss missiles. We don't do that in our Parliament. Just firm and stern discussions, bantering and picong. It does not mean we are 'kicksing' in Parliament. I am here for 28 years in Parliament and I don't agree with that."

Leader of Government Business in the House Camille Robinson-Regis told Newsday she was out of the country on Government business but had requested the link to the President's speech.