Former speaker: No social media rules in standing orders

There are no rules about the use of social media by parliamentarians in the House of Representatives' Standing Orders but that may have to be addressed soon.

“Social media came to the forefront after the Standing Orders were updated so the Parliament would have to decide what would be deemed appropriate or inappropriate in these modern times,” former speaker Nizam Mohammed told Sunday Newsday.

He said if a matter arose to which the standing orders did not cater, the parliamentary proceedings in the UK’s House of Commons would usually be considered used as a guideline.

The issue was raised on Friday in the House of Representatives when newly-elected UNC MP for St Augustine, Khadijah Ameen, was spoken to about posting comments about the sitting on Facebook.

Ameen made several Facebook posts throughout the day. They included, “Like is only the Opposition involved in crosstalk? Don’t get put out”; “Stewart (Stuart Young) yuh still blaming Kamla boy?”; “We have a New Minister of Energy?”; “The Blame-Kamla-Strategy of the PNM has a ‘sell by’ date and that strategy has expired – KPB"; "Collapse of Point Lisias due to botched leadership of PM Keith Rowley’s deals with upstream companies #TTBudget2021"; and “Property Tax will mean increased RENT for those who cannot afford their own homes.”

Leader of government business Camille Robinson- Regis raised the issue and Speaker Brigid Annisette-George addressed it.

Annisette-George said, “The duty to safeguard, uphold and protect the dignity of this House is intrinsic to this membership...

“The only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the posting of the MP for St Augustine, that it is a reflection of this House and its Chair which has intended, wittingly or unwittingly, to impinge the dignity...

“It is not only to be regarded as unparliamentary and maybe requiring an apology, but it is not to be tolerated as a practice.”

She said similar behaviour was not to be repeated and could lead to “serious consequences.” She added that many MPs were new to the House and so unfamiliar with its standing orders, procedures, and practices so she would ask the clerk of the House to circulate the procedures to members.

Around 7.30 pm on Friday, Ameen made another post on Facebook saying, “I just want to make it VERY CLEAR. I did not at any time make any Facebook post with intention of offending the standing orders of the parliament. I’m sure most of my posts offend the PNM. They are clearly looking for a bacchanal and a distraction after their first day of poor presentations by their MPs. Nice try. Come again. #LongWaterySteups.”

Also, in a comment she added that she did not have a problem with the Speaker’s ruling.