Duke advises PM on proper conduct

PUBLIC Services Association (PSA) president Watson Duke says he wants the Prime Minister to know the phrase “Don’t jack--- the thing,” has “no place at all in Parliamentary language.”

He said as a leader, Dr Rowley ought to “conduct himself.”

Duke said this during a Facebook live video on Sunday morning where he discussed the newly-imposed state of emergency (SoE).

The SoE, which includes a daily curfew beginning at 9 pm and ending at 5 am, is an escalation of the Government's response to the latest wave of covid19 cases.

Rowley announced the decision on Saturday and said it was to ensure people have fewer opportunities to congregate and spread covid19.

But during his speech, he quoted a line from calypsonian Devon Seale’s ‘Doh jack--- de scene,’ pleading with the public: “Don’t jack--- the thing.”

This soon became the topic of jokes and memes on social media while others made songs using the sound bite.

In response to this, Duke said Rowley must understand, “There’s a time for joke and there’s a time for seriousness.

“You can’t be joking with seriousness or be serious with joke.

“The Prime Minister must be condemned frontally for that. That phrase has no place in the Prime Minister’s speech. You are the Prime Minister of this country. Conduct yourself as representing all.”

Duke said it is obscene language that can easily hurt or offend religious people and those who “have a particular moral code they exist by.”

“I know persons are making music out of it, but to me, it is just purely humiliating to hear our Prime Minister – the man who leads our country – speaking to us as if we on a block.”

He said everything Rowley said on Saturday could have been summarised into five minutes and called on him to “cut out all this long talk…no tra-la-la.”

He said Rowley has become a joke.

In addition to being displeased with that comment, Duke also said a specific time period should have been given for the SoE.

Rowley had said it is dependent on the public’s response and level of co-operation.

Duke said the SoE does not assist workers “in any way.

“Is there any benefit for me as a worker hearing these new laws? How does it benefit me directly? How does it enhance my pay package how does it fix my job insecurity? How does it allow me to feel more safe and secure? Workers are concerned about these things.”

He said Rowley seemed to be blaming people, adding, “What he should be telling us is how many beds coming in, how much (sic) ventilators the manufacturing sector can make” and not “this folly and absolute rubbish.

“SoE and joke don’t go in the same sentence,” he said.