Jearlean John rejects Mitchell's claim of UNC bullying Independent Senators

CITING democracy and free speech, Opposition Senator Jearlean John on Tuesday rejected Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell's earlier claim the UNC had bullied Independent Senators, as she spoke in the Senate against Independent Senator Anthony Vieira's continued motion censuring opposition Senators actions in the Electoral College last October.

When the Independents had voted against an impeachment motion against President Paula-Mae Weekes, the Opposition had alleged they were "singing for their supper", after which Vieira had complained to a newspaper of "fish market" behaviour and brought a motion condemning opposition senators remarks in the Electoral College. John claimed the right of free expression, even if democracy was messy.

Mitchell earlier accused the Opposition of bullying tactics and hailed Vieira for bringing his motion and continuing it in face of ongoing opposition criticism.

He said the conduct complained of was not political picong but molestation, breach of privilege and contempt.

However Mitchell rejected the motion's call for a code of conduct for senators, saying such a "manual on behaviour" was unnecessary.

He said each member swears an oath of office and must exhibit personal responsibility. "We are not coming into a parlour or a fish market. There must be a high standard of conduct."

Saying this was the legislature not a group set up to throw a Nicki Minaj concert, he said behaviour was regulated by the likes of Roberts Rules of Order and common standards of decency.

Mitchell said, "The very suggestion that Independent Senators were members of the Government is a bullying tactic designed to undermine our parliamentary democracy."

He said to accuse someone of singing for their supper was to imply they were financially beholden to someone.

Mitchell then criticised Opposition Senator Anil Roberts' online radio show, DouglAR Politics, as "very insidious and crass" saying it regularly molests senators.

President Christine Kangaloo cautioned him.

Mitchell said he had been contacted by many people of dougla (mixed African and East Indian) extraction who had said the show should be renamed gutter politics.

He criticised opposition Senator Wade Mark for having said the Senate was a gayelle, where one must be thick-skinned. "There is no criteria to enter this chamber called 'thick-skinned,'" Mitchell said, saying the TT Constitution does not describe Parliament as a gayelle.

John said the Opposition was entitled to freedom of speech, thought and expression, and she thoroughly rejected allegations of threats, bullying and molestation. "That's a stretch," she retorted.

"The UNC is a political party. If you attack us politically, you are going to get a political response."

John said the Opposition plays a critical role in sustaining TT's democracy. She said MPs stand on the shoulders of TT's First People's, some whose bodies had been relocated from underneath the Red House for reburial, and of former president the late Arthur NR Robinson who as prime minister in the 1990 attempted coup had bravely told the Defence Force "Attack with full force."

She paid tribute to the dignity of a past independent senate bench co-ordinated by attorney Martin Daly. She saluted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for saying people had a right to disagree with him over that country's Freedom Convoy but not to hold a city hostage. John said Russia was now moving into Ukraine due to differences over democracy.

"Democracy is messy but that messiness is our strength. It is what makes us special."