[UPDATED] Duke, Tsoiafatt Angus: THA presiding officer broke protocol in removing member

Friday 24 January 2025

PROGRESSIVE Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has called for the resignation of THA Presiding Officer Abby Taylor.

He made the call on January 24 during a news conference at the party’s headquarters, Port Mall, Scarborough, Tobago.

It came a day after Taylor instructed police officers to escort the Belle Garden East/Roxborough/Delaford assemblyman out the House for allegedly disobeying her orders during the first plenary sitting for 2025 in the Assembly Legislature.

Responding to questions from Newsday about Duke's call, Taylor said in a WhatsApp message, “Unfortunately, I can’t comment on something I’m not aware of.”

At the sitting, Taylor had asked Duke to leave the chamber after he strongly objected to the language used by Bethel/New Grange assemblyman Terance Baynes to criticise Minority Leader Kelvon Morris’ contribution to a motion. Baynes spoke after Morris, dismissing his contribution as “latrinated talk,”

The motion, moved by Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, called on the Ministry of National Security to establish a Memorandum of Association with the THA to address certain security issues in Tobago.

At the briefing, Duke made no apologies for the stance he took in criticising Baynes’ language.

“What spewed out of his (Baynes’) mouth was vitriolic hate. What spewed out of his mouth was crass and without class. What spewed out of his mouth was unbecoming for a man who holds the title of assemblyman on one hand and pastor on the other hand.”

He said Baynes “provoked a type of spirit within me, a reasonable thinker, by saying that they (Tobago People’s Party assemblymen) have a tolerance level for the stupidness people speak on the other side.”

Baynes, Duke said, had violated several aspects of the Standing Orders in his contribution and Taylor did not reprimand him seriously.

“I watched the presiding officer give him a slap on the wrist: ‘Don’t say that.’”

But he said Baynes continued, referring to the Minority’s contribution as “flushable waste” and “latrinated talk.”

Taylor, he observed, said nothing.

“Remember the role of the presiding officer is to regulate the conduct of the business on all matters. So the business of the House ought to be done properly. And it is very specific in so far as content of speech is concerned, which is dealt with under article 45 of the Standing Orders.”

Duke, who described Taylor as an “abject failure,” claimed she does not know the Standing Orders of the House.

He also accused her neglecting her responsibilities as chair of three of the five committees in the THA. Taylor presides over the standing-order committee, the regulations committee and the privileges committee.

“Three committees out of five, none of them have ever reported to the assembly as far as I am aware.”

He continued, “I want to ask Abby Taylor to do Tobago a service and resign from her job. You are poor at it. You have not read this book at all. You are referring to assemblymen and members in the House by their wrong title. You just seem not to care, so there is no particular emphasis on you getting it right. There is no duty of care and diligence with her job.”

Duke further described Taylor as “the worst person to have ever held that job – the absolute worst. And I mean every word I say. She is the worst.”

The assemblyman also said Taylor had no authority to instruct police officers to escort him out of the chamber.

“They are there to observe the proceedings. They are not there to lock up anybody. They are there to protect us inside the House as far as possible. But she has no power within the standing orders to say, escort Mr Duke out.”

Duke said even the officers are untrained.

“The officers came to me and said, ‘Mr Duke, you have to go outside.’ I said, ‘Go where?’”

Duke said he told the officers they could not move him from the House because he is an assemblyman and has certain privileges.

“When they came to hold me, I said I am an assemblyman, what laws are you using to hold me? The man said he don’t know. Because if you hold me as a police officer, then you have assaulted me. If any police officer hold you without telling you what they holding you for, is ether they going to charge you or restrain you. But they must tell you, according to law, why they are holding you.”

He said anybody working the assembly must be trained and understand the standing orders.

“After almost four years now, you want to tell me the Presiding Officer has not trained these police me that are coming there religiously. Failure on their side.”

Ex-presiding officer: Procedure was not followed

Former THA presiding officer Dr Denise Tsoiafatt Angus said Taylor "did not follow proper procedure" outlined in THA Standing Order 52.

In an interview with Newsday, Tsoiafatt Angus, who is now political leader of the Innovative Democratic Alliance, said, "In putting a member out, she has to follow proper procedure. She can ask a member to leave and come back, but in physically removing a member, she would have to ask a member of the House to move a motion to have a member to be removed due to disobedience or disruption."

She said a presiding officer must have a certain level of tolerance and guile to persuade members.

Tsoiafatt Angus said a member being thrown out was rare, noting that that last time that happened was in 2010 when then-presiding officer Ann Mitchell-Gift removed TOP councillor Dr Hughvon Des Vignes. (with reporting by Stephon Nicholas)

This story was originally published with the title "Duke: THA presiding officer must resign" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.