Bunting butts heads with Sinclair

Deputy Senate President Charles Sinclair yesterday clashed with Peter Bunting, the leader of opposition business, over the latter’s insistence that he would finish Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s Budget presentation, which was cut short on March 19 by a walkout led by the prime minister in the House of Representatives.

Golding could not continue his contribution to the Budget Debate in the Lower House as the walkout by government lawmakers left the sitting without a quorum as a quorum comprises 16 members, not including the Speaker.

Bunting came armed with the balance of Golding’s Budget speech yesterday and insisted that the section of the opposition leader’s presentation that was not delivered in the Lower House be recorded by Hansard in the Senate.

Hansard is the official record of Parliament.

He highlighted that “no less than eight ministers” of the Jamaica Labour Party Government had been forced to resign since the party came to power in 2016.

However, Sinclair stopped Bunting in his tracks as he cautioned members of the Upper House to “contain our speeches to what is relevant to what is before us”.

The senators were debating the Appropriations Bill, which sets out government revenues and expenditure for fiscal year 2024-2025.

Citing Standing Order 35(1), Sinclair said the senator must confine his remarks to the subject under debate.

“You are going into an area where you are now transgressing … into an area that is not relevant. Senator Bunting and members on both sides, stick to the relevance of what is before us,” Sinclair said.

Standing Order 35(1), which addresses contents of speeches, states: “Subject to the provisions of Standing Order 11, debate upon any motion, bill, or amendment shall be relevant to such motion, bill, or amendment, and the member shall confine his observations to the subject under discussion.”

Bunting hit back, saying that a budget was a statement of priorities and that he would not confine himself to numbers.

“Senator Bunting, I am not going to get in an argument with you,” said Sinclair.

Bunting retorted: “You cannot tell me the content of my presentation.”

With decibel levels increasing, Sinclair again charged Bunting to confine his presentation to the bill that was before them.

But an animated Bunting declared that the bill covered every aspect of government.

“It covers the auditor general, it covers the clerk to the Houses, it covers the Integrity Commission, it covers every crevice and corner of government,” he said.

Bunting charged: “If you want to muzzle me, you will have to tek me out of here. You can walk out and remove the quorum.”

Responding, Sinclair said: “You can continue, but where you go outside of 35(1), I will rein you in.”

He also told Bunting that, as the presiding officer, he determines what was relevant under the Standing Orders.

However, this triggered another sharp exchange with Bunting, who said: “You can come and try with that bullying tactics. You don’t determine my contribution. I decide what is relevant.”

Bunting’s mention of the “failure to disclose the identity of the so-called illicit six” again saw the intervention of Sinclair.

He warned Bunting not to “cast aspersions in relation to persons who are members of either chamber”.

However, Bunting questioned: “What are you going to do?”

Continuing, Bunting said that the anti-corruption body had reported that there were six MPs who were under investigation for illicit enrichment.

Sinclair said the senator should allow the commission to complete its investigation and submit a report to Parliament.

Bunting then urged the Integrity Commission to complete its investigation and submit a report to Parliament.

The leader of opposition business also mentioned that the statutory declaration of the prime minister could not be certified for successive years.

“We are asking that the Integrity Commission make a full report to Parliament on that issue so that the taint on the integrity of the Government be addressed transparently,” he added.

The Appropriations Bill was passed by the Senate. This paves the way for government spending of the $1.3 trillion that is set aside in the Budget for the 2024-2025 financial year, which starts on April 1.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com