Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Harry Gill was yesterday reprimanded and referred to the National Assembly’s Privileges Committee for criticising the rulings of Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland as inconsistent.
The decision to refer the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) MP to the committee as a result of his views, which were contained in a letter published in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News, was subsequently dubbed by the party to be “a crude assault” on parliamentary democracy and the right to free speech of a Member of the National Assembly.
“If the Honourable Member, Mr. Gill, was dissatisfied with the rulings or decisions of the Speaker, he could have taken a course of action provided in the Standing Orders, to which all members in this House have submitted themselves when they became members of this House. He has proceeded instead on a course of action which is totally impermissible under the Standing Orders. His conduct is an affront to the office of Speaker, the person of the Speaker and to the dignity of this House,” Scotland said to the House, while apologising for the one-hour delay in the start of yesterday sitting.
