Senior Multimedia Reporter
Couva South MP Barry Padarath is standing by his comments regarding the conduct of parliamentary staff and has dismissed calls by the Opposition for him to be investigated for the alleged intimidation of staff as a deflection attempt by the People’s National Movement.
“I have no intention of being a scapegoat or deflection from the PNM’s debacle as it relates to Kareem Marcelle’s viral tirade and divisive comments. Incidentally, what should really warrant an investigation is Marcelle’s hateful speech, and whether or not this borders, if it is not a matter of sedition,” said Padarath in response to questions about the chaotic events which unfolded on Friday night.
Padarath, during Friday evening’s sitting of the Standing Finance Committee, accused parliamentary staff of bias due to what he said was the constant muting of his microphone.
“The technicians who are operating the audio system of the Parliament cannot determine who they want to listen to. Therefore, I am seeking your direct intervention, because this is not the first time,” said Padarath.
“The biased approach, by the staff and the technicians to mute, while we speak, and sometimes the audio while it is being played on the Parliament Channel will not be tolerated, and therefore we ask from now, I’m signalling that there will be a meeting of the Broadcasting Committee to treat with these matters.”
As he made his statement, House Speaker Jagdeo Singh could be seen speaking discreetly with parliamentary staff member, Legal Officer II Sharla Elcock. But Opposition MPs, including Stuart Young, could be heard saying their mics were turned off too, seeking to indicate that there was no bias.
Another Government MP, Michelle Benjamin, also stated the muting of the microphones of Government MPs was a recurring concern.
She said, “I’m a member of the Broadcasting Committee. This situation with regard to the mic was raised before. We raised the situation of the Government mic continually being mute. It was raised before. Do not let us sit here and act like it is the first time. It was raised before by myself and member (Khadijah) Ameen.”
However, both statements prompted loud crosstalk, especially after House Speaker Jagdeo Singh stated it would be addressed by the Broadcasting Committee. Opposition MPs raised their voices in protest and were heard challenging Padarath’s comments, saying it was “tyranny”. Their voices grew louder as they raised concerns that Padarath had taken a picture of a member of staff who was responsible for the audio during the SFC proceedings.
“This is a free and democratic society. What the hell is wrong with this Government?” asked Laventille West MP Kareem Marcelle.
One MP shouted that it was “bullying.”
Opposition Chief Whip Marvin Gonzales urged the Speaker to act. “As chair of these proceedings, are you going to allow or to ignore what transpired a short while ago, where the leader of government business was caught taking a photograph of a member of staff?”
He felt the move was nothing short of intimidation.
Marcelle even accused the Speaker of not coming to the defence of his own staff. Gonzales urged staff members to “call the police for him (Padarath)”.
The House Speaker eventually brought the evening’s proceedings to an end.
But yesterday, Padarath denied that any such incident occurred with a member of staff.
He also dismissed calls by the Opposition for an investigation into the matter and instead called for a probe to be launched into Marcelle’s comments last Thursday at a political meeting where he accused the United National Congress (UNC) of being hostile towards Afro-Trinidadians and communities that have traditionally supported the PNM.
Padarath said, “Therefore, an immediate criminal investigation should be launched to determine whether, in fact, this is an issue of sedition by hateful speech, inciting the population, pitting one community against the other.”
Opposition wants Padarath removed as Leader of Government Business
The Opposition People’s National Movement issued a release late Friday evening. It said, “Accusing parliamentary officials of bias, it carries an unmistakable element of intimidation and creates the appearance of a threat directed at a public officer simply performing his duties.”
It said what first began as complaints by Padarath descended into what it described as “astonishing and wholly unsubstantiated allegations” against parliamentary staff.
The Opposition stressed that when a senior Government minister singled out a parliamentary employee after making allegations of bias, it was “an unmistakable element of intimidation” and appeared as a threat towards a public officer.
The Opposition called for a criminal investigation to be launched into Padarath’s actions to ascertain if “it amounts to intimidation of a public officer in the execution of his duties.”
It added that all CCTV footage in the parliament, recordings and audiovisual material be saved and made available to investigators.
The party also called for Padarath’s removal as Leader of Government Business.
“By his actions this evening, Mr Padarath abused the authority of that office, brought it into disrepute and demonstrated a level of conduct wholly inconsistent with the responsibilities of Leader of Government Business. He has shown himself to be unfit to continue to hold that position and should be removed without delay.”
Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young, in a statement on his Facebook page, raised concern about the Speaker’s response to the entire matter.
“If it is that parliamentary staff are not going to be provided with protection by the Parliament from members intimidating or assaulting them, and we are now going to be dependent on standing orders, something is fundamentally wrong,” said Young, who, along with Diego Martin Central MP Symon de Nobriga, took to social media to further criticise the Government’s actions in the Lower House on Friday.
Silence from
House Speaker, parliamentary staff
Yesterday, efforts to contact the House Speaker proved futile. When contacted by Guardian Media via WhatsApp, he read the messages but did not respond. He also did not answer repeated calls for comment on the audio debacle.
Efforts to get a comment from parliamentary staff also proved futile, as a senior staff member declined to comment on the events of Friday night and the accusations.
