00:00Can I please ask all members that we do not, we endeavor our best not to have a repeat of the glorified shouting match that took place last week, Friday.
00:16I'm please asking everyone to exercise a measure of restraint. Thank you.
00:23Speaker of the House Jagdeo Singh referring to the House of Representatives sitting last week during which there was a walkout by the opposition.
00:31And while the Speaker spoke at the start of the Doha House's debate of the Government's budget for Fiscal 2026 on Friday, it was Deputy Speaker Dr. Ayana Ali who later announced that Coover South MP and Public Utilities Minister Barry Padrath raised a matter of privilege against Opposition Leader and Arima MP Penelope Beckles.
00:53Member for Coover South submitted that under the letterhead of the Leader of the Opposition on 10th October 2025, the following public statement was issued, and I quote,
01:04After months of enduring bias and prejudicial behavior from the presiding officer of the lower house, all members of Parliament on the opposition bench were left with no choice but to leave today's sitting.
01:17The pattern of unfair treatment and rulings has continued unchecked and unaddressed.
01:24It is now beyond question to unbiased observers that the current Speaker of the House has failed in his duty to act impartially and to uphold the Constitution and the standing orders of Parliament.
01:37The Minister's concern was then highlighted.
01:40The Member of Parliament for Coover South has raised the matter of privilege based on the submission that the Member for Arima attempted to bring into disrepute the independent democratic work of the House of Representatives in the eyes of the public for political gain by questioning the independence of the presiding officer.
02:01The Member for Coover South submitted that this was an act of, and I quote, constructive contempt against the House of Representatives.
02:10The Deputy Speaker said there has been a precedent of past parliaments, quote, to never bring the presiding officer into the realm of political attacks or aspersions, end quote.
02:20Erkstein May's parliamentary practice on page 138 speaks to constructive contempt, as it states, and I quote,
02:29Indignities offered to the House by words spoken or writings published reflecting on its character or proceedings have been published by both the Lords and the Commons upon the principle
02:40and that such acts of abuse tend to obstruct the houses in the performance of their functions by diminishing the respect due to them, end quote.
02:52Deputy Speaker Ali said she had undertaken research on the analysis.
02:56In deciding whether a prima facie case of contempt has been made out, the Chair must carefully consider the facts alleged and all the information placed before her.
03:07I have done just that and find that the prima facie case of contempt has indeed been made out.
03:18I so rule and refer this matter to the Committee of Privileges for consideration and report.
03:28According to the Parliament's website, the Parliament's current Privileges Committee is chaired by Speaker Singh, with other members being Minister Padarath,
03:41Land Minister Saddam Hussein, Justice Minister Devish Maraj, Opposition MP Keith Scotland and Opposition MP Stuart Young.
03:51Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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