00:00After 9 p.m. on Friday, the Red House became an atmosphere of confrontation
00:04as the Standing Finance Committee reviewed the $34.5 million supplementation
00:10for the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs.
00:13Leader of Government and Business Barry Padarath interrupted proceedings
00:17alleging his microphone was being deliberately muted.
00:21My mic was being turned off to a bias approach by the staff.
00:27And the technicians to mute while we speak and sometimes the audio while it is being played
00:35or the Parliament Channel will not be tolerated.
00:38And therefore we ask, from now I'm signaling,
00:42that there will be a meeting of the Broadcasting Committee to treat with these matters.
00:48That's where the shouting match began.
01:02The Speaker's suggestions that the evidence and data be gathered
01:06and that the matter be dealt with at the proposed meeting, failing to temper either side.
01:34Opposition members also questioned the Speaker's response,
01:37urging him to defend Parliament's staff.
01:40And you have not come to the defense of your own staff.
01:45You have not come to the defense of your own staff in the Parliament, Mr. K.
01:49Call the police for him.
01:51But it was the clerk's remark to the Speaker that provided a bit more insight into the situation,
01:57where a staff member was approached, allegedly by the said Minister.
02:12Opposition MPs subsequently claimed Padarat left his seat,
02:16approached the audio technician and took a photograph of the staff member.
02:20Singh was asked by the clerk to address staff being approached by parliamentarians.
02:25All members, please exercise a great degree of restraint with the parliament staff.
02:32The parliament staff, they go beyond the call of duty by and large.
02:40All attempts by Singh to control the House failed,
02:43with Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin lending her voice to the discourse.
02:47For the public record, I'm a member of the Broadcasting Committee.
02:51This situation with regards to the mic was raised before.
02:57We raised the situation of the government, mic continually being muted.
03:02It was raised before.
03:04Do not let us sit here and act like it's the first time.
03:08It was raised before by myself and member Amin.
03:16Unable to restore order, Speaker Jagdao Singh suspended the proceedings for 10 minutes
03:22before the Standing Finance Committee resumed.
03:25Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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