This week’s featured overall development as Newsmaker of the Week is the range of reactions to the suggestion by Opposition Leader Mark Golding of a perceived conflict of interest arising from Juliet Holness being Speaker of the House of Representatives while her husband, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, is the head of Government.
The comments by Golding drew the ire of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who accused the People’s National Party (PNP) President of being “low and desperate”.
Holness then led a historic walkout by members of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) from the House of Representatives, truncating Golding’s Budget speech, as the House ended up lacking the required quorum of 16 members, plus the speaker, for the sitting to continue.
Golding’s comments set off a firestorm of reactions, with Government members claiming that the Opposition leader and, by extension, the PNP were being misogynistic by now raising issues with Mrs Holness selection as House Speaker, which the Opposition seconded in September of last year.
Mrs Holness was appointed House Speaker following the resignation of Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, due to a report from the Integrity Commission (IC).
The Opposition and Mrs Holness have since been at odds because of her ruling on how she would proceed in tabling reports from the IC and the auditor general, an issue that also dominated the final months of Dalrymple-Philibert’s tenure as House Speaker.
On Tuesday, Golding used the latter part of his speech in the Budget Debate to highlight his concerns about Mrs Holness’ appointment as House Speaker, which he claimed has presented some major concerns.
Golding said then: “The head of Parliament (Juliet Holness) is now the spouse of the head of Government. This really does not sit well with the tradition that the speaker must act independently of the Government of the day.
Juliet Holness
“The speaker is intended to be independent, and must act independent of the Government of the day,” he elaborated.
The Opposition leader insisted that that is the “tradition”, but he was drowned out by the governing side, who raised objection to the comments, and then walked out of the sitting.
It is unusual for Government members to walk out of the House, given that they would have the majority in the House, and in the present scenario, actually have an overwhelming majority.
Golding was forced to finish his speech outside the House on Duke Street, where he called on the prime minister to “tek weh himself and hand over to someone who is not compromised”.
Further, the PNP president said it is “untenable” for the prime minister’s statutory declarations of assets and liabilities to go uncertified for two successive years.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness reacting to Opposition Leader Mark Golding’s statement in reference to Holness’ wife, Juliet, being the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in the House last Tuesday.
Those comments relative to the prime minister have, however, gone unnoticed for the most part, as the focused was largely placed on the comments Golding made about Mrs Holness as the House Speaker.
Cabinet Minister Robert Morgan was first to issue a statement on Tuesday, during which he said Golding’s comments in relation to Mrs Holness were “highly inappropriate”.
He pointed to her nomination as House Speaker, which was seconded by Leader of Opposition Business in the House, Phillip Paulwell, and noted that no member of the Opposition voted against her nomination.
Paulwell, speaking at a PNP press briefing on Tuesday, said he seconded the nomination because it is “tradition”, while Golding said he was not present at Parliament on the day, and the Opposition political party had not been “consulted” about the appointment of Mrs Holness.
Phillip Paulwell
Golding insisted, too, that he “did not say anything offensive”, and he was not “rude” by making his utterances regarding Mrs Holness, the Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew East Rural.
He argued that Mrs Holness’ behaviour since taking office in relation to the treatment of reports from the Auditor General’s Department, and her not sharing a legal opinion that formed the basis of her ruling on how reports from the department and the Integrity Commission (IC) are to be handled, is “egregious” and “inconsistent with transparency”.
On the decision of the prime minister to walk out of Parliament, Golding said: “What I believed happened was that when the (my) speech was shared in Parliament and the prime minister saw the points that were coming after the point I was making, he decided to take this action, because he didn’t want me to have the opportunity of making those points in Parliament in front of him.”
Despite his explanations, the heat on Golding from Government members intensified.
Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson accused Golding of sinking to a new low.
“Mark Golding has repeatedly demonstrated that he will say anything for political gain, he has visibly flip flopped on a number of issues when they no longer suit his political agenda and blind pursuit of power, to which he feels entitled without working for it,” said Tavares-Finson.
Tom Tavares-Finson
“Mark Golding has repeatedly taken to personal attacks, instead of advancing real and practical ways to move Jamaica forward,” Tavares-Finson added.
Then Acting Leader of Government Business in the House, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, issued a statement on Tuesday defending the prime minister’s right to walk out on Golding’s contribution to the Budget Debate.
Grange contended that Golding’s statements regarding Mrs Holness had “brought the House into disrepute”.
Olivia Grange
The PNP, up to Thursday morning, had not indicated whether it would boycott the prime minister’s contribution to the Budget Debate.
However, the Opposition members walked inside Parliament after the prayer had ended for the start of the afternoon’s proceedings.
Holness began his presentation by declaring that his wife, Juliet, is an independent woman who has achieved on her own.
“I want to thank my family for their love and support, particularly Juliet, an independent woman, a self-made woman who has achieved all that she has in her own right,” said Holness to thunderous banging on the desks from JLP parliamentarians.
Social media users commented extensively on the saga that has arisen from Golding’s comments, which led to the dramatic walkout by the prime minister and the entire Government side.
“Very hypocritical of the Opposition. They supported her (Juliet Holness’) election to the chair initially. Now changing mind,” said a man on Facebook.
“It is a conflict of interest to have the prime minister and speaker of the House of Parliament (Representatives) as husband and wife. It doesn’t take someone with a law degree to work this out,” opined another man.
“She (Juliet Holness) needs to step down. She is a bit bias, and if truth should be told, most Jamaicans share the sentiments. So for once, let us put our country first,” a woman suggested.
However, a man rubbished such claims being made about a potential conflict of interest.
“There is no conflict of interest whatsoever with both Andrew and Juliet (Holness) serving the country in different capacities of leadership. The PNP bad mind and any Jamaican who disagree bad mind, bad mind, bad mind!” he wrote.
In agreeing with that view, a woman said: “Andrew (Holness) had all right to walk out, ’cause no man nah go make another man disrespect dem wife so. (Mark) Golding is rude…”
Another woman disagreed with that view, and stated that: “… The prime minister is very disrespectful to walk out (of Parliament); that is no excuse.”
Said another woman: “Mark Golding turn up the truth on Holness. Him haffi walk from Parliament, but a just the truth Markie G (Golding) a talk; wife as House speaker and husband as prime minister nuh right.”
Still, a male Facebook user said he saw nothing wrong with husband and wife holding positions as head of Government and speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
“We set standards in Jamaica! I see nothing wrong with Holness and him wife a juggle powerful positions in the country. Nuh body, not one, can say dem corrupt. Period!” he insisted.
