Morgan calls for apology from Brown-Burke and Golding over ‘disgraceful’ conduct in Parliament

Government Senator Marlon Morgan is arguing that South West St Andrew Member of Parliament Dr Angela Brown-Burke and Opposition Leader Mark Golding owe the Speaker of the House, Parliament, and the people of Jamaica an apology over their conduct and the mace incident in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night.

During deliberations on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, Brown-Burke lifted the mace from its place.

The mace, a ceremonial staff that marks the authority of Parliament and the conduct of its sittings, is to be handled only by the marshal.

Brown-Burke was chastised by House Speaker Juliet Holness for her actions and suspended from the sitting.

Initially flanked by Opposition colleagues, including Golding, Brown-Burke did not immediately comply with the order, prompting a temporary break in proceedings.

Following the suspension, she did not return with her Opposition colleagues when the House resumed.

Morgan accused the veteran MP of engaging in “disgraceful and grossly disorderly” conduct.

“The Parliament of Jamaica is the preeminent symbol of our rich and vibrant democracy. That a sitting of a committee of Parliament was so disgracefully disrupted and effectively brought into disrepute is the clearest indication yet that the Opposition PNP is prepared to take Jamaica back to the dark days of our unsavoury political past,” he said in a statement.

He added: “As if the grossly disorderly conduct of PNP Chairman Angela Brown-Burke, who interfered with the mace, was not disturbing enough, the entire Opposition PNP was openly defiant and exhibited contempt for the chairman’s ruling and the will of the members, who voted in favour of Brown-Burke’s suspension from the remainder of Tuesday night’s sitting.”

Morgan continued: “Against the backdrop of violence and other forms of anti-social behaviour among our nation’s children, I am particularly disappointed that the Parliamentary Opposition, with Opposition Leader Mark Golding being equally complicit, has undermined the moral authority of the nation’s Parliament in the way they have.”

He argued that the actions of the Opposition on Tuesday night set a poor example for appropriate conduct.

“While I look forward to the appropriate parliamentary sanctions being meted out to Dr Angela Brown-Burke in particular, nothing short of a swift and unreserved public apology by Angela Brown-Burke and Opposition Leader Mark Golding to the Speaker, their colleague parliamentarians, and the people of Jamaica should be forthcoming at this time,” Morgan said.

Morgan is also asserting that Tuesday’s incident represents a new low in Jamaican politics.

“For the other PNP members, led by Opposition Leader Mark Golding, to have joined Dr Angela Brown-Burke in open defiance of the rules governing Parliament, and the expressed directive of the chairman and House Speaker, renders them just as culpable and worthy of rebuke as Angela Brown-Burke herself,” he added.

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