Brown-Burke’s acceptance of wrongdoing in Parliament incomplete; apology required, says JLP

The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is maintaining that South West St Andrew Member of Parliament, Dr Angela Brown-Burke, has not gone far enough in taking responsibility for her conduct in Parliament on Tuesday.

The JLP is calling for Brown-Burke to apologise to Parliament, House Speaker Juliet Holness, and the people of Jamaica.

Earlier on Thursday, Brown-Burke said she “accepts” that her actions in lifting the mace from its place in the House of Representatives “did not accord with parliamentary procedure.”

However, she argued that “context matters,” noting the concerns being raised about the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill at the time of the incident.

Brown-Burke added that she would not want her actions to distract from concerns regarding the unfettered powers being conferred under the NaRRA.

However, JLP Communication Chairman, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, said her response falls short and must be accompanied by a formal apology.

“Angela Brown-Burke’s acceptance that she blundered is not good enough in the absence of an apology for bringing the Parliament into disrepute and delaying debate on an important bill intended to bring assistance quickly to the people of Jamaica who have been badly impacted by Hurricane Melissa,” Fitz-Henley said in a media release on Thursday.

He added that Brown-Burke should apologise to the people of Jamaica, the Speaker and the Parliament, and argued that members of the Opposition People's National Party also have questions to answer regarding their conduct during the incident.

“I suspect that Mrs Brown-Burke was forced into accepting that she was wrong by the continued public backlash that she’s facing, but her behaviour on Tuesday is indicative of a continuation of misconduct and an unserious approach by the PNP and its members to treating with the business of the people of Jamaica. They really should do better,” he continued.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.