Morgan condemns Opposition MPs over Parliament fracas

Deputy Leader of Government Business Robert Nesta Morgan has condemned members of the Opposition for their conduct in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, following a heated confrontation involving Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Mikael Phillips and West Kingston MP Desmond McKenzie.

Morgan described the incident as disgraceful, accusing Opposition parliamentarians of bringing the proceedings of the House into disrepute through what he characterised as boisterous and disrespectful behaviour during and after the sitting.

The confrontation unfolded shortly after the House was adjourned, when Phillips verbally confronted Speaker of the House Juliet Holness.

According to Morgan, the situation escalated when McKenzie urged Phillips to show respect to the Speaker, prompting the Manchester North Western MP to unleash a series of expletives and move aggressively towards McKenzie.

Video footage of the incident, which has since emerged, appears to show Phillips making physical contact with Opposition Leader Mark Golding as he moved towards McKenzie. Golding subsequently appeared to walk away from the confrontation.

In a statement, Morgan also criticised Golding and Opposition MP Angela Brown Burke over comments allegedly made during the proceedings.

“We wish to decry the unparliamentary behaviour of several members of the Opposition, both during the sitting of the House, as we were carrying out [the] nation's business, and after,” Morgan said.

“Particularly the Leader of the Opposition, who made unparliamentary comments to the Speaker, Angela Brown Burke, who also made unparliamentary comments off mic, but especially Mikael Phillips, who moved aggressively towards Member of Parliament from West Kingston Desmond McKenzie and had to be restrained by several members of the House, based on his behaviour.”

He said parliamentarians had a responsibility to conduct the nation's business in a respectful and professional manner.

“We are representatives of the people. Our duty is to go to Parliament and conduct the business of the country and the people of Jamaica in a respectful and professional manner,” he said.

Morgan said the Government would not condone the conduct displayed by Opposition members, arguing that it set a poor example for Jamaicans observing the proceedings.

“Our side, that is the Government side, will not tolerate, condone or support the type of behaviour that we saw today in Parliament from the Opposition. It sets a bad example to everyone who is observing what is happening in the House,” he said.

He added that the conduct should not be taken as representative of all parliamentarians or the institution itself.

“We do not want it to be said that all parliamentarians or the Parliament is behaving in this manner. The distinction must be made that the behaviour was of the Opposition and and not the Government side. A behaviour that we condemn, a behaviour that we reject and a behaviour that we will constantly speak and act against.”