 Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Unlike my very good friend to my right, insinuated, the voice isn't that good Mr. Speaker and I don't intend to be extremely long. I will not withdraw. That statement resonates Mr. Speaker. It resonates with the behavioural pattern of the Leader of the Opposition, Member Famiku South. Member Famiku South waned to be in the house. He was granted the opportunity to be in the house. But as you can see Mr. Speaker, his chair is conspicuously empty. So basically it was an imposition that he wanted to come to pass. Mr. Speaker, when I was first elected as a parliamentarian and took my seat in this other's chamber just over 17 years ago, I never thought there would come a time when I would have had to make a contribution on a motion of such a nature. But then again, whilst this is the first time, we have seen many events happening in this country of ours for the very first time since 2016 when the United Workers Party were victorious at the polls. You see Mr. Speaker, we are called honourable and by virtue of carrying that title, we are expected to do what is best. We are expected to uphold the laws. We are expected not to make a mockery of the laws and we are expected to conduct ourselves with a certain degree of decorum. We are expected Mr. Speaker to preach and accept adherence to our laws but most notably the supreme law of this land, our constitution. From the time the United Workers Party won the elections in 2016, the then Prime Minister and current member for Miku North showed disdain, showed disrespect and showed total disregard for the laws of this country. It started Mr. Speaker by a blatant breach of section 36 of the constitution. Which reads Mr. Speaker, section 54-1, which reads Mr. Speaker and I quote Session of Parliament shall be held at such place within St. Lucia and shall begin at such time, not being later than 12 months from the end of the preceding session of Parliament if it has been for more than one month, not more than one month from the holding of a general election. Not one more than one month after the general elections of 2016, Parliament was supposed to have convene. It did not. The then Prime Minister blatantly disregarded the constitutional provision and when members of the media confronted him, those in my view who were apparently more savvy in that regard, what did he respond to them? He responded by saying, even if the constitution says that Parliament must convene within 30 days, the constitution did not lay sanctions for non adherents. That was his response Mr. Speaker. So there were no sanctions imposed and therefore I don't have to comply. Is that what honourable men do Mr. Speaker? As a leader, you comply with the laws of the country Mr. Speaker. You cannot say if the constitution does not impose sanctions, you are under no obligation to comply. And you know Mr. Speaker, that was the start. That was the start of the disobedience to the laws of this country by a government headed by the member Femiku south. Our Parliament quickly became the laughing stock of the region Mr. Speaker. You are the situation then with the deputy speaker. Section 36 of the constitution mandates the appointment of the deputy speaker as soon as it is convenient. Let me quickly read it. When the House first meets after a general election of members and before it proceeds to the dispatch of any other business except the election of the speaker, the House shall and shall haste mandatory Mr. Speaker. It is not discretionary. It does not say the House may. It says the House shall appoint a deputy speaker. Mr. Speaker, what happened to us? What happened to us? The prime minister then he forgot that constitutional provision. He forgot the convention that obtained. He forgot that this has never happened in the history of this country. And he made a mockery of this provision Mr. Speaker. He made a mockery. And I remember a minister in Antigua asking me, well y'all do it without deputy laughing. Literally laughing at what was happening to us. Our neighboring islands, they were basically using us as an instrument of laughter Mr. Speaker. Even when in 1987, Sir John George Melvin Compton won by a one seat majority. He won by a one seat majority in back to back elections Mr. Speaker. Never for once run this chamber without a deputy. He never did. He appointed a deputy speaker. But no, not the current leader of the opposition. His first excuse you will remember Mr. Speaker, that it was not yet convenient. He later clothed himself with another excuse that the appointment of the deputy speaker is the responsibility of the entire chamber. Basically pointing fingers of blame at the opposition then. So Mr. Speaker, the trend of disrespect to our constitution and to our parliament by this man is on record. And when this government for fear that another character like that member emerges from the cracks of nowhere Mr. Speaker. The government sought a constitutional amendment so it can never ever happen again. But what did the leader of the opposition do Mr. Speaker? He cried foul rather than saying that we are basically fixing an ill. He cries foul and says that we are creating an opportunity for job for the boys. Not reflecting on the fact that for five years for five years Mr. Speaker he convened parliament without a deputy. But Mr. Speaker, what the leader of the opposition did not realize. And they say colloquially to Tubushe was that the government was blocking all holes to prevent a recurrence of what had happened. A recurrence of a blatant disregard to such a constitutional provision that has been entrenched and has been adhered to from ever since we convened parliament Mr. Speaker. And this was done to ensure that no other leader that comes from wherever they come from would take our laws for what we colloquially refer to as Papishu. Mr. Speaker, the situation with the deputy speaker became so dire that the first speaker overtly clamored out for a deputy. She even took to social media for a deputy Mr. Speaker. And in an interview she said and I quote not only is a deputy essential she said she was a wife she was a mother and how could she function without a deputy. Mr. Speaker, on many occasions the house had to be suspended in the middle of various presentations because a nature had called. Look you Mr. Speaker your deputy slips into this chair in a very inconspicuous manner sometimes my head is down by the time I lift my head I say Mr. Speaker I need to correct myself and say Mr. Deputy so that is the smoothness which this parliament operates right now Mr. Speaker when the first speaker in Leon Theodore could have taken and she could have taken no more she had to quit Mr. Speaker but what I want to remind this house is what she went through what she went through before she left the chair of the speaker let's take a listen Mr. Speaker it is written in the constitution that the fact the responsibility to appoint the Deputy Speaker of the House the debate of appointment of Deputy Speaker began in August 2016 when Sarah Flup over resided the position to become a minister in the then two month old Alan Shastney administration the former Prime Minister refused to allow the government's side to elect a deputy contending it was the duty of the entire parliament this move was at odds the decisions arose over its constitutionality leading for us what to test the merits in the courts in a case against the office of the Speaker of the House the island was without a Deputy Speaker for five years until the SLP was voted into office in the summer of 2021 with Mikud North MP Jeremiah Norbert now in the post I really want to ask the speaker the question that everybody wants to know do you need a deputy most certainly you said most certainly why is that what makes you say that you require a deputy apart from saying according to spar order deputy is essential the constitution order of St. Lucia provides for a deputy at section 36 that's number one this is mirrored or repeated in standing order number three of the standing orders of the House of Assembly so there is the need there is the need for a deputy I am human I am a wife I am a mother God forbid that there is an emergency or taken ill and the House sitting has been set for a particular deal does that mean that the business of the House will not it has to be postponed at your convenience at my convenience but that is what is happening right now in New York in the fiscal year 2016 2017 recurrent expenditure was one million honourable member please bear with me for a minute wonderful thank you I am very very sorry to my colleague but can I just ask for the House to take a five minute recess if you don't mind honourable members the question is that the House do stand suspended for five minutes as many as of that opinion say I as many as of a contrary opinion say no this House do stand suspended for five minutes I have been listening to the continuation of the debate on the 2017-2018 estimates of revenue and expenditure just before the House went to break you were listening to the the voice of the honourable member for Labry Honourable Alpha Baptist and in the middle of his presentation the Prime Minister five minute break so that will take us up to ten minutes past ten when the member for Labry will continue his presentation it's like a bull in a china shop shasday ones mashing up everything, lost everything Mr Speaker that basically shows Mr Speaker what happened in this chamber without a deputy for five years five years you blatantly institutional provision you made a mockery of it you started by convening parliament you were in excess of 30 days as mandated by the constitution you went on you run the country for five years without a deputy speaker so breaking laws Mr Speaker is nothing new those blatant assaults on our laws need to be addressed and it continues up to now no one Mr Speaker no one can do as he or she pleases and believe they can operate with total impunity Mr Speaker when the united workers party won the elections in 2016 it was the first time we had an extravagant swearing in ceremony outside the city circuits where it was in view 4 with each minister have a hotel room if this Mr Speaker that normally happened within the conference of this chamber government house or the prime minister's official resident but no not with this man it was the very first time parliament convened in excess of 30 days and it was the very first time we were forced to function without a deputy and let us hope Mr Speaker that for the sake of good governance of this country of ours we are never permitted to go back into an era like that Mr Speaker that should never happen again in this country Mr Speaker but before the first speaker had enough Mr Speaker she was always crossing swords with the then prime minister who believed from all accounts that he was king of all he surveyed Mr Speaker he was king of all he surveyed he complied reluctantly once or twice but otherwise Mr Speaker he defied both speakers under his watch after leon theater couldn't take any more in came Andy Daniel and sadly Mr Speaker neither of them as my colleague said previously neither of them could have stood up to him because he believed all the tunes and that's a sad thing Mr Speaker Mr Speaker let's take a listen to an 8 second video where Andy Daniel Mr. Vien Mr. Vien in a very tiresome voice let's take a listen very well you know but you know Mr Speaker the one that broke the camel's back was when leon theater told the prime minister she was speaker then to take a seat he reluctantly complied but sadly she never had the chance to tell him that again she was out let's take a listen to it Mr Speaker I'm very happy for your judgment just for the point of clarification if one goes no prime minister I just wanted to make the point because you know it's all a learning issue for all of us please take your seat you know Mr Speaker you could live it away for a while Mr. only those are the kinds of transpirations that occurred within this chamber Mr. Speaker when Andy Daniel came here Mr. Speaker he asked the former prime minister to withdraw a statement he asked him to withdraw and he said boldly I am not withdrawing the statement do what you want let's take a listen to it Mr. Speaker right there in front of us right that we were misleading the house honourable prime minister honourable prime minister honourable prime minister you cannot stand and say you're not going to withdraw a statement I'm not going to withdraw it so you're going to have to take whatever action you want you want to play that again for me please play it again for those who have not seen or heard it and he said right there in front of us right that we were misleading the house honourable prime minister honourable prime minister honourable prime minister you cannot stand and say you're not going to withdraw a statement I'm not going to withdraw it so you're going to have to take whatever action you want imagine Mr. Speaker can you imagine this member Mr. Speaker he is a custom of doing as he pleases and if this is not dictatorial I don't know what is what is worse Mr. Speaker on this occasion the then speaker asked him to withdraw he boldly said take whatever action you went then Andy Daniel went on and he less the request as though he was begging please withdraw listen to the second request but I'm not withdrawing honourable prime minister I'm going to a handshake please to withdraw the statement I'm not withdrawing honourable prime minister I'm going to a handshake please to withdraw the statement I'm not you're not hearing this you're not hearing this Mr. Speaker so don't believe attitude that was shown by the member of Miku North towards you is new ground you new ground Miku South sorry it's not new ground this is how the man behaves this is how the man behaves and what is worse Mr. Speaker as he brought the speaker into he summoned the man into camp for what he termed as blatant disrespect and the member for Cassry's North will bear witness to that people you asked to withdraw humbly with Mr. Speaker laced it as though he was literally begging you Mr. Prime Minister please withdraw I'm not and then summoned the man to cabinet probably threaten him threaten to fire him put his bread on the land you know Mr. Speaker that is what you have here in this gentleman from Miku North Mr. Speaker and Mr. Speaker the sad thing is you know Leon Theodore the first speaker that he had she had to be literally fighting with the then Prime Minister even to get a chance to speak let's take a listen to that so Mr. Speaker the situation at hand is not new it is not new and it is an extension like I said previously of the behavioural pattern of the leader of the opposition and we have witnessed that kind of behaviour over the years Mr. Speaker the situation at hand is not new it is not new over the years Mr. Speaker over the years we have witnessed it in this chamber and we continue to witness it for the last six and a half years that he was made an elected member we continue to see that kind of conduct in this chamber Mr. Speaker total disregard to the law regard to the rules Mr. Speaker on a multiplicity of occasions ask me to withdraw statements I'm sure well in excess of ten times and there has been not one occasion Mr. Speaker that I have even contemplated refusing to do so far less to state I will not do so I accept your guidance with grace and humility even on that unfortunate Friday Mr. Speaker the day that became the subject matter of the disciplinary proceedings upon resumption from a standpoint of magnanimity I felt the compunction Mr. Speaker to offer an apology even if it was not requested I felt Mr. Speaker that I may in your view in an unparliamentarian manner probably I may not have but it is with that in my mind Mr. Speaker I felt I owed you an apology even if not invoked but the leader of the opposition is far from that Mr. Speaker and I want to put place on record my commendation to you Mr. Speaker in being a model speaker to commend you for doing what's right even showing a bit of compassion in so doing that two speakers that presided in this chamber prior to you Mr. Speaker were both appointed by the leader of the opposition and so he felt he could have disrespected the offices with total impunity you are cut from a different cloth Mr. Speaker and to you I say bravo I recently saw a clip Mr. Speaker of a suspension of a member of parliament from Antigua I sought his name I think and the speaker was not as tolerant as you you handled the situation in my view extremely well as it relates to the temporary suspension I want to say this the people of Neku south deserve the representative in this chamber but you see that right was reconferred upon him and he has greeted us with his absence only to make a statement that is the subtle disrespect that has been shown not only to this chamber but to the people of Neku south at the commencement of the term Mr. Speaker I am sure you will remember and other members will he had taken it up on his own volition to absent himself for on numerous occasions in fact I believe there was one time it was nearing the maximum amount of sessions a parliamentarian could have missed he quickly militated against it and found himself in the house but we don't want it that way even if he is absent let it be on his own volition and not that of ours but I want to caution him Mr. Speaker as I close that within all family circles within every organization within society itself there are rules and regulations to which we all must subscribe no one is above the law no one can operate with total impunity and whatever he repeth social whatever he soweth social he repeth I thank you Mr. Speaker