And while Espat and fellow backbencher Cordel Hyde provided the most notable comments at Friday's House sitting, the most memorable moment came when the meeting was abruptly adjourned during a presentation by UDP member for Mesopotamia, Michael Finnegan. Finnegan was disclosing with documentary proof what he characterized as a scandal of special private interests which now privately manage the national airport colluding with the government to make taxpayers have to pay and guarantee the loans for the private airport management. Again, here's what happened during that presentation.
[Friday June 17th, 2005]
Elizabeth Zabenah, Speaker of the House
[Addressing Finnegan] "I'm still trying to find out what is your point."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker I don't care if you don't understand my point."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"You don't care but I care."
Michael Finnegan,
"I don't care what the Prime Minister says. He has been caught in these alleys and highways before and he used this same House in order to bring across distortions of the facts etc."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"So what is the point here?"
Michael Finnegan,
"If you and the Prime Minister will allow me to proceed, you may learn eventually."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"Let us bring the document that the Prime Minister wanted to see please."
Michael Finnegan,
"You are sending for my document to give the Prime Minister? Who gives you authority to do that Madam Speaker?"
Said Musa,
"Because she wants to stop you from fabrications in this House."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker anyhow."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"If you do not pass it so that the Prime Minister can see it we will not proceed."
Michael Finnegan,
"I think you're really out of hand, you're out of hand now."
Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
[To House Speaker] "You must be crazy."
Michael Finnegan,
"You make up the rules as we go along noh?"
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"It would want to seem so but right now I am going to adjourn this House."
Michael Finnegan,
"Madam Speaker let me proceed."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"Prime Minister please move the adjournment."
Said Musa,
"Madam Speaker I move the adjournment of the House."
Elizabeth Zabenah,
"Honorable members the question is the House will now adjourn. All those in favor kindly say aye, those again kindly say no. The House now stands adjourned."
Dean Barrow,
[Throws Cup of Water on Floor] "How will you adjourn the House while the member is talking?"
Said Musa,
"Because he is lying, too much lies."
Michael Finnegan,
"We have a crazy woman as the Speaker of the House; that's a crazy woman."
That was Friday and tomorrow, the UDP will hold a National Party Council meeting to decide whether it will boycott future House sittings in protest of the hasty adjournment by the Speaker. Party leader Dean Barrow says his party must weigh the question of its responsibility to represent its constituencies against what he characterizes as the outrageous action of the Speaker. Depending on what time tomorrow's meeting ends, we may have the party's decision on tomorrow night's newscast.
