Last night you heard Leader of the Opposition Shyne Barrow's extended breakdown of why he thinks he was wrongly dismissed from Friday's House sitting.
We asked the speaker for comment, but she didn't respond. However we did find her at another event today where she made it clear, what happens in the house stays in the house. Here's what she told me:
Cherisse Halsall:
"Of course, I have to ask you about the incident with the leader of the opposition Shyne Barrow, he has been in the press this week talking in and out of what he feels was his right to stand on a standing order and saying that you acting erroneously in your judgement of removing him, what's your official comment on that whole situation?"
Valerie Woods, Speaker Of the House
"Cherisse, let me be frank, I will not participate in the politics that is on display on a ruling that the speaker makes and that policy being on display outside of the chamber, nor will I condone the continued disrespect that is being hurled at the speaker for a ruling made inside the house. It would be most inappropriate for a speaker and quite frankly irresponsible to do that, the rules are there, and the speaker is in charge of the house. I will only say this and restrict my comment to this, in respect of the parliament and the parliamentary institution, any further comments I make, I will do that officially in the announcements made by the speaker inside the chamber, any member of the house is more than entitled to disagree with a ruling made by the speaker, no members of the house including the speaker is infallible and that is understood but the speaker is in charge of that house. So while a member may disagree, what is not acceptable and what will not be condoned is the questioning of the conduct of the speaker. It is grossly out of order for me to participate in addressing a lot of the commentary that has been hurled outside of the chamber, as you said on the media, I will not engage in that because it would mean that I would be condoning the irresponsibility of it. I will restrict my comments to the House."
