Tonight, we're waiting to hear whether the Speaker of the House Valerie Woods will accept the half hearted apology that Leader of the Opposition Shyne Barrow sent to her yesterday.
He sent her an email saying, quote, "I write in the spirit of a reset to offer my apologies for the offense you took to my email August 10th."
It may not sound like an apology to most - and it would be up to the Speaker to determine that - but today Senior Minister and 20 year veteran of the House, Francis Fonseca says it's good enough.
He explained that while it may not be the best apology, he believes that the Opposition Leader saw the error of his ways and is satisfied that he reached out to the Speaker.
However he believes that Shyne's. Subsequent requests to examine Minister Jose Mai and the PM's comments towards Tracy Panton are a bit frivolous.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
"I can only speak for me, I'm a member of that committee. You know, I think George Price used to always say to us as young students, let not the best be the enemy of the good. So, you know, I think, listen, the leader of the opposition went from a very hard-lined position of no apology and very obnoxious and arrogant in my view, to a position where he is admitting, I believe, in his own way, that he erred and that in fact he owes the speaker an apology."
"So, in my view, we should not bicker over the manner and content of that apology. I think, you know, I certainly accept it as an apology, but of course that's not a decision for me to make. Ultimately, the speaker will have to be satisfied that it is an apology in her view and then the committee, I imagine, the constitutional and foreign affairs committee, privileges committee will take a look at it."
"But speaking for myself, I am satisfied that, you know, he has satisfactorily responded. As he was called upon by so many members in the last house meeting to do, so I think he made the right decision."
"We'll have a host committee meeting, I think, on the 23rd. So, certainly, I mean, he can table it. I can tell you my position. I view it, I saw the letter this morning. I view that as absolutely frivolous and vexatious."
"I see no merit or substance in what he is requesting. You know, this is completely different. You know, across the aisle, we have, you know, everybody gets, you know, you know, a little bit offensive. from time to time. In a sense that's what we sign up for, the hurley-burley of politics. I know some people don't like it, but that's the reality of politics on the house floor, we are on the house floor."
"I think we should always, of course, have great respect and regard for each other and our female members in particular. I believe that both the Prime Minister and Minister Mai have expressed, have said to the member, I think, that listen, if we apologize, if we have offended you, that sort of thing."
"So, I think that is very different from what the leader of the opposition did."
