Tempers flared in Parliament yesterday when the Opposition United National Congress pressed Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on issues concerning the Sports Ministry’s $150,000 settlement to a former employee.
And UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh—a casualty of the fray—ended up being put out of the Parliament chamber for the sitting.
The Opposition peppered Rowley with queries on the ministry issue, which—along with the removal of former Sports Minister Darryl Smith—brought his administration into sharp focus recently.
Rowley said the first he’d heard of any settlement was when it was raised as a Parliamentary question recently.
Indarsingh asked if any advice was offered to him through the Attorney General’s Office. Rowley said the AG’s office wasn’t involved in the matter as far as he was concerned and “no advice, contact or communication” was made to him by the AG or anyone in this matter.
Rowley said when the matter came to his attention in Parliament, he immediately asked a Cabinet member to communicate with the Permanent Secretary (Sport) to determine what the Government was involved in and what it’s liabilities were. He said then Sports Minister Smith, who was overseas, returned to T&T and he spoke to him soon after.
On whether steps will be taken to retrieve the $150,000 spent on the settlement, Rowley replied: “This matter is no more urgent than the allegations which were made when you (UNC) were in Government.” UNC MPs protested loudly. But Rowley retorted: “Don’t play no holier-than-thou for me.”
When Indarsingh particularly protested several times, he was asked by House Speaker Brigid Annisette-George to withdraw his comments—which he did.
Rowley then continued. He said when the matter arose in Parliament the Attorney General made it clear the settlement concerned wrongful dismissal by way of process.
“That was the issue the Government was dealing with at the Industrial Court...sexual harassment in public office didn’t start with this Government so don’t come and play holier-than-thou here for me!” Rowley repeated.
UNC MPs—particularly Barry Padarath—again protested and he was asked to apologise. Padarath did so, but maintained his protests against Government were “true.”
When Indarsingh again interjected, Annisette-George advised him to “take a walk and control your emotions and you can return...”
Indarsingh didn’t do so. Opposition Whip David Lee protested there was no Standing Order (instruction) to instruct an MP to “take a walk.”
Indarsingh said he was willing to abide by the Speaker’s ruling if she could guide him on what Standing Order she based her request on.
Annisette-George said it was either Indarsingh abide with it or she’d invoke her “other powers.” Indarsingh, however, insisted on finding out what Standing Order she was using.
Annisette-George then told him, “Having called upon you at least three times to apologise—and take a walk, return and control yourself—I now deem your conduct to amount to gross disorder and I’m asking you to immediately withdraw from the chamber for the rest of the sitting.”
Indarsingh was escorted out by two police officers.
Continuing with his replies on the Sport matter, Rowley said as far as he was aware there was no policy to spend public funds to settle industrial relations matters in the public service using non-disclosure agreements. He said he woud put a competent team on it to probe the circumstances and “when that information is available, it will be addressed accordingly.”
Rowley said he referred the matter to the team rather than Public Service Commission, as he thought it would require clarity in the event it had to be referred to the PSC. On whether the Sport Ministry’s Permanent Secretary would be questioned in the probe, he advised MPs to await the outcome.
Rowley also told UNC’s Roodal Moonilal—who asked about the “new information” which led to Smith’s removal—that ministerial appointments were a matter for him (PM) and he wasn not under any obligation to say why he came to that conclusion.
