by Alphea Sumner (Jamaica Observer) A large portion of Finance Minister Nigel Clarke’s closing budget speech was delivered without the presence of most Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, after a walkout following a heated exchange between MP for St Andrew South West Angela Brown Burke and House Speaker Marissa Dalrymple Philibert.
The two MPs butted heads after Brown Burke, who had risen on a point of order over Clarke’s repeated reference to Opposition Leader Mark Golding as “Massa Mark”, retorted “Shut up!” in response to a remark from a member on the Government side. This drew objections from Leader of Government Business Edmund Bartlett and Dalrymple Philibert, who insisted that the remark be withdrawn.
“I was just about to allow the member,” said the Speaker, who found Brown Burke’s behaviour and her language offensive. “If you withdraw that unparliamentary language, of course you’ll be allowed, and I will not renege from that,” the Speaker said.
