Is the Speaker of the National Assembly, Michael Perkins, still “stifling democracy” in the lawmaking body?

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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – The impartially of the controversial Speaker of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Mr. Michael Perkins, was again called into question Thursday after his photo was printed on the cover of the 2017 Team Unity Budget Address.

Perkins, who served as a senator and Deputy Speaker and who sat on the government benches and who made several controversial and biased rulings in favour of the Government side, was elected Speaker following the resignation of Mr. Franklin Brand, who reportedly refused to be a puppet for the Team Unity Government.

During his tenure as deputy speaker, members of the opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) and the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) had reasons to accuse Perkins of “stifling democracy.”

Leader of the Opposition the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas brought the matter to the Speaker’s attention during his three-hour response to the Budget Speech which comprised of a mixture of a written text and unwritten statements which had the gallery laughing on several occasions at his unsavoury statements.

“The public is not pleased with that photograph. I do not know why you allowed this. The government is putting you in a very embarrassing position by publishing a picture with you as part of the government. You are the Speaker and you are supposed to be impartial,” said Dr. Douglas, who further stated that he had received several calls as to why is the Speaker among the members of the Cabinet.

“Mr. Speaker, this does not go well with the public with regard to your impartiality and you need to speak to them if not publicly, privately, quietly do so,” said Dr. Douglas, who stressed that the appearance of the Speaker in the photo does not “speak well of us at all.”

Dr. Douglas castigated Prime Minister and Minister of finance Harris.

“They (the Government) should have known better, they are trying to compromise you,” said Dr. Douglas.

Member of Parliament for St Christopher 3 (West Basseterre), Hon Konris Maynard had reasons last year to accuse Perkins of preventing the opposition parliamentarians of speaking on a tax bill at a previous sitting.

“The Deputy Speaker (Perkins) of the House refused to allow a single contribution from the opposition benches on a particular bill which was an Income Tax amendment,” said Maynard.

He had stated that Prime Minister Harris, the mover of the Bill, rose and gave his introduction on the bill. 

“Sen. Wendy Phipps got up and made her contribution and while she was making her contribution Opposition Sen. Hon Nigel Carty and I discussed that he would go next and that I would follow. When Phipps was finished, Dr. Timothy Harris jumped up quickly while the Hon Nigel Carty was also rising on his feet. We had two persons on their feet seeking the decision of the Deputy Speaker Perkins. Instead of facilitating debate where the opposition is allowed to make a contribution to the bill, the deputy speaker used the flimsy excuse ‘of catching the eye of the Member for #7 (Dr Harris) first knowing that if the Member for #7 rose at that particular time, it is to wrap up the abate on the Bill and in what is termed as dictatorial behaviour and an outright stifling of democracy and an abuse of his parliamentary power, chose to allow the Member from #7 (Dr Harris) the Hon Prime Minister to wrap up the debate without a single contribution from any member on the Opposition side,” Maynard had told listeners.

He said the Bill raised the ceiling on what companies can deduct to pay tax from $75,000 to $90,000 and for the Deputy Speaker Perkins not allow a single utterance from the opposition side “is unheard of, is unparliamentarily, it is undemocratic and it substantiates the claims made by others that this Deputy Speaker is stifling democracy in the parliament.” 

“I Konris Maynard hereby states that it is my opinion that the Deputy Speaker (Hon. Michael Perkins) last week Wednesday used his power as a Speaker to stifle democracy and democratic debate in our parliament. The behaviour cannot be described as anything other than that of a dictatorial nature,” MP Maynard repeated.

He further stated: “From this day, I will say that I will protest that decision in Parliament or outside of Parliament, because for a government who promised good governance, transparency and democratic practices and principles, to have a puppet as a Deputy Speaker, presiding in the absence of the Speaker, who, because the Prime Minister happens to get up as they had no intent on allowing the opposition to speak and allow the government to wrap up the debate without a single contribution from the opposition, is wrong. It is bad. It is undemocratic.”

The lone Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) parliamentarian in the St Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Hon Patrice Nisbett, had also described the then deputy speaker of the lawmaking body, Hon Michael Perkins as “constitutionally illiterate.”

“He has arrogated a lot of authority unto himself and he seems not to appreciate that the opposition members have a right to be in the National Assembly and we have a right to speak in the National Assembly,” said Nisbett, who although sat on the opposition benches, served as Deputy Speaker during the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration of then Prime Minister the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.

Responding to the refusal of the Deputy Speaker to refuse opposition members to speak on that tax measure and then ejecting opposition senator Hon Nigel Carty from the lawmaking body, Mr Nisbett, a former Attorney General noted that “everso often we are confronted by people whom we can only describe as lacking in knowledge in constitutional debates.”

“The constitution dictates that those persons must represent their various constituencies. Some people can only be described as constitutionally illiterate on some matters,” said Nisbett who noted that objections in the lawmaking body have been made but the Deputy Speaker, who has been presiding over the National Assembly for the past three sittings claims ‘he does not see or hear.”

“If you are having a hearing or seeing problem, why have you taken the position as the Deputy Speaker? I was once a deputy speaker and my role was to listen so that I know what is been said and so if a point of order is been made, I can make a ruling. Not when you are called upon to make a ruling you claim you did not hear when everybody in the National Assembly, those in the gallery and those viewing or listening by television and radio heard,” said Nisbett, who described the relationship as between Perkins and the opposition as “contentious.”

He accused the then Deputy Speaker colluded with the Government to prevent the opposition from speaking on a tax bill which gave a tax break to the rich people making over EC$90,000 per year.

“Poor people don’t work for $60,000 and $90,000. When Carty got up to speak the Deputy Speaker said he did not see Carty,, he law the Prime Minister as the Mover of the Bill standing, but even if the mover got up first, and Senator indicated he wanted to speak, you must give deference to the man who is available and is prepared to make a contribution,” said Nisbett, who is of the view that the actions of the Deputy Speaker Michael Perkins “stifles debate and discussion in the country.”

*This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKN PULSE.  This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical errors within press releases and (or) commentaries. The views contained within are not necessarily those of SKN PULSE.