Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, says Speaker Wade Mark conducts proceeding in a "fair manner." He made the statement in response to comments by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley who likened Mark's conduct of the House to that of a headmaster of a class. Moonilal, who was touring the Housing Development Corporation's (HDC) Fairfield/Bromage Estate, Princes Town, yesterday, said: "The Opposition Leader has some concerns about the conduct of the Speaker and so on and they have a right to be concerned if they are concerned, but the Speaker has acted, in our opinion, in a very fair manner."
The minister said Mark had met and treated with both Opposition and Government in a fair manner. He said Mark, who is chairman of the Parliament Privileges Committee, "bent backwards at all material times to ensure Mr Patrick Manning (San Fernando East MP) got a fair opportunity to be heard, even in defiance of members of the committee, including Government ministers." Moonilal said members of the Opposition wanted to use debates to "increase slander, mauvais langue (bad tongue) and bacchanal in the House and I think the Speaker stands firm on that. "Dr Rowley is a seasoned politician.
He must know if you want to raise the conduct of a member you do so by a motion." Rowley, addressing a press conference on Monday, said, the PNM was prepared to conduct the people's business outside of Parliament if it became necessary in the future. He claimed Mark was threatening MPs and attempting to change the rules of the House. However Moonilal denied this. He said there was a deeper issue in the Opposition which was the need for younger and inexperienced MPs to develop their debating skills.