Parliamentarians have a duty to change the way they do business in the Parliament since they need to set a better example for youths, and seasoned politicians on both sides must help set the example, Mayaro MP Rushton Paray has appealed.
"When we leave this house, we must leave as parliamentarians, not like a J'Ouvert band, with mud plastered all over us," Paray said in his maiden address in yesterday's 2016 budget debate in Parliament.
Paray said a fierce battle has been raging on social media over the MPs' conduct. He told Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie there would be no media but social media in future and the situation was a game changer.
"It's a battlefield–be cautious."
He said someone had said in banter that the first-time MPs are "children." "Well, children learn what they live. Treat us, the young MPs as your children in this house, lead by example and together as one nation we'll be unstoppable."
He said he had three children who had previously never given the Parliament channel a glance, but now viewed it because he was in Parliament.
However, he said his 13-year-old had told him: "You all wasting time in Parliament."
Paray said he was always greeted with utmost respect by parliament police and treated very professionally by parliament staff.
He said that was because non-MPs viewed parliamentarians as the "authors of their future...and they ask only for us to come here and chart a way forward for T&T to grow."
He said, sadly, he had yet to experience that pride in the Parliament since members' behaviour "is leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of our citizens across the board on both sides. I don't think we're earning the respect of the people in this building...much less the people of T&T. I want to earn that respect, not demand it from them, neither have it offered to me free of charge.
"Last Saturday we were so busy pounding away at each other that we forgot or perhaps we didn't care there were children in the audience. I'm afraid to venture a thought what was going through their minds during that presentation."
Paray said the large number of new MPs in the Parliament had caused parliament viewership to increase. "We must never disappoint our audience with displays unbecoming of the noble citizens we are. I plead with seasoned politicians on both sides to set the right tone and atmosphere as we conduct T&T's business."
Commenting on the government's "We-in-charge-now" stance, he added, "My question is, 'In charge of what'?
Paray said the Opposition was in charge of ensuring the Government was accountable to the people, examining government expenditure/reporting and bringing constituents' legitimate expectations to Parliament and "reminding government MPs every action will be monitored and scrutinised over the term."
Government Minister Stuart Young said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had spoken to government MPs about their conduct in the House.