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Speaker upbraids Opposition over mace grabbing incident
May 5, 2026
Posted 3 hours ago by
Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness upbraided members of the Opposition in a more than 15-minute-long statement at the start of Tuesday’s sitting, one week after the House was brought to a temporary halt when Member of Parliament for St Andrew South Western, Dr Angela Brown-Burke, grabbed the ceremonial mace.In a late night move, Brown-Burke grabbed the mace, later admitting that it was done in frustration that the Opposition was “not being heard” during the debate on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill which was eventually passed without Opposition support.READ: Late-night turmoil in Gordon HouseHolness said her statement was not meant to prolong controversy but because some moments require more than silence.
They require reflection, they require correction and they require us as members of this honourable House to remind ourselves and indeed the country of the standard by which Parliament must conduct itself, Holness said.She told the Parliament that the rules exist not to silence members, but rather to protect every member, including those in the minority.“Order is not the enemy of democracy, order is what makes democracy possible. That is true in this House and it is true in ordinary life...,” she added.Continuing, Holness said, “We as a Parliament cannot promote indiscipline, misconduct and then require discipline of Jamaicans from all walks of life, including our children”.-Lynford Simpson
Jamaica Observer
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