Senate Sitting Suspended Over “Slow” Remarks

Things got heated in the Senate this morning…so heated that President Carolyn Sandiford had to suspend it. This was after a very personal exchange between UDP  Senator Sheena Pitts and PUP Senator Hector Guerra. Pitts described Guerra as “slow.” The remark was not part of her formal contribution, but the microphone picked it up, and it was loud enough for members in the chamber to hear. After Guerra heard it, he responded by calling Pitts’ sense of style “slow,” and the back-and-forth continued from there. Here is how it played out.

 

Sheena Pitts, Lead Opposition Senator

“All in jest madam president, all in jest.”

 

Hector Guerra, Government Senator

“Madam President those statements are really unnecessary. And for the record the only thing that is slow is Senator’s sense of style. That is the only thing that is slow.”

 

Sheena Pitts

“So, now we the get personal?”

 

Hector Guerra

“Senator Guerra, I ask that you take your seat. Senators, please. I am going to again, senators, please kindly remember that this is the upper house of parliament. Our debate is supposed to be one that is reasoned and one of sober thought, to quote the former Prime Minister of Canada.”

 

Sheena Pitts

“I would first like to indicate that I reclaim my time and two invite the member to retract the statement with an apology, cause I never did stood here and on the mic and on the record offend standing order 64 the way he did. And so I call for an apology on the record and a retraction of the statement.”

 

Carolyn Sandiford, President of the Senate

“Senator Hector Guerra the senator has called and asked if you are prepared to retract your statement. The senator has indicated that they are not prepared.”

 

Hector Guerra

“I will just say Madam President, that respect must be reciprocated.”

 

Sheena Pitts

May I just reclaim my time Madam President and now it is open season.”

 

Janelle Chanona, NGO Senator

“Comments were made during one of the earlier intervention regarding style and since I am wearing pink I would like to know if that applies to me.”

 

 

 

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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