PM seconded bill he says opposition had no right to table

Almost a decade after he seconded a draft bill that the opposition brought to Parliament, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is saying that the opposition had no right to bring the bill.

His comment came last week in response to crosstalk from Member of Parliament for Central Kingstown, St. Clair Leacock, while the prime minister was answering a question by East Kingstown MP, Arnhim Eustace, about the absence of integrity legislation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“But we brought the legislation here and you second it,” Leacock told Gonsalves, who had said that if Leacock’s New Democratic Party (NDP) was serious about integrity legislation they would not have campaigned against the proposed reformed constitution, which the electorate rejected in 2009.

But Leacock noted that the NDP had brought a draft integrity legislation bill to Parliament.

“But the point is, you know you couldn’t bring it,” the prime minister said.

“But you second it,” Leacock responded.

“You know you couldn’t bring it and the reason you couldn’t bring it is that it involved expenditure of monies,” the prime minister said.

“No. You are mixing up yourself now,” Leacock responded. “That was the Spiritual Redemption Charter.”

“No. Because you were in the opposition and you sought to bring it,” the prime minister further said.

“No,” Leacock maintained. “You can’t win this one.”

“You may say I can’t win it. You must look at the poll numbers. I just had one. That is why I talking like how I talk here. I got the wind behind my back,” the prime minister told Leacock.

“Well, leh we go now,” Leacock responded, apparently urging the prime minister to call elections.