The Parliamentary Representative for St. Peter, the Honourable Asot Michael, has
been suspended from the Parliament for conduct deemed to have contravened the
Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, when he launched a personal
attack on the Speaker, Sir Gerald Watt.
The House was debating the Criminal Prosecutions Services Amendment Act
when the Speaker gave instructions to the members that given the late hour and the
interruptions caused by the high level of cross-talking, he would not permit such
cross-talk any further.
When Michael persisted to engage in such behavior, the Speaker again warned
him. The St. Peter MP indicated that he was being provoked by the Honourable
Prime Minister and called on the Speaker to scold the MP for City West instead.
Not seeming to get his way, Michael then turned his displeasure on the Speaker
calling him ‘old’, saying that he was ‘bias’, and that it was time for him to go,
among other derogatory things.
In response, the Speaker invoked the relevant sections of the Standing Orders and
cited the St. Peter MP for his behavior noting that his actions required that the
parliamentarian be punished for his outburst.
The Speaker summoned the Sergeant of Arms [Sergeant-at-Arms? Please verify] to
escort Michael from the Chambers, then he asked the House to vote on what would
be the appropriate punishment for the errant MP.
As a first offence, the House voted for Michael’s suspension for three sittings of
the House of Representatives and from the Parliament.
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