Speaker Juliet Holness SHUTS DOWN PM Andrew Holness in Parliament!

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]know our practice in respect of point of order. I am going to allow you to go ahead. I'm going to recirculate what really is a point of order.

[00:00:16]opposition leader, you I am sure you appreciate with the discipline that we would like to instill going forward from both sides of the house that between points of order and what we normally treat as a point I can I can actually have this discussion when somebody on the government side rise to their feet you know it really doesn't matter who is on their feet so it is it has nothing to do with the opposition leader. All right?

[00:00:48]It is a general statement for us in the parliament. So a lot of what we call point of orders are actually interruptions because of other reasons. Clarification dispersed in to continue that you continue. It is not the speaker opposition leader.

[00:01:29]>> It is not the speaker who gives you the authority to do so. Only on genuine points of order does the speaker or the chair gives authority. And for those who are grumbling in the house who refuse to learn, for those grumbling in the house who refuse to learn, I have no challenge because I will continue to apply the rules and the standing orders.

[00:01:56]So thanks for your patience, opposition leader. Go ahead.

[00:02:02]>> Yes. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise in a point of order. The >> minister has selectively quoted an excerpt from Hansad which um to make a point which is misleading the house.

[00:02:13]Those comments that I made were in the context of his own representation to the house that the necessary financing to fix the problems that the hurricane had caused on the grid was 350 million US.

[00:02:28]And my point simply was if it's 350 million US, how are you going to finance that? To draw down on a portion of it which was inadequate to do the job was imprudent. That's the point I made. And and to put it in any other way is misleading the house.

[00:02:53]>> Your mic was not on, Minister. Hold on a moment, Minister.

[00:02:58]Madam Speaker, this is a point of order on which I rise.

[00:03:02]If the member would will yield. Madam Speaker, the leader of the opposition rose on a point of order.

[00:03:09]>> What is your ruling, Madam Speaker?

[00:03:10]>> Well, you know already, Prime Minister, this is not a point of order.

[00:03:14]>> Order. What point of the house of debate was breached?

[00:03:18]>> No.

[00:03:19]>> If the leader of the house is leaving, the house is not a point of order.

[00:03:23]the point of order to disrupt debates. Madam Speaker, that is an abuse of the rules of the house.

[00:03:35]>> So, Madam Speaker, I ask you to rule on whether or not the point raised by the leader of the opposition reached any rules of debate in the house.

[00:03:48]>> No, it does not, Prime Minister. some some members who are who are grumbling prior. The reason I made sure to state this is exactly that. Please read standing order 34. Um Minister, I I apologize for breaking your stride in your presentation. Minister, I'm asking you to sit because we Minister Minister, I'm asking you to sit. You will get your time.

[00:04:26]We'll go into that next um member Campbell. So we can go down that road after. So standing orders 34 speak to interruptions.

[00:04:37]Interruptions subject to the provision of standing orders 26 38 and 39 which speaks to privilege motion closure of debate and previous questions. A member shall not interrupt another member except and this is the challenge that we have been having. Persons believe that you can interrupt that you can shout chair chair chair and you must be heard.

[00:05:03]Persons believe that you can speak without your mic being turned off. You are not not based on the standing orders, not based on what accords across the commonwealth.

[00:05:17]some members.

[00:05:19]It says except by raising a point of order which is what we use whereupon the member speaking for those who are for those who choose not to listen for those who choose not to listen respectfully I am asking you to at least allow those who would like to hear to do so.

[00:05:46]Subject to the provision, a member shall not interrupt another member except by raising to a rising to a point of order whereupon the member speaking shall resume his seat and the member interrupting shall simply direct attention to the point of order which he desires to bring to notice.

[00:06:10]No, what we do, we actually make a statement that the person mislead and then we go and have a debate about what they have um misrepresented. That's that has been our practice. Um so it's not what was done by our opposition leader.

[00:06:27]Members, members, members, could I finish?

[00:06:34]To the point which he desires to bring to notice and submit it to the speaker or chair for a decision or breach of rules.

[00:06:48]Now, another interruption can be done.

[00:06:51]It is not a point of order. This interruption is to elucidate some matter raised by the member in the course of a speech. Elucidate which is if you're asking could you explain because I'm not understanding but only if the member um for those on the opposition benches who refuse to listen. I hope it is appreciated when the standing orders are followed that it is the standing orders that rule the house. So if you do not understand the rules, I will not continue to argue members to elucidate some matter raised by elucidate some matter raised by that member in the course of his speech. But only only if the member speaking is willing to yield. SO OUR PRACTICE OF JUST POINT OF ORDER, POINT OF ORDER, point of order and then we use it as a mechanism to break the stride of someone speaking to have them divert from their presentation to give a long cello teaching.

[00:08:04]It is not supposed to be done by any side.

[00:08:13]No problem. So until we learn what is a point of order and you think it is actually very sweet to continue what you are doing.

[00:08:27]You will know it was not a point of order and and and we we will get there. Um Minister Minister I'm going to give the extra time. minister and we continue.

[00:08:42]No, no, no.

[00:08:47]That's ex that was the statement made before. Um, turn your turn your mic on please, Minister.

[00:09:00]>> Madame Speaker, >> ahead.

[00:09:09]Go ahead, >> Madame Speaker.

[00:09:13]I'm happy to know that I'll get back the time.

[00:09:17]>> And I want to say I want to say, Madame Speaker, that I invite every member here to >> look at Hansad in relation to that particular day and that particular speech. And what you will get g get from it is the fact that the $150 million that this government dispersed to JPS through alone would never have been done if we if that side was where we are today in government. Absolutely not.

[00:09:50]And I fear of without fear of contradiction. And to add to that that what I just said a while ago is that what would have really happened is that you would not get restoration until the end of this year into 2027 and is not me says so it's JPS who has said so. So again madame speaker I say that good decision was made by the cabinet of the country. Madame Speaker, >> time to explain how point of orders work. Let me again make a formal ruling.

[00:10:31]The a formal ruling. My ruling is no point of order was raised by the leader of the opposition.

[00:10:37]No point of order was raised by the leader of the opposition. No rule of the house was broken. Now because we keep having this discussion and I would like to give the opposition as much latitude as is possible since we continue to abuse and refuse to obey what is a point of order I will ask the member to approach the bench so that I can understand what it is that he's being yes very much so which the standing orders permit I don't I and and warmer >> honestly.

[00:11:47]There are so many new persons in the house who could benefit from what these people is saying about different things and we don't want to listen. We don't want to hear I don't know everything in the book. I don't know everything in the book and how things you just come. I would like to hear what she said. You just come make me That's the point.

[00:12:22]That's the point. Let's learn.