Alliance For Change’s (AFC) Moses Nagamootoo has come under fire for an example that he gave in Parliament during the budget debate on Tuesday, when he described speaking to his grandchildren in a rough manner, much to the chagrin of government MPs.
Nagamootoo had been making the point that the Government keeps making promises into the future without delivering sufficiently in what was a seemingly never-ending process.
“These have not been able to learn from history and so they cannot see the future…all they can see is the magical slogan ‘in the next five years’. We have finished four of those five years but we are promised the next five years. It is like a child in the vehicle. When I travel from my home my grandson would say `are we there yet’ and I would say shut your so and so mouth,” he said, to loud groans and boos.
“It goes on from the beginning of the journey to the end of the journey,” he said. “Child abuse!” one of the Government MPs said, the only audible word from a sea of murmuring in response to Nagamootoo’s statement. “Child abuse!” shouted the ever-heckling Neil Kumar. “Are we there yet?” another voice sounded.
Rising to speak after Nagamootoo concluded his speech, former Minister of Social Services Priya Manickchand implored the Speaker that the House distances itself from the statement that Nagamootoo made.
But in rebuttal, the Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman said that Nagamootoo remains honourable in his eyes and said that he would not get into how the member may or may not speak to his grandchildren. He said that he has seen Nagamootoo with his grandchildren and this has guided his view of him.
