(Jamaica Gleaner) Acting House Leader and the minister responsible for gender, Olivia Grange, says Opposition Leader Mark Golding has brought the House of Representatives into disrepute by questioning the election of Juliet Holness as House Speaker.
She expressed her strong objection to Golding’s suggestion that it was improper for the head of the parliament to be the prime minister’s wife in a release to the media last evening.
Golding’s comments triggered a walkout by government MPs during his contribution to the budget debate earlier on Tuesday.
Grange said it was “disturbing and hypocritical” that Golding should question Holness’ election more than five months after she was installed in the post.
Grange noted that Holness’ election was supported by the Opposition.
“When the chair became vacant, in keeping with the Standing Orders, the Member for St Andrew East Rural was proposed by the member for St Andrew North Eastern [Government MP Delroy Chuck] and seconded by the member for Kingston East and Port Royal [Opposition MP Phillip Paulwell]. There was no objection, no other person was proposed, and the member from St Andrew East Rural, the Most Honourable Juliet Holness, was duly elected Speaker on September 23, 2023,” Grange said.
Grange also insisted that the Speaker was duly elected by the House and is a competent and capable Speaker.
“The two-term member of parliament, who also served as Deputy Speaker, was elected to the Speaker’s chair on merit — not because of her spouse,” Grange said.
She continued: “It is wrong, and harks back to a bygone age, before women’s empowerment, to say that she, or any woman, should be disqualified from any post because of the job of her spouse.”
