THE Government Senate caucus has expressed disappointment at the conduct of Opposition senators Peter Bunting and Lambert Brown at last Friday’s sitting of the Upper House of Parliament.

In a statement Sunday, the Government senators also rejected as false a statement issued on the weekend by Opposition Senate Leader Peter Bunting, alleging that Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson was biased in his supervision of the meeting on Friday.

The statements from Bunting and the Government Senate caucus came following a decision by Opposition senators to walk out of the Senate sitting on Friday. The walkout came during debate on the Road Traffic Act and when Tavares-Finson discontinued Brown’s presentation after the Opposition senator twice referred to him as a liar.

In a statement on Saturday, a day after the walkout, Bunting accused Tavares-Finson of operating like a schoolyard bully and issued what he described as a “strong condemnation” of the actions of the Senate president.

“The walkout was a direct protest against the blatant perversion of the president’s role, which demands impartiality and fairness,” Bunting said.

Senator Bunting also criticised Tavares-Finson for what he termed his misuse of the recently installed microphone system, accusing him of stifling the voices of Opposition senators. “By repeatedly interposing himself in the debate, President Tavares-Finson has demonstrated a lack of confidence in the Government senators’ ability to counter the arguments presented by the Opposition,” Bunting stated.

Said Bunting: “This JLP Administration has viciously attacked the Integrity Commission, replaced Opposition chairs from the sessional select committees; and failed to support a quorum for PAC and PAAC meetings,” Bunting noted. “Such actions reflect their disdain for the principles of parliamentary oversight and accountability to the people of Jamaica,” he said.

However, in a statement Sunday, Government senators rejected the claims by Bunting.

“The Government Senate caucus is disappointed that Senator Brown, without any credible basis, repeatedly accused the Senate president of lying and declined to resume his seat when the president, in exercising his authority in accordance with the Standing Orders, was providing important clarification on a matter concerning the legislative affairs of the Parliament and the Constitution of Jamaica,” the Government senators said.

They also scolded Bunting over what they described as his unbecoming behaviour in the Senate on Friday.

“We also find unbecoming that in a loud and offensive outburst, Senator Bunting used the words ‘dunce’ and ‘idiot’ in describing a colleague senator, who he also told to ‘shut up’. The Opposition Senate leader also used the phrase ‘bloody’ during his unhinged display, prior to storming out of the parliamentary chamber,” the statement from the Government Senate caucus said.

According to the Government Senate caucus, the conduct of both Bunting and Brown “represents a flagrant breach of Section 35(4) of the Standing Orders which govern the operation of the Senate and states that it shall be out of order to use offensive or insulting language about a member of either Chamber”.

The Government senators also said both Brown and Bunting infringed Section 43(4) of the Standing Orders, which prescribes sanctions for disregarding the authority of the president.

“We expect that both Senators Bunting and Brown will withdraw their offensive language and issue a suitably worded apology at the next sitting of the Senate,” the statement from the Government Senate caucus said Sunday.

TAVARES-FINSON… discontinued Brown’s presentation after the Opposition senator twice referred to him as a liar

BROWN… asked to apologise