A Senate debate on the Civil Aviation (Amendment) Bill descended into a brief heated clash on Friday after Opposition Senator Lambert Brown accused the Government of agreeing to bring into Jamaica people described by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “despicable” under the third-country nationals (TCN) arrangement.

The exchange escalated after Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson repeatedly interrupted Brown, switched off his microphone, and sought to have it recorded in Hansard that the Opposition senator was asserting that the Government was bringing to Jamaica “paedophiles, criminals and rapists” under the arrangement.

The confrontation followed Brown’s attempt to draw a parallel between the Government’s swift move to strengthen aviation safety and what he described as its decade-long failure to bring the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Bill to Parliament.

After arguing that the Administration appeared to place greater urgency on protecting visitors than Jamaican workers — a line of argument that prompted a successful point of order from Government Senator Sherene Golding Campbell — Brown widened his criticism, claiming the Government had repeatedly shown a preference for foreigners over Jamaicans and pointing to the TCN agreement as the latest example.

“I choose Jamaica. For you, choose Jamaica is a slogan… For me, it’s reality. I raise the issue: Why are you bringing to Jamaica the most despicable paedophiles, and dangerous people?” Brown accused.

Tavares-Finson immediately intervened, disputing Brown’s characterisation of the agreement and insisting the senator was attributing a position to the Government that it had never adopted.

“You heard what you said? Why is the Government of Jamaica choosing to bring Rubio’s paedophiles, and despicable people? That is the position of the People’s National Party?…Well, if that is the position, I want you to state on the record that that is the position of the People’s National Party, that the Jamaica Labour Party Government is bowing to Rubio to bring paedophiles and criminals to Jamaica. Let the record show that that is the position of the People’s National Party. Please have your seat,” the Senate president said as he turned off Brown’s microphone.

When Brown was eventually allowed to respond, he insisted he was referring directly to Rubio’s own public comments rather than inventing the description himself.

“I am saying here, that in choosing to bring the TCNs you are choosing what Rubio said, despicable paedophiles, who they want to get away from America,” Brown replied.

Tavares-Finson again rejected the line of argument and brought Brown’s contribution to an end.

TAVARES-FINSON… insisted Brown was attributing a position to the Government that it had never adopted

Brown’s remarks referenced comments Rubio made during a United States Cabinet meeting in April, when he defended Washington’s efforts to secure agreements with third countries willing to receive people removed from US territory.

“We are working with other countries to say, ‘We want to send you some of the most despicable human beings to your countries. Will you do that as a favour to us?’ And the further away from America, the better, so they can’t come back across the border,” Rubio said.

He continued: “I’m not apologetic about it. We are doing that. The president was elected to keep America safe and to get rid of a bunch of perverts and paedophiles and child rapists out of our country.”

Rubio did not identify Jamaica during those remarks, nor did he state that every third-country national transferred under such agreements falls into those categories.

The Senate exchange comes amid mounting debate over the memorandum of understanding recently concluded between Jamaica and the United States.

Last week, Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang disclosed that Jamaica had agreed to receive no more than 25 third-country nationals at two-week intervals, with the arrangement to be paused whenever more than 10 individuals remained on the island.

Chang has repeatedly rejected suggestions that the individuals are deportees, arguing instead that they are third-country nationals whose home countries are either unwilling or unable to receive them.

He also repeatedly stressed that Jamaica would not be accepting convicts under the arrangement, insisting that every individual proposed for transfer would be subjected to health screening, identity verification, criminal record checks, and clearance by the National Intelligence Bureau ,before being approved.

According to Chang, anyone with criminal antecedents would be rejected by Jamaica on national security grounds.