Valley ‘pelts’ chair in House

Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Ken Valley, startled all present on Friday when he sent his chair flying during a heated exchange with Opposition MP for Fyzabad Chandresh Sharma. The action occurred as Sharma spoke in the debate on the Government’s motion to send the regulations and forms of the Integrity in Public Life Act 2000 to a joint select committee of Parliament. Sharma alleged financial impropriety against several Government Ministers, saying that was why they were trying to delay the integrity measures. As Sharma made another statement Valley shot up and in his haste he knocked down his chair onto the floor of the chamber. Valley continued speaking but all present were still in awe. Deputy Clerk of the House, Neil Jaggessar, sheepishly stood by to offer help, himself looking more embarrassed than Valley who was still in full flight. Deputy Speaker of the House, Hedwidge Bereaux ruled that Sharma was imputing improper motives and ordered part of his contribution to be expunged from the record. Bereaux sternly told Sharma: “You have been ordered to apologise for your allegation against the member for Diego Martin Central.” Sharma replied: “I may consider apologising.” Laventille East/Morvant MP, Fitzgerald Hinds, joined the fray, attacking Sharma. Bereaux boomed: “Member for Laventille East/Morvant, allow me to handle this matter.” At that Sharma said: “I apologise.”

But he wasn’t done. Sharma added: “The member for Diego Martin Central as a consultant in an earlier period as a member of the House of Representatives offered services to clientele including an organisation I spoke of.” Valley again shot up. This time his chair remained intact. Valley declared: “I have never offered consulting services to BWIA!.” Bereaux warned Sharma: “You are still imputing improper motives. If you do it again I will have to ask you to leave.” Saying a former PNM party chairman had been caught in a corrupt land deal in Canada, Sharma told newly-elected party chairman Franklyn Khan “Don’t get caught up in that,” to which Khan replied with a vigorous shake of his head. Alleging that Minister of Planning Dr Keith Rowley drives a $1 million car and wears a $3,000 suit, Sharma accused him of having collected $3.5 million from National Quarries of which he is a former head. Rowley sprang up to deny the claim. He said: “The only thing I collected at National Quarries were my emoluments as approved by the Board.” Sharma remarked: “Today you are seeing hundreds of millions of dollars placed in peoples’ hands and you are not seeing accountability. A chairman of a State organisation gets $1 million in earnings each year. If the PNM has its way he will not have to declare his assets. It is not for the PNM to decide if there should be an Integrity Commisssion. The laws of the land say it should exist. The Constitution must be observed. This is the first time the country has been without an Integrity Commission.”