SPEAKER SUSPENDS PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Ok Bermuda. We have a serious problem with Parliament. The Speaker appears to be completely in the Premier's pocket, to the extent that he's sending out press releases on Cabinet Office letterhead doing his partisan bidding:

The Cabinet Office

________________________________________
Department of Communication and Information

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 27, 2008 - Time: 7.25 p.m.

CONTACT

Nea Talbot

Ph: 294.2779

Email: ntalbot@gov.bm

SPEAKER SUSPENDS PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Today the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Hon. Stanley Lowe, JP, MP, weighed in as it relates to Opposition questions from previous
Paliamentary sessions being raised in this current sitting.

In fact, Speaker Lowe said any previous questions posed in the form of Parliamentary Questions will not receive a forum on the Floor of the House.

Issues, raised in recent sittings include queries relating to Government travel among others.

Speaker Lowe said, "From a Parliamentary perspective, we have conceded to the fact that this is a new Parliament and as such, all matters,
proceedings etc. which were pending prior to the prorogation of Parliament on May 9th, are quashed. In that vein, Ministers will not be required or obligated to respond to the questions put on Ministerial travel prior to December 20th, 2007."

And in response to the Speaker's decision, the Premier, Dr. the Hon. Ewart Brown, JP, MP said, "The floor of the House is where substantive debate is supposed to occur. It is an outright rejection by the Speaker of the Opposition's time-wasting questions about travel and the like."

- ENDS -
_________________________________

Nea N. Talbot
Public Affairs Officer (MLHA&H, MOF and MoT&T)
Department of Communication & Information
Bermuda Government
Global House
43 Church Street
Hamilton HM 12
BERMUDA

ntalbot@gov.bm
www.gov.bm
www.citv.gov.bm

1 (441) 294-2779