Opposition “walk-out” shouldn’t have happened — Smith

Minister for Financial Services, Labour, and Trade, Lorna Smith has stated that the decision by Opposition members to “walk-out” of the House of Assembly on October 31 should not have occurred.

The six elected members of the opposition walked out of the House of Assembly earlier this week, after the Dr Natalio Wheatley-led government pushed back the scheduled question-and-answer segment, during which opposition members would pose questions to the government.

Instead of taking questions, the government took some three hours to read over lengthy statements, which answered many of the questions posed by the Opposition.

But speaking on Tola Radio yesterday, Minister Smith said the “people were the losers” even though the Opposition walked out in an attempt to show strong disagreement with the government’s decision.

“I think it was very unfortunate that the Opposition decided to walk out. It was the people who were the losers. All of us were elected and even if an unpopular decision is taken – once it’s taken democratically – we really ought not to walk out of the House,” Smith argued.

Minister Smith also said pushing back the question-and-answer segment in order to handle government business is not unusual in the House of Assembly.

“I see no reason for them to have been objecting to it. On the very same night, at the end of the session, the Speaker called on the members to ask their questions but of course there were no members to respond,” Smith stated.

In the meantime, some residents say the walk-out staged by the members of the Opposition was unnecessary. They say they do not support that form of protest. But at a press conference yesterday, Opposition members maintained that they chose to walk out in order to show the that they will not be tolerating the government’s decisions that aren’t in the best interest of the territory.

They also said they have been enduring a lot behind the scenes as government members continue to do business in their own interest and according to their own schedules.

The Opposition members said a walk-out is one of two options they can use to strongly protest the government. The other option is a motion of no confidence which they’ve said they are prepared to use if the situation warrants it.