Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle used his first address in the newly constituted Parliament on Tuesday to call for a more respectful and balanced legislative environment while urging the government to provide opposition lawmakers with bills earlier to allow for meaningful scrutiny before debate.
Pringle made the appeal shortly after being sworn in as the Member of Parliament for All Saints East and St. Luke during the first regular sitting of the House of Representatives since the April 30 general election.
The opposition leader began by congratulating members of the governing Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party on their electoral victory and also extended congratulations to Speaker of the House Sir Gerald Watt and Deputy Speaker Fillmore Benjamin on their appointments.
He also thanked constituents for returning him to Parliament for a third consecutive term.
“I want to thank the wonderful people of All Saints East and St. Luke who would have trusted me for the third time with the affairs of managing that constituency and representing them,” Pringle said.
Turning to parliamentary affairs, Pringle said he hoped lawmakers could move beyond the confrontational exchanges that often characterized previous sittings and instead focus on raising the standard of debate.
“While we are the minority, we believe we can make a significant impact in this country,” he said.
Pringle pledged to conduct himself respectfully and said it was his intention to respect the authority of the Speaker at all times. At the same time, he stressed the importance of impartiality from the chair to ensure fair debate between government and opposition members.
“I am committed to ensuring that the level of respect that I bring to this honourable House is one that supersedes any differences,” he said.
His remarks prompted a brief exchange with the Speaker, who defended his record of fairness and stated that he had consistently provided opposition members with opportunities to contribute to debates while operating within the Standing Orders.
Pringle subsequently acknowledged the Speaker’s comments and apologized if any of his previous conduct had been viewed as disrespectful.
“What I will say going forward, Mr. Speaker, is that I expect a wonderful working relationship where we can have our say, the government can say their piece, and we have a balance in this honourable House,” he said.
He argued that a balanced Parliament would give citizens confidence that elected representatives are effectively carrying out the business of the country.
Before concluding his remarks, Pringle also called on the Attorney General’s Chambers and those responsible for distributing legislation to ensure opposition members receive bills with sufficient notice before parliamentary debates.
“I am calling on the AG and the members of the House who deal with the circulation of bills to do so in a timely manner and to please give us the opportunity that we can research, come back to this honourable House and debate as we are to,” he said.
The comments came as Parliament introduced several major pieces of legislation, including bills dealing with sexual offences, theft, plea negotiations, cannabis reform, workplace harassment, mental health and medical laboratories.
Pringle’s remarks signaled an effort by the opposition to establish a more collaborative tone at the start of the new parliamentary term while maintaining its role in scrutinizing government legislation and policy.