United Progressive Party Senator Jonathan Wehner has accused Attorney General Steadroy ‘Cutie’ Benjamin of showing a lack of empathy and humanity after remarks made in Parliament about the absence of Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle and Barbuda MP Trevor Walker during Monday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.
Speaking on Observer Radio on Friday, Wehner who is also UPP PRO, spent several minutes explaining parliamentary procedures governing absences before criticizing comments made by Benjamin during the sitting.
During the parliamentary debate, Benjamin mocked the opposition benches for being empty and questioned the reasons given for the absences.
“Isn’t that passing strange? That today, of all days in Parliament history, some sort of excuses be made. People being sick. Travelling?” Benjamin said as government MPs laughed during the exchange.
Wehner argued that the Attorney General’s remarks ignored established parliamentary rules allowing members to be absent with valid excuses.
“There is a provision within the standing orders of Parliament for both houses of Antigua and Barbuda for members to be absent with excuses,” Wehner said. “A member cannot be absent without an excuse for three sittings in a row.”
He stressed that Pringle and Walker had followed the proper process by submitting letters to the Speaker explaining their absences and noted that the explanations were read aloud in Parliament before Benjamin made his comments.
Wehner also argued that Monday’s sitting was largely procedural, centered mainly on parliamentarians taking the oath of allegiance, and therefore was not a sitting where critical legislative business required every member’s presence.
The senator explained that newly elected or appointed parliamentarians are required to take the oath before officially functioning in Parliament, but noted that this can occur at any sitting and is not limited to one specific day.
According to Wehner, Walker cited a family emergency, while Pringle disclosed that he had traveled overseas with his young daughter for medical treatment after she had been struggling with health issues for some time.
“MP Pringle had to travel overseas with his daughter for a medical procedure,” Wehner said, adding that even disclosing that information publicly was more than should reasonably be expected from a public official.
Wehner said the comments and laughter from government MPs crossed a line.
“I’m sad to say that the AG’s comments were inhumane, distasteful, disgraceful, and totally unempathetic,” he said.
He questioned whether it was unreasonable for a father to accompany his sick child overseas for treatment.
“Is it unreasonable for a father to say, ‘I want to support you in your time of distress and difficulty?’” Wehner asked.
The senator also criticized members on the government benches for laughing after hearing the explanations for the absences.
“All of them would have seen the press release explaining why they were absent. All of them would have heard the Speaker of the House read out the reasons,” he said. “But they still found time to laugh. They still found time to mock and jeer.”
Wehner linked the incident to broader concerns about political discourse in Antigua and Barbuda and argued that the exchange undermined Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s recent calls for national unity following the April 30 general election.
“The Prime Minister got up and said he wants to have a harmonious nation, calling for unity,” Wehner said. “But you can’t just say these things. Your action must match.”
He added that political leaders should avoid involving family matters and children in partisan attacks and said the country’s political culture needs improvement.
“It is high time that we raise the standard of our political discourse in Antigua and Barbuda,” Wehner said.
Wehner concluded by calling for Benjamin to apologize publicly on the floor of Parliament.
“The same way the offence was committed is the same way that the apology needs to come,” he said, adding that the apology should be directed not only to Pringle and Walker but also to the nation.
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Very smart and wise young man……Pringle will see u as a threat to his position soon enough…Anyways u want parliament to be my lil pony sweet care bares gummy bears type of parliament??? NEVER!!! The opposition will always get roasted and ya better be tough or be prepared to cry in the car with Pringle….
I Wondering since when Antiguans Behaving so Uncaring and Heartless and Have so much Hate for each other..We Talking about a CHILDS HEALTH and its like we dont CARELESS BECAUSE ITS NOT OUR CHILD THIS IS A VERY SAAAAAD DAY HERE IN OUR COUNTRY .GOD HELP US ..
I have always thought the AG to be an oversized Bobo donkey, so nothing he does or says surprises me. One of the reasons we will never see a reduction in crime because all he does is bray and bray jackass language
And he’s right…..
It’s time for us to speak out. Glad our young people are using their voices to call out the things they see. Well done, Wehner.
Senator this isn’t kindergarten politics anymore. Grow TF up and stop sounding dotish like your dad. Where were you when Serpent said the nastiest things about Hon. Samantha Marshall? And Pringle’s disrespect to the Speaker of the House? UPP’s hypocrisy and selective outrage is why them lost the election so badly!!
Observer radio interviewers like Sharon are mere UPP pawns that don’t ask anything sensible or difficult to UPP Executives
It’s early days yet, but this young man is impressive. Lets support him in fighting for us. Not the party, but for the young man who is speaking like a true Public Servant.
The onliest thing he will have to zip it like the chair did to the former opposition MP’s and aspirants in the he pass to make Pringle look like leadership, they was told not to talk on radio because they knew they will come across much more articulate than Pringle and public would have gone out on a limb for them instead a Pringle, so this young man Whenner will get his order to be silent, you think if Pringle had an ounce of Whenner or tabor capacity he would not have been endorse by the voters as leadership material?
UPP candidates only sound good in observer … It’s time that we act more mature. This young man is clearly head and shoulder above the others. He is definitely a future leader. He worths listening to every time he speak. Also being the UPP PRO gives him the opportunity to speak on a wide range of issues. He will grow and mature before our
eyes.
All I am asking that he to be humble, serve God , listen to people, especially the elders and continue to educate himself.
My only concern or caution is try not to be overly critical about everything. There will be issues/ bills from the government that you can support, that might only need a few amendments.
Young man I personally have you as a future Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister. Things will play out. In the meantime go for the Doctorate.
Put on ya damn big boy pants or get out the kitchen… Gotta be a ruthless and cunning warrior in politics so wipe your eyes soldier!!!
Really cool that Mr. Pringle was being a good father and supporting his child at such a critical time. That was definitely more important than swearing in at a particular time. He made use of the appropriate legal procedures to be absent so he should not be criticized for that. Coming out of an election season, people are so used to seeking fault all the time for every little thing their perceived opponents do these days, but it’s time to put the politics away and focus on the renaissance in water, food, housing, healthcare, transportation systems, education etc. etc. etc.
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