House Speaker Sir Gerald Watt today defended his decision to prevent Rural West MP Richard Lewis from posing two specific questions to Prime Minister Gaston Browne concerning the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC).
Addressing the Parliament, Speaker Watt outlined his reasoning, emphasizing legal and procedural grounds for his decision.
According to Speaker Watt, the first reason for disallowing the questions was that Prime Minister Gaston Browne is not a director of WIOC and therefore would not possess the specific operational information MP Lewis sought.
The second point raised by the Speaker pertained to company law, which dictates that only shareholders have the standing to directly question the WIOC board.
He clarified that although the government is a significant shareholder, this does not grant the Prime Minister the right to represent the company in Parliament on such matters.
Controversy arose from a letter sent to Antigua News Room (ANR), suggesting that since the Prime Minister’s portfolio includes WIOC, he should be accountable for answering any questions from statutory bodies related to the company.
Sir Gerald Watt dismissed this notion, labeling it as “rubbish” and reaffirmed his commitment to parliamentary protocol. “You know if you ask any question that is proper, I will allow it,” he declared, reinforcing his stance on maintaining order and decorum in the legislative process.
