Major St. Clear Leacock, Elected Member of Parliament for the Central Kingstown constituency, said he had to “defend his integrity”
Leacock made the comment on New Times, an NDP Program on Nice Radio, just a day after he traded words with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in Parliament.
The show down which took place on January 11th 2023, went viral and was the topic of discussion on a number of radio programs.
Speaking on Nice Radio, the MP said, “Minister Prince, whether we agree or whether we are on different sides of the political equation commands my respect and as Daniel said yesterday, he presents himself forthrightly. I don’t believe he speaks in a way to fool and or mislead. This is what he believes and he presents it to the best of his ability.”
“Now you could either raise a point of order, in which you are challenging the presenter on something that they are saying, that’s one way, or you can ask for an elucidation or a clarification. If the person had said something, well the norm is that it should be heard in silence. You could say, would you be kind enough to explain this, that or the other to me, and the person can say no and if they say no, you have to sit down back. You cannot force them to give you that clarification okay. It’s their prerogative. However if they allow you, then you proceed. Out of respect, Minister Prince sat and allowed me to ask him a question,” he said.
The Medical Care facility to which Major Leacock was referring to – is Health Solutions Inc. a privately-owned medical services provider in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) that first opened its doors in 2012. It is owned by RN, Managing Director, Pauline Garabedian, wife of the Nephew of Douglas Defreitas (Owner of BDS Nice Radio).
“The question simply states. Why is the Government not recognizing that there is a private institution in St. Vincent that is offering good medical services, including the diagnostic services that he is talking about?.”
“I had hoped to go on and ask further, Why if the people are getting these same services in Kingstown, from the Private facility, because our offices in town can’t offer it – why don’t the patients get the same subsidy, as the patients in Georgetown?” to me that is fair and reasonable. When the Soufriere erupted, all those people in Georgetown who were getting those services came down to that private institution,” said Major Leacock.
“From the time I ask that question, he jump up and started to berate me and got so quickly out of hand in his abusive tone that I said, something really wrong with you anah. That’s all I said. There is no one who makes interruptions on the floor in parliament than he, you know. He is like Salt. He’s in everything. From the time he hear that, is “shut up”. You don’t even want to tell your child that. It’s not something you want to tell your wife or husband. Something we grow up culturally with you know, don’t tell ah man bout he mother – because he has a right to defend that and when you tell ah man shut up, he considers that you have disrespect for him. Plus, before you buss ah bad word on him, much less tell him shut up,” said the MP for Central Kingstown.
“From the time he did that, what am I suppose to do? Big hard back man like me with grand children, go home and cry? So I responded to Ralph in time. I am making it abundantly clear. I feel faint, in the sense that I have to reduce myself to that level that I had to defend my integrity. I am a proud black man and I don’t care who you are. Anytime you disrespect me in that way I am going to defend my integrity,” said Major St. Clair Leacock.
Following the show down, the visibly angry Gonsalves said he will not allow Major Leacock to bully anyone in Parliament.
