Lifting banned words in National Assembly must happen before upcoming budget debates

Dear Editor,

I welcome the Government’s agreement that the list of banned words need to be reviewed- but it must happen before the upcoming budget debates.

Recently, Government Chief Whip Gail Teixeira publicly acknowledged the need to review the list of banned words in the National Assembly, describing many of these prohibitions as archaic remnants of colonial traditions.

While I welcome Ms. Teixeira’s position, I am deeply concerned by the Speaker’s declaration on Friday last, that he intends to strictly enforce this outdated list, even threatening Members of Parliament that violations will result in the loss of speaking time, should he need to intervene and request the withdrawal of prohibited words. As we know, one such word is “corruption.” This hardline stance by the Speaker risks stifling free speech and reducing the efficacy of parliamentary debate at a critical juncture for our nation.

Given the government’s agreement, the word corruption must be allowed in parliamentary debates forthwith, not at some uncertain time in the future. With the national budget debates fast approaching, the National Assembly must be a forum for addressing the real issues affecting our people, not a space where critical conversations are hamstrung by outdated and counterproductive restrictions.

Yours truly,
Amanza Walton-Desir
Member of Parliament