By Kurt Reynolds

At the end of the budget debate, some time in the early hours of Friday morning, Central Castries MP Richard Frederick, was given leave to introduce a motion that sought duty-free concessions for elected members of parliament who had import motor vehicles. "A foreigner comes here in the guise of an investor," said Frederick. "You give him a fleet of 40 vehicles, income tax break for 20 years, properties tax relief, vendors tax relief and you’re telling me the representatives here cannot get a duty-free vehicle!"

"Why can’t we give a permanent secretary and other high technical oriented staff a duty-free vehicle? We give hundreds of millions to persons who have not even been subjected to due diligence." Frederick ensured for a third time that his colleagues understood he was not referring to anyone in particular. Then he asked the Speaker to allow a "totally unprompted motion."

"All members of Parliament, whether yellow, green, or blue," said Frederick, "once you are a Member of Parliament or permanent secretary you ought to be entitled to a vehicle, changeable every five years." At voting time there were no dissenters. If the MP, who is currently facing his own duties-related problems with customs, thought he was out of the woods the senate, on Wednesday, gave him good reason to think again.

Senate President Rosemary Husbands-Mathurin struck out the motion. She said it was the duty of the Salaries Review Commission to consider. "This motion is designed to import into the legislature, powers that correctly reside in the executive," she began. The senators on the government side all nodded in agreement. "To do this will be a breach of the Constitution which recognizes three separate powers," the president said. "Under these circumstances this matter cannot be considered at this time. In my respectful and humble judgment, I will not allow this motion to be tabled in this House."

She then asked for the concurrence of senators, all of whom reminded the observer of bright-eyed pups waiting eager to chase a tossed stick. Never before was there a louder banging of hands on parliamentary wood. But when the STAR later contacted the mover of the motion, in Texas, he first expressed surprise that it had been dismissed. Frederick said the "Standing Orders provided for any member to put any motion before Parliament.

"The motion need not attempt to impose an executive function upon the legislature. Even if the senate does not vote on it Cabinet still can consider it," he said. Invited by the STAR to comment, former House Speaker Mathew Roberts said the decision of the president was "very predictable." "The presiding officer is empowered to reject a motion that is not properly put before it," he said. "I trust that that situation will never again develop in the parliament of St Lucia. The persons who present themselves for office should understand that among them may not be all the talent necessary to move the economy forward."

Roberts added that there would have been a major crisis if the motion had gone through the senate, because the "legislature cannot tell Cabinet what to do." But even while the senators were rejoicing, another member of government was coming out of the political closet on matters involving their appointment, particularly Ausbert d’Auvergne.

Though the 15-day ultimatum that the St Lucia Labour Party gave d’Auvergne has long elapsed, his resignation was still the main topic of discussion outside the House. Richard Frederick and Rufus Bousquet both referred to the senators during their contributions.

One MP said he felt embarrassed while listening to Bousquet, knowing that he had maintained a silence on the issue. Dennery North MP Marcus Nicholas told HotFm on Wednesday that he believed Ausbert d’Auvergne should have never been given a ministry, far less one as important as economic affairs.

Later, on NewsSpin, the prime minister promised the nation that he would not be pressured into dumping d’Auvergne. The STAR attempted to contact d’Auvergne for comment at the House, but the senator ignored all requests for an interview. At the start of the lunch break, d’Auvergne alone remained in the Chamber. This reporter begged a House official to request a few minutes of the senator’s time. "I am not available," he replied.

As we went to press, senator Everistus Jn Marie took his own shot at the now comatose Frederick motion: "Madam President," he said, "for parliamentarians to have agreed on securing duty-free vehicles for themselves, at a time when the country is grappling with rising energy and food prices, is insensitive and contemptuous of the plight of ordinary people, not to mention the vulnerable and poor in our midst. So egregious was that motion that it stumbled procedurally until it met its demise in this honourable senate. I want to thank you for that."