“I’m proud to stand here today to say that enough is enough, that I will not be shamed out of my voice and I will not be shamed out of this chair.”
The Tourism Minister, at times wiping tears from her eyes, rose on a personal Point of Privilege in the House of Assembly this afternoon to address her detractors and the abuse she says she’s endured since being elected to public office.
Andrea Barbour wiping tears from her eyes while rising on a personal Point of Privilege in the House of Assembly
Andrea Barbour apologized this week after posting an AI altered image of The Rooms while promoting Tourism Week.
The social media response has ranged from good natured ribbing, to downright cruelty.
She says despite the apology, she’s suffered further humiliation and personal attacks.
“Despite my apology, members opposite chose to continue. They chose to press on, they chose to turn an apology into an opportunity for further humiliation. Speaker, there’s a difference between accountability and cruelty.”
Lisa Demspter (left) and Sheilagh O’Leary (right)
Liberal Lisa Dempster and the NDP’s Sheilagh O’Leary spoke on the minister’s Point of Privilege, each acknowledging the difficulties of public life in the age of social media, and expressing their regret for what the minister has been going through.
Bernard Davis (left) and Government House Leader Lloyd Parrott (right)
Government House Leader calls for unconditional apology from Bernard Davis
The Government House Leader wanted to take matters further than did Minister Barbour.
Lloyd Parrott moved a motion that MHA Bernard Davis be ordered to unconditionally apologize to the House.
“I ask you to find a prima facie case of breach of privilege and, failing that, a prima facie case of contempt. Should you find that, I move that the member be instructed to apologize to the offended member, the House, and to all service members,” said Minister Parrott.
MHA Davis said he simply asked a question.
“I stood in this house because I got calls from friends and people that have served, and who saw it as an inappropriate thing to have done,” responded Davis.
“All I was saying is that it would be good to apologize because maybe someone did not realize the impact of what had happened. That’s all.”
He noted that Minister Barbour did, indeed, apologize to the house.
Speaker Paul Lane has promised to go over Hansard and video from the House of Assembly to address any possibility that members crossed a line in the legislature.
