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Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 18, 2015 (SKNIS)—In what can be considered unusual and even historic, a civil servant has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Franklyn Brand, about what she considers an attempt to draw “me in his petty, partisan politics” over comments made about her in the House by Opposition Senator, Honourable Nigel Carty, in his address during the 2016 Budget debate.

Joycelyn Thomas, Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, said that she was shocked to hear her name mentioned by the opposition senator during the debate on the 2016 Budget.

“While listening to the National House Assembly on December 16, 2015, during the presentation, the Hon. Senator Nigel Carty mentioned my name Joycelyn Thomas to the chagrin of my ears…I heard the untruth uttered about me in a conversation he claimed I had with him,” wrote Miss Thomas in her letter dated December 17, 2015.

“Nigel Carty said he asked his good friend Joyce Thomas why the chairs in Parliament are empty? She answered, “Nobody coming! Nobody coming and started laughing,” she quoted the senator as saying.

Miss Thomas said that she is highly offended by the senator’s behaviour.

“Mr. Speaker. I am totally nonplussed by Hon. Nigel Carty’s regrettable and untruthful statement (and) unprofessional conduct in the honourable House. I am therefore kindly asking that you request the Honourable Senator Carty to withdraw his statement to the Honourable House, his false and misleading statement which… in my opinion is unparliamentary behaviour,” she said.

“It is regrettable that he should draw me in his petty, partisan politics. I am a Civil Servant and my conduct and behaviour will at all times be an honour to the Civil Service. Senator Carty’s comments should not go unchallenged in the Honourable House and I would wish that his untruthful statement about me be expunged from the parliamentary records at the soonest possible time,” Miss Thomas added.

When the letter was read in the National Assembly, Mr. Carty was absent but later returned only to grab his belongings and leave. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Michael Perkins, who read the letter from Miss Thomas in the mid-afternoon session of the budget debate on December 17 said that he would ask the honourable senator to withdraw the statement when he returned to Parliament. The statement has not yet been withdrawn as there was no Parliament on Friday, December 18, due to an adjournment until Monday, December 21.

It is hoped that the matter will be dealt with when the Honourable Senator Nigel Carty returns to Parliament on Monday.