National

A Speaker’s View: I’ve Never Heard Someone Say What Moultrie Did Was Wrong

THE BAHAMAS – For just over four years, Halson Moultrie served as speaker of the House of Assembly under the Minnis-led administration.

Published

3 years ago

October 4, 2023

Jasmin Brown

THE BAHAMAS – For just over four years, Halson Moultrie served as speaker of the House of Assembly under the Minnis-led administration. While he started out as a member of the Free National Movement he did not end his term as one. Our Jasmin Brown sat down with the former speaker who reflected on his time at the helm of the House of Assembly.

Former House Speaker Halson Moultrie describing his legacy of serving in the House of Assembly for 51 months.

The former Nassau Village Member of Parliament was elected as House speaker in 2017 following a Free National Movement election win in May.

And what a tenure it was.

From open disagreements with his own party and the opposition. The COVID-19 pandemic, and then resigning from his party to become an independent MP in February 2021. Moultrie has had his fair share of critics blasted his no-nonsense approach and tendency to speak his mind.

It’s a fact that is not lost on the former House speaker.

Between 2017 and 2019, Moultrie continuously butt heads with the government insisting there no independence of the legislature.

He also blamed the “oversized cabinet” that takes away the authority of the legislative branch. Back in October 2020, he referred to the parliament as a “dinghy attached to the mothership”, saying he cannot even buy a toothpick without cabinet approval.

He still feels that way today.

And if combatting what he says was the abuse of Parliament wasn’t enough. The former speaker also had to take on a pandemic.

Moultrie says he established Covid protocols after speaking to health officials and other house speakers across the region. Enacting social distancing and capping the number of MP’s allowed on the floor.

But Moultrie says even that came with some challenges from the then prime minister.

Now, two year’s later Moultrie says looking back, he has one hope for the Parliament of The Bahamas. And that it that one day it can truly be independent.