Eversley demands apology from Young, Imbert

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Stuart Young -

At a press conference in front of the Red House on October 15, activist Wendell Eversley demanded an apology from Energy Minister Stuart Young and Finance Minister Colm Imbert for the sexual innuendoes reportedly made in Parliament on October 10.

The press conference was held to address the state of leadership in Trinidad and Tobago.

Young and Imbert apparently made the remarks as they threw picong at UNC MPs leaving the House of Representatives, and they were picked up by microphones.

Eversley said, "I'm calling on Stuart Young this morning to apologise to the people of TT, to apologise to Parliament. And I'm calling also on the Minister of Finance, who was cheering him on, to also apologise to the people of TT."

He also called on Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George to address the comments. He referred to an incident on October 8, when the Speaker was critical of UNC MP Michelle Benjamin (Moruga/Tableland) for making comments deemed inappropriate.

"Just recently the Speaker of the House had to pull up the MP for Moruga/Tableland with her comments about 'open your leg and put the highway'...she criticised it.

"So are we going to stay silent about what Stuart Young said about an opposition leader who was former prime minister about what she's going to do in the Parliament toilet?

"I want to see if the Speaker, Bridgid Annisette-George, ain't take action against him, and I want to see if any MP would bring him before the Privileges Committee of Parliament."

Eversley said the nation lacks "statecraft leadership and statecraft diplomacy."

He said the nation's leaders need to set a better example for children, especially in the wake of a rise in bullying incidents at schools. He specifically referred to Jayden Lalchan, a Form Four student of St Stephen’s College, Princes Town, who took his life on October 3 after years of bullying.

"When we talking about bullying, when we talking about a child that just died by suicide because of what was done to him in his school, we see MPs making all sort of statement...from both opposition and government…

"Look how they carrying on. Look at their conduct. What do they expect from schoolchildren? What do they expect when the children hear these kinds of comments from them? They are the same children that come in Parliament and have youth debate. They are the same children who they expect better from and are quick to criticise...

"We cannot continue with having men and women in our Parliament, the highest court of law of the land, making these kinds of degrading and distasteful remarks."