Ruling on Point of Order by Hon. Jone Usamate

On Thursday, 16 July 2026 during the Committee of Supply (Committee of the Whole Parliament) deliberations on the 2026 – 2027 budget under the 2026 Appropriation Bill 2026-2027 a Point of Order was raised by the Opposition Whip the Hon. Jone Usamate, against the Hon. Charan Jeath Singh, the Minister for Public Enterprises, Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts.  Hon. Jone Usamate relied on SO 74 and SO 62 (4) (a) and (d) to support his contention.

I undertook to make my Ruling on the matter the next day, Friday 17 July.  However, as the Hansard had not been released and was not available to the Chair to verify the details of the facts in issue, it was agreed that I will give my Ruling at the next sitting of Parliament.  That is today.

Hon. Usamate’s Point of Order, as I had stated, was raised at the time the Parliament was sitting as a Committee of Supply deliberating on Head 35 of the Appropriation Bill, dealing with the budget for the Ministry of Public Enterprises, Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts.  The Minister responsible for all these portfolios under the Ministry is Hon. Charan Jeath Singh and the Hon. Shalen Kumar is the Assistant Minister.

Let me go to the narrative of the episode as set out in the Hansard for the details of the cause of the Point of Order.

The particular item that evoked the heated exchange between the Minister and Hon. Usamate and then Hon. Alvick Maharaj arose from question raised by Hon. Kumar on Programme 2 Activity 1 Segment 6: “Multi-Ethnic Grant to Community Based Organisations”. An annual allocation of $2 million was made last year (2025-2026), and another $2 million is allocated for 2026-2027.

Hon. Kumar posed the question of how the $2 million allocated last year had been utilised and/or distributed, and how the new $2 million allocation under scrutiny for the new fiscal year, will be allocated. The response from the Minister to Hon. Kumar’s question, did not directly answer the question. Instead he informed Hon. Kumar that her Government, had ‘disbanded the Multi-Ethnic Affairs portfolio’ and was re-created by the present Government.

When Hon. Kumar reminded Hon. Singh saying ‘That is not my question’, the latter abruptly retorted: “listen to me” in a very loud and aggressive tone and manner. Hon. Usamate interjected that the response from the Minister was not acceptable conduct inside Parliament and he reiterated his remakes when the Hon. Singh persevered with his loud outburst. The Chair intervened appealing to the Hon. Singh to behave civilly and he then proceeded to explain how the $2 million budget for Segment 6 was disbursed.

Hon. Alvick Maharaj then asked for further clarification from the Hon. Singh on the same Head 35 Programme 2 Activity 1 Segment 6, which the Chair referred to the Assistant Minister Hon. Shalen Kumar to answer, which was done.

Hon. Maharaj next, on Head 35 Programme 2 Activity 1 Segment 8: “Upgrade and Enhancement of Crematoriums”, raised the issue of re-alignment of the furnace at Tuatua Cemetery in Labasa. As far as the Chair can ascertain, the “re-alignment of the furnace” had to do with the correct positioning of the remains when the final rites are performed. It was for this purpose that he was proposing an amendment that would increase the vote by $200,000.00.

This issue generated from Hon. Singh of what can be best described, as a diatribe on different religions and different religious practices, accusing Hon. Maharaj of causing religious division in the country and, whilst his Ministry is trying its best to promote social cohesion in the country, Hon. Maharaj was trying to split hairs between “Sanatan Dharam, Muslim Dharam, every Dharam” and that the Tuatua cemetery is after all, a public not Hindu cemetery. At that juncture, Hon. Maharaj exploded shouting with loud and strong expression of objection to the accusation.

It was at this point that Hon. Usamate raised his Point of Order.

Quite clearly, the first altercation, after the exchange between the Hon. Premila Kumar and Minister Hon. Singh had been resolved after I had directed the Minister to apologise and he had done so.

The second heated and loud exchange, is the one which I have detailed above and the subject of this Ruling.

I now have had the full benefit of both the Hansard and video footing of the incident. After reviewing all, I am satisfied that there had been breaches of Standing Orders by both Members, and the only issue for me to decide is whether SO75 or SO76 apply, that is, one of disorderly conduct resulting in the issuance of a yellow card, or grossly disorderly conduct that results in a red card with consequential sanctions.

There is another category under SO79 in the nature of grave disorder that results in the suspension and adjournment of Parliament but it does not apply in the circumstances of this case.

The category of disorderly conduct under SO75 includes the use of unparliamentary words or expressions and I find that the use of the phrases and expressions like “You listen to me” or “Listen yarr” and delivered by the Hon. Singh, in what sounded to me, to be in a patronising and condescending manner, were unparliamentary and therefore disorderly.

By the same token, I find the Hon. Maharaj shouting response to Hon. Singh’s statement, also disorderly, and in breach of the rules for the conduct of the debate and for decorum of the House.

As I have earlier alluded to, disorders in the House termed as “offence” are graduated from minor breaches of order to gross disorder to grave disorder as set out under Standing Orders 75, 76 and 79 respectively.  Similarly, the punishments are also graduated.

I will therefore deal with each of the Members offences and sanctions as follows –

In respect of Hon. Charan Jeath Singh – I find that the Honourable Member’s behaviour on the floor of the House in response to the questions by the Hon. Maharaj clearly amounts to unconscionable behaviour or conduct and he is guilty of disorderly conduct and the use of unparliamentary expressions.

In the circumstances, I find the Hon. Singh guilty of “Disorderly Conduct” under SO75, and I hereby issue him with a yellow card and I order the Honourable Member to withdraw from Parliament and its precincts for up to one and half hours.

[Hon. Speaker to fill in the Yellow Card and the SGP will take from the Hon. Speaker and deliver it to the Hon. Charan Singh. The Hon. Charan Singh upon receipt of the Yellow Card must immediately leave Parliament. After he has left, Hon. Speaker to continue reading his ruling.

In the event that the Hon. Charan Singh refuses to leave the chamber, the Hon. Speaker will issue a command to the Sergeant-at-arms to remove the Member from the chamber.]

By the same token, I find the Hon. Alvick Maharaj, in furtherance of my initial assessments during the debate, of his shouting interjection of Hon. Singh’s statement on different religions and practices, as disorderly conduct bringing into disrepute the decorum of this House.

I therefore direct that Hon. Maharaj write a letter of apology addressed to the Office of the Speaker conveying to the Chair and to the Honourable Members of Parliament, the same sentiments, which shall be entered into the official records.

Finally, I am aware that these breaches occurred while Parliament was sitting as a Committee of Supply and as the Committee is now resolved itself into Parliament, these actions I have taken are properly under its jurisdiction and are therefore in accordance with the laws of this Parliament.