Fitz-Henley Blasts Golding’s Attack on Juliet Holness As Hypocritical and Reprehensible

Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has slammed objections raised by PNP President Mark Golding to House Speaker Juliet Holness’ elevation to the post as offensive, misogynistic and reprehensible.

“The head of Parliament (Juliet Holness) is now the spouse of the head of Government. This really does not sit well with the tradition that the Speaker must act independently of the Government of the day,” Golding told Parliament on Tuesday.

But in a push back on the social media platform X this morning, Senator Fitz-Henley reasoned that Mrs. Holness had served capably as Deputy House Speaker for several years and called out Golding on what he described as an unbecoming attack on a dedicated, qualified and capable Jamaican woman.

“Mark Golding’s suggestion that a capable & qualified woman who for years deputized well in a role, should not be elevated because of the man she married, is offensive & misogynistic”, Fitz-Henley wrote.

While deploying the hash tag, #IStandWithJulietHolness and #StandingWithJAH, the Government Senator says Golding’s attack on Mrs. Holness is reprehensible.

In a follow up post, Senator Fitz-Henley elaborated on what he posited is the hypocritical posture of Mr. Golding and the PNP.

“Not a word from Golding & his band of misogynistic hypocrites when Michael Peart presided as Speaker while his brother sat as Member of Parliament. Now Golding chooses to lament that Speaker should be perceived as independent. Hypocritcal, shameless and disgraceful”, Fitz-Henley wrote as he blasted the Opposition Leader and PNP President.

Michael Peart retired from Parliament in 2016. He is the longest serving Speaker of the House of Representatives. During his tenure his younger brother, Dean Peart, sat the House as Member of Parliament for North West, Manchester.

The elder Peart first became Speaker in 2002 and served in that capacity until 2007, when the People’s National Party lost the election of September 3 that year.

When the PNP regained its parliamentary majority in the December 29, 2011 election, Pear was returned to the post of House Speaker.

Meantime, Mr. Golding was also criticized on X by Attorney and former Chairman of the PNP Human Rights Commission, Clyde Williams.

“Golding’s position is procedurally problematic. The Opp seconded the nomination of the Member from East Rural St. Andrew to be Speaker. All family ties of the member were know to the PNP when they seconded the nomination- that is not an act you can just simply walk away from”, Mr. Williams wrote.p/’