MP Richard Lightbourn and MP Fred Mitchell had a heated exchange about race and culture in the House of Assembly yesterday as Lightbourn questioned comments made about him in a previous sitting of the House.
Mitchell, MP for Fox Hill, and Lightbourn, MP for Montague, disagreed on the interpretation of comments made by Lightbourn about Mitchell.
“When I look at my skin, Mr Speaker, I don’t see black or white. I see Bahamian. It is unfortunate that at this stage of our country’s development, Fox Hill should still seek to raise the race card purely to raise political mischief,” Lightbourn said.
Mitchell said his comments were not racially motivated and spoke to cultural differences.
Lightbourn defended his statements towards Mitchell by saying that his comments expressed sentiments shared by him and many persons outside the House.
“I said that he defended the dreaded UBP, and he denied that fact. Yet, he comes here today, and he’s defending them outright. I don’t know what colour has to do with that,” said Mitchell.
The back and forth went on for quite some time, with Mitchell making several calls for the comments that he had “raised the race card” to be withdrawn and expunged from the record.
Lightbourn had initially sought clarification about the publication of comments that he had spat on Ryan Pinder’s father’s face despite Pinder’s admittance that the information came from a third party.
Dr Perry Gomez said that members affected by the reporting of expunged matters could seek legal action.
Lightbourn said that claims a member of the House had entered a same-sex marriage could cause similar embarrassment to that member.
“It doesn’t seem adequate that one simply withdraws the statement, and that is the end of it,” he added.
Lightbourn eventually withdrew his comments about Mitchell.