Former Prime Minister Portia Simpson walks out at chamber at Gordon House for the last time with a bouquet of flowers presented to her by Dr Peter Phillips, her successor as leader of the Opposition following yesterday’s tributes. (Photo: Michael Gordon)
FORMER Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller yesterday urged her colleagues in Parliament to do whatever is in the best interest of Jamaicans.
“We have a responsibility to do what is in the best interest of the Jamaican people,” Simpson Miller said as she made her last speech as a Member of Parliament in Gordon House.
In her final speech to the House of Representatives, before walking out the doors of the chamber for the last time clutching a bouquet of flowers handed to her by successor as Leader of the Opposition Dr Peter Phillips, Simpson Miller described the Parliament as the “bedrock” of Jamaica’s stable democracy.
“This parliament is the bedrock of our stable democracy and our free society. It must celebrate the best of Jamaica. It must project what makes us a great people,” she told the House.
The former leader of the People’s National Party (PNP), who was replaced by Dr Phillips in March, and is expected to hand in her letter of resignation as the Member of Parliament tomorrow, was responding to a number of tributes from her parliamentary colleagues before her departure.
She thanked the colleagues with whom she had served over her 35 years in Parliament for their support, after they had paid tribute to her during the special joint meeting of the Houses of Parliament, which started nearly one hour late and ended with several people unable to make their contributions.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Pearnel Charles said that missed contributions would be packaged in a publication and circulated.
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