By Omar Anderson, Gleaner WriterPORTIA SIMPSON Miller, Minister of Local Government and a vice-president of the governing People's National Party (PNP), squared off yesterday with Foreign Affairs Minister K.D. Knight, who shouted an expletive at her at Gordon House, for her recent abstention in a vote on an Opposition motion.
This happened in front of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, moments before he made what could be his last contribution to the annual Budget debate.
Mr. Knight seemed to have been in a militant mood and talked loudly enough so anyone nearby could hear.
"K.D., K.D., K.D.," Prime Minister Patterson said, trying to restrain Mr. Knight.
That, however, did not deter Mr. Knight, who had tried unsuccessfully at the weekend to provoke the party's National Executive Council (NEC) to have a discussion on Mrs. Simpson Miller's absention, during a meeting held on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies.
"What you did was (expletive)!" he shouted at her in rebuke for failing to vote against the Opposition motion recommending increased funding for the fire department, during a sitting of Parliament's Standing Finance Committee earlier this month. Mrs. Simpson Miller has portfolio responsibility for the fire services.
"Gweh," retorted a defiant Mrs. Simpson Miller, as an obviously now incensed Mr. Knight had to be restrained by Prime Minister Patterson, and Health Minister John Junor, who had just arrived in time to witness the encounter.
A subdued Mrs. Simpson Miller then followed behind her male colleagues and took her seat at the front row of the Government benches beside the Prime Minister to whom, it appeared, she was complaining. Mr. Knight sat incensed and appeared to be brooding throughout much of the Prime Minister's presentation.
Sources told The Gleaner that at the NEC on Sunday, the Foreign Affairs Minister was very vociferous in provoking a discussion on his colleague's recent inaction which earned her the ire of several of her PNP colleagues, while winning the admiration of many Jamaicans.
But in a bid to avoid an unsavoury encounter, Mr. Patterson refused to discuss the matter, instead deciding to deal with the matter personally.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday following the Prime Minister's address to Parliament, Mr. Knight said he stood by his earlier disagreement with Mrs. Simpson Miller's abstention, and "that is the end of the matter."
Asked if he did not accept Mr. Patterson's announcement to personally deal with the matter, he replied: "My position is that if the Prime Minister said he will deal with the issue, he has the right to do so and I abide by his decision."
"Mrs. Simpson Miller's position differed from mine. She made a statement about the correctness of her action and I differed.
Asked if he was hurt by the Local Government Minister's abstention, he responded: "That is irrelevant."
Meanwhile, Mrs. Simpson Miller also said she did not regret her recent stance in Parliament.
"I told him (Knight) that I wasn't wrong and I'm not backing off my position,; she told The Gleaner.
Asked if she felt alienated, Mrs. Simpson Miller said no.
"If you have one or two persons in the party who might be angry with me, it's not the party," she said.
