Payne-Hyman Stands Her Ground

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Politics

Friday, 28 September 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St. John’s - Antigua Labour Party caretaker for the St Phíllip South constituency, Maureen Payne-Hyman, said she will not be bullied into stepping aside to allow talk show host Senator Lennox Weston to become the ALP candidate in the upcoming elections.

Payne-Hyman used her opening remarks on Wednesday’s Fire and Steel programme on ZDK Radio to rebuff the fiery radio commentator, who she accused of making disparaging remarks against her on his programme.

“I am the (ALP) representative for the area and I want them to know that all this bad talking of people…all this bullying, screaming and shouting doesn’t work. The dynamics of politics have changed and if I am for a party I cannot be abused and disrespected by senior members of that party,” she stated defiantly.

The former chief magistrate said there is need for good role models in the party and people who are prepared to work as a team.

“What we want is someone who is going to be a good role model, not a representative who is going to cause strife. Anyone who behaves like that is a team breaker, not a team player and if people want to abuse me and say that I am too soft, then that is just sad!” she declared.

Payne-Hyman wondered out loud why there has been no talk of discipline as in the case when she was threatened with disciplinary action for public statements she made earlier this year. She however vowed to stand her ground despite the pressure from Weston for her to step aside.

She also urged party representatives to be careful of the things they say on air, as what she termed “lies” have been costly both to the ALP and to ZDK Radio.

“When we go on the radio we have to be responsible for the things we say…telling lies about people on the radio costs ZDK money. Telling lies on Minister Jacqui Quinn-Leandro costs ZDK money and since then we have to pay to be on air,”
Payne-Hyman noted. (Minister Quinn-Leandro won a case against Weston and he had to pay costs in the High Court).

She called Weston by name and asked him to desist from his bullying tactics.

Programme host Molwyn Joseph was clearly not amused by Payne-Hyman’s statements, and he cautioned her that should she attempt to make a similar statements in the future, he would not allow it.

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“I control this programme, and I never used it to vent these matters. I hope we will not go down this road again,” he said.
“I hope we will not have to,” the former chief magistrate replied.

“Well, I will not allow it in the future,” MP Joseph reiterated.

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