Against a chorus of vociferous protest from the Government front benches, Shadow Transport Minister Jamahl Simmons had his address to the House terminated late on Friday night by Speaker Stanley W. Lowe following a remark in which he encouraged the PLP to continue "stealing" from the UBP policy platform and not from the "local taxpayer".

"You are getting out of line," said Mr. Lowe, before ordering Simmons to retract the statement and withdraw from the debate.

Mr. Simmons, who left the House shortly after being forced to sit down, was referring to the recent endorsement in the Throne Speech of a number of UBP initiatives included in their election platform of 2003.

These included, among others, the abolition of the Death Tax, the renovation of derelict properties to ease the housing crisis and the formation of Health Issue Forums for senior citizens.

It was originally thought that Mr. Simmons had been thrown out of the chamber following the Speaker's rebuke ? although Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons told The Royal Gazette that Simmons had left of his own free will and had merely been required to officially withdraw the comment.