I am forced to write this as guidance on how we should address Members of Parliament both verbally and in writing.

 It is well known, and stated time and time again, that we follow the Westminster system of Government; and people like Sir Curtis Strachan and Mr. Leslie Pierre would normally correct us on these matters.

Even in an article I saw posted on Grenada Broadcast and written by an experienced journalist, the article began “Honourable Nazim Burke”. Wrong, wrong, wrong. You do not hear BBC journalists refer to Prime Minister Gordon Brown as Honourable or in his case The Right Honourable in their reports.

Members of Parliament are only referred to as Honourable in Parliament and not when they are addressed verbally or in writing. For example, when Michael Bascombe wrote Honourable Nazim Burke, he should have written Mr. Nazim Burke M.P., or Minister Nazim Burke.

However, if a Member of Parliament is also a Privy Counsello,r he/she should be addressed as “The Right Honourable” and when writing to that same Member of Parliament, you write, Dear Mr…

The Speaker of the House should be addressed as “The Right Honourable The Speaker and when writing a letter to The Speaker you write “Mr. or Madam Speaker.”  Our journalists and Members of Parliament should be educating our people and not allowing them to continue bad practices.

Additionally, from the moment Parliament is dissolved until a new Parliament meets, there is no Parliament and accordingly no Members of Parliament. During this time Parliamentarians are not entitled to use the letters “MP” after their name.

I now wonder how many Civil Servants are aware of this when letters are written to Ministers?  Someone needs to correct this as stated earlier.   Members of Parliament are only Honourable in Parliament amongst themselves.