THE Opposition People's National Movement (PNM) on Monday night walked out of the debate on the Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation for Fiscal Year 2026, in protest of Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath's "reprehensible" conduct against Parliamentary staff.

The Opposition left the chamber immediately on the commencement of Padarath's contribution and in a statement following, called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to "immediately" remove Padarath as Leader of Government Business.

In a statement following, the Opposition said the action was "taken as a deliberate act of protest against the reprehensible conduct of Mr. Padarath during last Friday’s Standing Finance Committee proceedings, where he abandoned his seat on the Government Bench, approached a Parliamentary Officer and photographed him in full view of the Parliament in what was an obvious and deliberate act of intimidation".