In an interview with The Bahama Journal Monday, Leader of the Official Opposition Alvin Smith charged that over the past three and a half years, the government continues to speak of issues that need to be addressed, but no one brings the required bills to Parliament to make this happen.
He said Free National Movement (FNM) House Members were still in the dark as to what items will be included on the agenda when the House of Assembly resumes on Wednesday following its traditional summer recess.
“We would probably know what’s happening on Wednesday [or] late Tuesday evening,” Mr. Smith said.
Montagu MP Brent Symonette, leader of opposition business in the House, expressed similar sentiments.
“We are hardly ever advised on a concrete basis as to what will be appearing before the legislature at any given time,” he said.
“For instance, the government leader of business in the House [Vincent Peet] has yet to contact me about this week and this is not unusual…I am not satisfied with the mechanics of the legislation passing through the House of Assembly.
“We are constantly being asked to go back over the agenda to accommodate the government in terms of one bill or the other and numerous bills that have been brought have either been withdrawn or have to been substantially revised during the debate or left on the agenda for a substantial time. Using those as reflections, the track record has not been that good.”
During the 2002 session, the government passed 93 Bills, many of which were agreed to during the passage of the budgets.
Two bills are in the committee stage – the Montreal Protocol that relates to the depletion of the ozone layer; and the Amendment to the Rent Control Act. These bills have already been debated by the House of Assembly and passed, but are in committee where changes could be made.
Two bills were left on the agenda and have not yet been debated – the Protection of Persons appearing at Judicial Hearings or the Witness Protection Bill, and the Bill to enable The Bahamas to become a member of the International Development Association.
“I think the government has to be serious and put serious dollars in the Attorney General’s office and up the staffing pay and conditions of service so that they can produce at a higher rate,” Mr. Symonette suggested.
“We have heard lip service to it and we haven’t seen it happen. But it needs to happen for the sake of every government ministry.”
Independent MP Tennyson Wells added, “Between September 2004 and July 2005, the early part of that period was very slow going.
“It was not aggressive. I think in the last couple of months, they passed quite a number of bills, but I am hoping they are even more aggressive than they have been for the remainder of their term in office.”
As far as the Bamboo MP sees it, the Christie Administration needs to show that it is doing more.
“I have not been very impressed by what they have done so far. They have done some things and you have to give them credit for that, but I think they could have done more,” he said.
“There are a number of issues before the country that should be looked into like legislation dealing with transportation, helping small businesspersons, health provisions and the development process of Family Islands that ought to come forward.”
Mr. Wells is however expecting parliament’s upcoming agenda to be a very interesting one.
“There is going to be more activity,” he predicted.
“The government has to be more aggressive as well as the Opposition. I know for sure that the independents will be much more aggressive than they were before because they are looking forward to the next election and what is likely to happen,” he said.
PLP House Members were attending a parliamentary meeting on Monday. Government Leader in the House Vincent Peet was not available to speak to the government’s legislative agenda.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
