Gov't and Opposition to face off on parliamentary committees
Published:Thursday | April 26, 2018 | 12:00 AM
The Andrew Holness-led administration is agitating for two government lawmakers to chair two select committees of Parliament previously chaired by the parliamentary Opposition.
Leader of Government Business Karl Samuda told The Gleaner yesterday that the administration "holds strong to the view that those committees that impact directly on policy ought properly to be chaired by a government member". He cited the Economy and Production and Infrastructure and Physical Development Committees.
Samuda noted that both the Government and the Opposition would discuss the matter shortly at the next Vale Royal talks.
However, this could place the Government and the Opposition on a collision course, with both Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips and Leader of Opposition Business in the Lower House Phillip Paulwell insisting that any change would be a retrograde step.
Speaking at a People's National Party (PNP) press conference yesterday at the party's headquarters, Old Hope Road, St Andrew, Phillips said that any attempt by the Government to change the status quo in relation to the chairmanship of the Sessional Select Committees of Parliament would create an impasse with the parliamentary Opposition.
"If you want the Parliament to exercise its role as a watchdog of Government, it really requires the committees to work and be chaired by the Opposition," said Phillips.
But Samuda said that he was anxious to get the committees formulated and to start working.
"Apparently, they (the Opposi-tion) are insisting that they chair all the committees, and we don't agree. Notwithstanding the recently established convention of having the Opposition chair these committees, we feel strongly that committees that deal with the policy of the Government ought properly to be chaired by a Government member," Samuda insisted.
Paulwell, who also spoke at the PNP press conference, said: "As you will recall, we resisted when the acting House leader at the time attempted to do otherwise."