Legislators want Kingston housing budgeted for rural MPs
Published:Thursday | December 7, 2023 | 12:09 AMKimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter
Members of Parliament (MP) are advocating for a share of the parliamentary budget to go towards securing housing in the capital city for rural representatives who, they say, make great sacrifices to fulfil their duties to constituents and Jamaica.
They also want shelter for support staff who travel with them on the journey to and from Kingston, which they have described as challenging.
The concern was raised during a town hall meeting of the joint select committee reviewing the job description for MPs at Gordon House in Kingston on Tuesday evening.
More than half of the 63 constituencies are located outside of Kingston and St Andrew and St Catherine, with MPs domiciled outside of these parishes being required to travel to the capital for parliamentary sittings and committee and emergency meetings several times per week.
St James Central MP Heroy Clarke told the town hall that while Parliament assigns a driver to the elected representatives and covers that cost, the member is left to foot the bill for accommodation.
As a result, he said MPs sometimes drive themselves to avoid that cost.
“It is our wish, and I can speak for my colleagues who also have the privilege of drivers, that the Parliament look into the situation of providing housing for our drivers,” the deputy House Speaker said.
“I am one who is lucky to have an apartment in Kingston, but we still have members of parliament who from September 2020 have to be travelling back and forth every evening,” he added, identifying George Wright, Daniel Lawrence, Delroy Sloley, Moreland Wilson, and Franklin Witter.
The five represent constituencies in western and south western Jamaica that are between 80 and 120 miles from Kingston. Travelling time averages from three to four hours.
“It is high time, and we have been lobbying in [a] different sphere, for Parliament to ensure that housing is provided for these members of parliament and also the driver if so desired. But at leas for the members of parliament who have to be present and on time,” Clarke asserted.
Citing his challenges, Clarke told the town hall that, barring travel overnight, he leaves his constituency as early as 4 a.m. to begin his journey to Kingston.
“Yes, you only take maybe two hours to get to Caymanas toll, but once you get to [there] then the morning traffic takes an hour and a half, sometimes two hours, to get into Kingston. So that becomes a burden on us,” he said, lamenting time spent away from family.
“… And so there are some changes that we would love to see. We are a set of people who were asked to be public servants, and so we’re not able to quarrel too much. We’re not here to cry too much about the situation. You went into a binding contract with the constituents. They elected you and your job is just to represent them, come what may,” he said.
He was responding to a question posed about rural MPs having to travel to Kingston for work and the possible changes that could be made to make it easier.