Holness accused of overreach in cancelling House committee meetings
Published:Thursday | July 11, 2024 | 12:11 AMEdmond Campbell/Senior Parliamentary Reporter
St Catherine South Member of Parliament (MP) Fitz Jackson on Wednesday castigated House Speaker Juliet Holness for giving instructions on Monday to cancel the sittings of several parliamentary committees this week without consulting with at least two chairmen.
Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) Chairman Mikael Phillips also said that the Speaker does not have the authority to cancel committee meetings.
After the Leader of Opposition Business Phillip Paulwell reportedly wrote to his government counterpart, Edmund Bartlett, raising concerns about the Speaker’s instructions, another missive was sent out, stating that the PAAC can proceed with its planned meeting.
Phillips and two opposition members, who formed a quorum, met on Wednesday to determine the agencies, departments and ministries of the Government that should be invited to appear before the committee.
The PAAC has the duty of examining the budgetary expenditure of government agencies and other public bodies, to ensure that expenditure is done in accordance with parliamentary approval. The committee is also mandated to monitor expenditure as it occurs, and keep the parliament informed of how the budget is being implemented.
Jackson commented on the “arbitrary” cancellation of the committee meeting by the Speaker.
“I have never heard of anything like that in all my years in this parliament. I don’t know of any provisions in the Standing Orders that give the Speaker that authority,” said the six-term MP.
“The Speaker is usurping her authority, to the detriment of the country’s business,” Jackson argued, charging that “the Speaker needs to be reined in”.
In a letter seen by The Gleaner, which was addressed to the chairman of a parliamentary committee, Holness requested that all committees, except for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committee, should be postponed for this week until further notice.
“I consider it very serious because what has happened with that action is a whittling away of our democracy. The parliament is the parliament of the people, not the Speaker,” Jackson stressed.
At the start of the PAAC meeting, Phillips tendered apologies for absences from government members Heroy Clarke, Dwight Sibblies, Tamika Davis, and Phillip Henriques.
He said that relevant notices were sent out to committee members to attend Wednesday’s meeting.
The PAAC’s last meeting before Wednesday was held on January 30, when it reviewed the supplementary budget.
Jackson said the committee should convey to the leader of government business, with copies to the Speaker and leader of opposition business, that the failure of members on the government side to attend meetings amounted to a dereliction of duty.
Phillips said, in the past, the committee would not meet unless the majority of members agreed on the way forward.
However, he argued that the Standing Orders stipulate a quorum of three and, as such, he would not allow other members to prevent the committee from carrying out its duties.
On Wednesday, the committee suggested that it would invite the National Works Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Local Government, and the Constituency Development Fund unit in the Office of the Prime Minister to attend future meetings to discuss plans in the wake of the damage done by Hurricane Beryl.