PM stands by account of exchange on ATI resolution with Phillips

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he stands by his statement that Leader of the Opposition Dr Peter Phillips was briefed about and agreed to support the government’s proposal to extend from 20 to 70 years, the period for barring cabinet documents from public access.

READ: Gov't addresses Access To Information resolution

Phillips had rejected the claim saying that the prime minister's assertion about their brief exchange were untrue and "an incomplete and unfaithful representation of the conversation between us".

READ: Phillips accuses PM of 'untrue, self-serving' claims 

Phillips said that, when Holness indicated the Government’s intention to change the policy on the period of exemption of Cabinet minutes from 20 to 70 years, he immediately told him the period was too long.

"The prime minister then indicated that 70 years was the international norm. This has turned out to be false," said Phillips.

But, in a two-paragraph statement this afternoon Holness hit back at Phillips.

“In light of recent comments made by the Leader of the Opposition via a press release on October 5, 2019, Prime Minister Andrew Holness stands by his statements regarding his briefing of the Leader of the Opposition and the response of the Leader of the Opposition,” a spokesperson from the Office of the Prime Minister said.  

There had been immense public outrage since the matter of the resolution to amend the Access to Information Act was reported on Tuesday.

Leader of Government Business in the Senate Kamina Johnson Smith had explained that the decision to amend the act arose from a request under the act for Cabinet minutes for 1975 and 1976, which would include the period of a state of public emergency in Jamaica.

And parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Robert Nesta Morgan explained that the ATI application included a request for personal information for persons dead or alive.

Bowing to pressure, the government said the resolution would be withdrawn and sent to a joint select committee for deliberation and public feedback.

The resolution was withdrawn on Friday in the Senate and it is expected to be pulled from the House of Representatives tomorrow. 

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