AFTER A seven-week break, the House of Representatives will resume its sitting tomorrow, with the start of the 2003 Sectoral Debate.
Two speakers are down to make contributions Minister of Development, Dr. Paul Robertson, and Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture, J.C. Hutchinson.
The House broke on May 27 for the traditional recess following the April Budget Debate. However, it did not resume its work promptly because of the June 19 Local Government elections.
Since the elections, neither the House nor the Senate has sat, sparking complaints from the Leader of Opposition Business, Derrick Smith, that the Government is disregarding the work of the nation's Parliament.
However, Information Minister, Burchell Whiteman, last week dismissed criticism that the long delay indicated Government's disregard for the nation's affairs. Referring to the long-awaited Child Care Protection Bill, as an example, the Minister argued that much work was being done on that piece of legislation even during the elections.
"I will tell you that during the election period, the legislation committee (of Cabinet) was meeting," the Minister told journalists at a post-Cabinet press briefing last week. "I don't know if people appreciate what goes into the passing of a Bill. It is meticulous analysis of every word of every clause."
He added: "I don't want you to go away with the impression that somehow these people are concerned about elections and forget the nation's business."
The Minister suggested that the Government was under even more pressure than the Opposition, as it had to run the nation's business even while fighting an election, while the JLP could concentrate all its energies on getting out the vote.
