Andrew's poor record as House Leader

New Prime Minister Andrew Holness has no good record to stand on as an efficient Leader of Government business in the House of Representatives.

The volume of issues on the Order Paper which he has either evaded or ignored during his ample tenure as House Leader, portrays him as having a narrow, defensive view of the legislature; someone with a weak commitment to the free discussion of profound national issues.

It will be to the peril of the nation if he carries the same mindset to the prime minister's chair.

But then, birth certificate aside, when has he distinguished himself as someone new and different?

Young persons with calcified and unprogressive minds are much more of a disappointment than seasoned age.

Punctuality problems

Parliament should move its official starting time to 3 p.m. because every week the Speaker, Marissa Dalrymple-Philibert, enters almost at that hour and then apologises for lateness.

It is a waste of time for which we are paid. There is no place in a transformed Jamaica for a lack of punctuality.

Perhaps it was in the effort to arrive on time last Tuesday that the orderly traffic on East Street in downtown Kingston was corralled off by the blaring horn of three fast moving multimillion-dollar vehicles carrying a very powerful but ineffectual minister to Parliament.

We were all suitably intimidated by this unnecessary show of arrogance.

Had I realised that it was not an emergency vehicle, I would not have shifted my 12-year-old deportee out of the way. Especially in our national situation, power should never make one ostentatious.

What is the peril (or is it pride?) which requires ministers to drive great chariots in caravans attended by many centurions?

OT Williams farewell

The sitting began with copious tributes to the late O.T. Williams.

This genial and committed parliamentarian deserved remembering but as often happens, so many spoke that it appeared over-done. Eulogies are most effective when sparing, without stumbles and devoid of hyperbole.

The muzzle ...?

There is this foolish rule that unless there is a special resolution moved by the House Leader to extend Question Time after 3:30, then the item is passed over.

This is being used to protect lazy ministers and to gag the Opposition. Why has it not been abolished?

Luther Buchanan chides Holness for showing his "dictatorial side" from now for trying to forestall questions.

"You can run but you can't hide" fires Omar Davies who is seeking answers to follow-up questions which were promised when Mike Henry was cornered regarding Jamaica Urban Transit Company operational losses.

Then the whole charade rolled out.

Clive Mullings overruled the tepid and confused Ryan Peralto in the Chair and launched a diatribe of casuistry trying to prove that there was no economic growth during PNP time which had Audley Shaw and even Andrew Holness getting red and covering their faces as the absurdity of their colleague minister's travesty of reasoning embarrassed all but Pearnel Charles. Not surprising.

Peralto is completely out of his depth as Deputy Speaker and Mullings refuses all correction.

Pride is a horrible defect. Holness tries to close down the argument about the statistics with Mullings still grumbling while Peralto, totally on the backfoot, wants to hustle us on. It is frightening. These people are in Cabinet.

Public business

The Building Act is sent to a Joint Select Committee. I hope it will not languish there.

The Debt Management Unit is to be expanded by 33 new posts. Twenty-seven posts are to be abolished. While Shaw takes this matter there is a full meeting of seven Government Parliamentarians at the back of the Chamber. They have such confidence in their front Bench, that it isn't even necessary to pay attention.

There follows the Regulations for Casino Gaming. The Opposition goes along with the deal.

What a shame that the Adventist Governor General, Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism are presiding over the institutionalising of casinos in our society, directly in contradiction with an admirable tenet of their own faith.

Opposition MP Dr Patrick Harris thinks we should not restrict casinos to three - have any number, he seems to say. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, to his credit, says he does not want Jamaica to become a casino destination.

Obviously Bartlett believes that you can be a little pregnant.