Prorogue Parliament and stop this sham

Perhaps it would be better if Prime Minister Andrew Holness moves for the prorogation of Parliament rather than continuing the untidy state of affairs now existing.

Ever since Bruce Golding indicated he would step away as prime minister, the sittings of the House of Representatives have become even more infrequent.

Indications that the people's business has given way to heightened political fever was patently clear last Wednesday when only three of the 12 members showed up for a sitting of the Human Resources and Social Development Committee.

Committee Chairman Dr Fenton Ferguson and Ronald Thwaites needed one other member to ensure a quorum. North West St Ann's Othneil Lawrence joined them late in the day.

Unjustified absence

Lawrence, who is junior minister in the transport and works ministry, spent the morning at the opening of the Dry Harbour Bridge in Harbour View, St Andrew.

There was no compelling reason for him to have been there since Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry, as well as Prime Minister Andrew Holness and East Rural St Andrew MP Joseph Hibbert were all on the programme.

However, The Gavel will not crucify Lawrence for his camera-seeking decision to attend and speak at that opening. Instead, we are very concerned that members Shahine Robinson, Michael Stern, Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, Gregory Mair, Franklyn Witter, Tarn Peralto, Kern Spencer, Natalie Neita-Headley, and Colin Fagan all lacked the courtesy to send an apology to the nurses and their colleagues who found the time to attend the sitting.

The embarrassment at the Human Resources and Social Development Committee last week is the latest sign that the people's business is being handled with disdain.

Since members returned from the summer recess, the House has sat on only eight occasions.

Of a possible four sittings in October, the House met twice. And in November, the House has so far met once.

And it is not only the House. The Senate has sat only twice since returning from the summer break and the cumulative time spent in the chamber is less than one hour.

In the case of the House, we would not be surprised if Leader of Government Business Delroy Chuck says it has been meeting infrequently because there are hardly any bills to discuss.

This, though partly true, would reinforce the view in our minds that the government's legislative agenda is, at best, shoddy, and that the people's business revolves around government business.

It would be a sad state of affairs if Chuck posits such an argument.

Many unaddressed motions

The fact is that there is the pile-up of more than 50 private members' motions on the Order Paper, and a plethora of unanswered questions on the question notice paper.

This suggests that the people are being shortchanged by the manner in which the legislature operates.

Among the motions to be debated is an urgent call from East Portland MP Dr Donald Rhodd for a special summit to be convened to discuss a strategic development plan for the parishes of eastern Jamaica.

Central Kingston MP Thwaites, has called for the House to consider putting in place the necessary resources for the effective functioning of the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel to complete legislative drafting in an expeditious manner.

South West St Catherine MP Everald Warmington also has an interesting motion on the Order Paper which is worthy of debate.

He has asked the House to call on the Government to immediately assume full responsibility for all road infrastructure in housing schemes throughout Jamaica, and to commence the repairs and rehabilitation needed to bring these roads to proper and usable condition.

Another of Thwaites' motions that has languished on the Order Paper without debate is for strategies to be identified to counteract the effects of job losses and a high import bill.

Thwaites has urged the House to consider making unused land available to redundant workers, encouraging the return to productive use of idle lands, setting production targets for all agricultural commodities, and developing plans for inputs of technology, infrastructure and credit to support these targets.

The Gavel very well understands why many MPs are increasingly missing in action as legislators.

Parliamentary elections, though due by December 2012, could take place any time now and members are on the political hustings seeking to protect their seats.

It is such a pity a lot of Jamaicans may not have had the opportunity of seeing how much of a disappointment many of their MPs are in Parliament.

It would be good if nearly half of the sitting MPs are not sent back to Parliament after the elections; too many of them have mastered the art of wasting time.

thegavel@gleanerjm.com