ATTORNEY-General and Minister of Justice, AJ Nicholson, believes that the Joint Select Committee currently reviewing the proposals for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendments) will recommend a conscience vote on hanging when it concludes its deliberations by March.

But, this is a very unpredictable committee. The Charter of Rights issues are very controversial and the discussions prolonged. It is obvious, though, that the Government wants the committee to complete its work by the end of the current session.

The slow progress of the deliberations suggests, however, that even if the members complete their work and their report in time, there will be no time left for a conscience debate/vote on hanging before the end of 2005/2006, especially since a new leader of the PNP will emerge by then, and a new Prime Minister, as well.

Tufton joins technology lobby

Opposition Senator, Chris Tufton, has joined the chorus of parliamentarians demanding increased use of technology in Parliament.

Making his maiden State of the Nation contribution on Friday, Tufton suggested live television coverage of Parliament.

“Let us empower the people with information and give them a chance to understand and to participate,” Tufton said.

“We must now act in the interest of preserving the credibility of the institutions of Government,” he added. “We cannot move forward as a country, if the people are not with us … We need a political process that empowers the people and gives greater access to those whom they elect to serve them.”

House agenda

After a two-week break the House of Representatives is scheduled to resume sitting on Tuesday.

In fact, this will be a very busy week for parliamentarians.

The Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Opposition Spokesman on Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, meets Tuesday morning at 10:00 to look at the auditor-general’s report on the Ministry of Justice.

The House of Representatives sits on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 pm.

The agenda includes:

Minister of National Security and House Leader Dr Peter Phillips talking on:

. An Act to Amend the Criminal Justice Act; and

. An Act to Amend the Legal Aid Act.

These are companion measures which seek to deal with the treatment of persons who are suffering from mental disorders, who come in conflict with the law and consequently enter the justice system.

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr Omar Davies will handle:

. Loan Guarantee for the Port Authority; and

. Withdrawal Order from the Capital Development Fund.

There is also a scheduled debate on a motion from Dr Donald Rhodd, chairman of the Human Resources and Social Development Committee, on the committee’s report regarding measures for the prevention and control of tobacco use in Jamaica.

The Human Resources and Social Development Select Committee is also scheduled to meet on Wednesday at 10:00 am.

The Senate Committee on The Use of Prime Agricultural Lands will meet, under the chairmanship of Senator Norman Grant, on Thursday morning at 10:00 am.

The Joint Select Committee on the Charter of Rights & Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) will meet on Thursday afternoon at 2:00 pm.

The Senate will resume the State of the Nation debate on Friday.

Over the past two weeks there have been complaints from the Opposition – mainly Leader of Opposition Business, Derrick Smith and JLP backbencher Mike Henry – that the House was left idle while government MPs pursued their agenda to elect a successor to PJ Patterson.

Leader of Government Business in the Senate and Minister of Information Senator Burchell Whiteman denied the claim on Thursday.

He said that while it is a fact that the House of Representatives has not been sitting, the truth is that, “the legislative agenda has not really required as frequent meetings.”

He noted that the Senate has continued to meet and is dealing with the State of the Nation debate.

“I really would like the evidence from the public to say that issues requiring the attention of the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Finance and Planning and the Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport that have been neglected, because that is certainly not the feed-back that we get from those constituent areas,” said Senator Whiteman, who is also general secretary of the PNP.

Supporting him, Minister of Transport and Works Robert Pickersgill said that the leadership campaign had not affected the work of the cabinet either.

“There is no evidence of that. Cabinet is proceeding,” said Pickersgill, who is also chairman of the PNP.

“In terms of inter-ministry communications, I have not experienced any problems … And I don’t know that the country has instanced anything that has been left behind, or left off the agenda because of the campaign. I think it is a popular belief without any basis in truth.”

balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com