IN an attempt to return to the maximum use of its system of committees, the House of Representatives has approved the appointment of a number of committees since June.

The problem, however, is whether the MPs will be able to attend committee meetings regularly and how often the chairmen will have a quorum to proceed, bearing in mind issues such as the likelihood of early elections and the fact that several House members are not seeking re-election and may be considered ‘lame duck’ representatives.

But, with new salary increases likely to be approved this week, members might feel more encouraged to attend the meetings.

Speaker of the House, Michael Peart (PNP-Southern Manchester), will chair a committee which will keep under continuous review the number of constituencies into which Jamaica is divided and the boundaries of these constituencies.

This committee is expected to remain active until the Electoral Advisory Committee (EAC) becomes a commission of Parliament with full powers to deal with these matters.

Other members are: Dr Peter Phillips (PNP-East Central St Andrew), Maxine Henry-Wilson (PNP-South Eastern St Andrew), Dr Paul Robertson (PNP-South Eastern St Catherine), Karl Samuda (JLP-North Central St Andrew), Olivia Grange (JLP-Central St Catherine) and Dr Horace Chang (JLP-North Western St James).

Phillips will chair the select committee which will sit jointly with a similar committee from the Senate to conduct a review of the Corruption Prevention Act, as well as the operations of the Corruption Prevention Commission and make recommendations to Parliament as to what changes may be necessary to ensure that the objectives of the act are fully achieved.

Last November, Leader of the Opposition, Bruce Golding, scolded the government for failing to fulfill a provision of the act which required a review of the legislation from 2004.

Golding brought a resolution to the House pointing out that the act provided for reviews, periodically, by a committee of both houses of Parliament appointed for that purpose.

The first such review should have been conducted no later than three years after May 1, 2001, when the law was passed, or as of May 1, 2004.

“It hasn’t been done and the purpose of this resolution is to bring to the attention of the House that it hasn’t been done, that this is a breach of the act, and to see to what extent we can seek to rectify that by setting up a Joint Select Committee to undertake that review,” Golding said then.

His resolution was eventually adopted leading to the appointment of this committee.

However, following the disclosure by prime minister Portia Simpson Miller in the budget debate in early May that her government intended to make the CPC a commission of Parliament for administrative and financial purposes, the Cabinet gave its approval in late May.

The CPC is established under the Corruption Prevention Act to perform a number of functions, including receiving and keeping of records of statutory declarations furnished by public servants, and the examination of such statutory declarations.

The commission makes independent enquiries and investigations, receives and investigates any complaint regarding an act of corruption and conducts an investigation into any act of corruption on its own initiative.

The Corruption Prevention Act intended that the commission should be an entity independent of any other agency of the state, including accounting autonomy, and should be responsible for all aspects of its operations.

However, the current organisation and accountability arrangements, have placed the commission within the portfolio responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and the finances of the commission are a part of the ministry’s budget.

Following consultations with a number of stakeholders, including the Solicitor General’s Department and the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the necessary amendments are to be drafted and tabled in Parliament.

Other members of this select committee are: Fitz Jackson (PNP-Southern St Catherine), KD Knight (PNP-East Central St Catherine), John Junor (PNP-Central Manchester), Dr Morais Guy (PNP-Central St Mary), Derrick Smith (JLP-North Western St Andrew), Audley Shaw (JLP-North Eastern Manchester), Delroy Chuck (North Eastern St Andrew) and Clive Mullings (JLP-West Central St James).

Dr Omar Davies (PNP-Southern St Andrew), the Minister of Finance and Planning, is to head a select committee appointed to examine the financial and operational state of Air Jamaica, its future prospects and plans being pursued by the airline’s management; and to make recommendations appropriate to the country’s economic interests, and those of the taxpaying public.

This is another committee which has come about based on resolutions from the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party, mainly its leader, Bruce Golding, and Shaw, the spokesman on finance and the public service.

Several former Cabinet ministers, who have returned to the back-benches since the change in leadership of the government, have been elected to chair committees.

Junor will chair the Human Resources and Social Development Committee, as well as the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, while Knight will chair the Internal and External Affairs Committee.

Shaw will continue to chair the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which scrutinises government operations – the only committee which is headed by an Opposition member.

The membership is completed with: John Junor; Sharon Hay-Webster (PNP-South Central St Catherine); Charles Learmond (PNP-South Western Clarendon); Dr Patrick Harris (PNP-Northern Trelawny); Dr Neil McGill (PNP-Western St Mary); Dr Morais Guy (PNP-Central St Mary); Dr Horace Chang, Delroy Chuck, Joseph Hibbert (JLP-East Rural St Andrew) and Lester ‘Mike’ Henry (Central Clarendon).

balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com