It was approximately 1:30 am Wednesday when the House of Representatives passed the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Act that will empower the Government to get on with the business of rebuilding Jamaica following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Melissa last October.

After more than eight hours of sometimes heated debate which started Tuesday afternoon, and during which Opposition Member of Parliament for St Andrew South Western, Dr Angela Brown-Burke was ordered removed and subsequently suspended from the sitting for “unparliamentary behavior”, the consequential bill was passed with 20 amendments.

The Opposition, led by Mark Golding, called multiple divide votes, all of which were defeated by the Government with its superior numbers. However, the Opposition did force some concessions and got some amendments with Golding repeatedly stating that his sole intent was to ensure there was accountability and transparency in the process.

Government member Marlene Malahoo Forte, who had raised concerns about the bill the previous week, refused to vote with the Government on several occasions as the House went through the bill clause-by-clause during committee stage.

House Speaker Juliet Holness appeared impatient with Malahoo Forte at times, however, the former minister of legal and constitutional affairs who once served as attorney general was undeterred as she raised question after question and repeatedly asked for clarification.

During the debate, Opposition members maintained that the bill lacked proper oversight in an environment where billions of US dollars would be at stake and that too much power will be vested in the responsible minister who in this case is Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

When Leader of Government Business Floyd Green cited that NaRRA mirrored the model used by New Zealand when it rebuilt in the aftermath of the devastating 2011 earthquake, Opposition Member of Parliament for St Mary Central, Omar Newell, countered, arguing that issues of corruption are far less prevalent in New Zealand which is also more favourably-ranked on the Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International.

The Government argued that the bill was designed to ensure that the Administration can respond appropriately and efficiently following Melissa which left an estimated US$12.2 billion in damage. Members also cited the need to move quickly and insisted that there are enough guardrails in the legislation to ensure accountability.

When he closed the debate, the prime minister sought to allay the fears of Opposition members that oversight was being sacrificed. He also reminded that between 2009 and 2015, when the then People’s National Party Administration was pursuing significant monetary reform, the Opposition participated fully.

The drama with Brown-Burke started around 10:30 pm Tuesday when she apparently touched/grabbed the mace, the symbol of ceremonial authority in the Parliament. Regarded as a serious breach, she was immediately named by the Speaker who ordered that the marshall remove her from the chamber. Brown-Burke refused for a while and her colleagues stood in solidarity with her, disrupting the proceedings.

She stood her ground even after she was threatened with suspension. She was subsequently suspended from the remainder of the sitting following a motion moved by Green yet she refused to leave.

The Speaker called a five minute recess around 10:48 pm and when the sitting resumed at 11:05 Brown-Burke did not return.

When he made his contribution to the Budget Debate in March, Holness announced that NaRRA would be tasked with driving reconstruction and relocation efforts while undertaking major new projects such as a new Kingston Public Hospital, expansion of the Vernamfield Airport, and the proposed Government campus at Heroes’ Circle.

The prime minister also announced that designated strategic investment projects under FASTJamaica will create a dedicated pathway to fast-track private sector-led strategic investment projects.