I think it was the Gleaner last week that made a news item out of the stated resolve of the House Leader to devote the remainder of the sittings until Budget time to passing legislation and debating motions on the Order Paper.  Sure.  But this is the only real purpose of a parliament anyway and the comment begs the question of what we have been doing for much of the session before this.  Hours of time wasting and weeks of elongated recesses have left a huge backlog, which cannot be adequately dealt with in the time left.

The blame lies primarily with the Government side, which has allowed some feckless members to abuse and demean their membership and derail the progress of the people’s business.  This planned distraction has stemmed from their deeper bewilderment as to what to do with state power as well as a palpable disregard for the institutions of democracy.

The Opposition too must share responsibility for the underachievement of the last two parliamentary years.   Weak leadership has fed into uncertainty at best and manipulation at worst of the House agenda; so you seldom are sure what matters are going to be taken, who is to speak and what is the planned line of response.

The Nettleford  remembrance

New ground was established last Tuesday when the regular sitting of the House of Representatives was suspended to allow for tributes in memory of Rex Nettleford.  Before that, half a dozen members paid their respects.  Maxine Henry-Wilson, Peter Phillips and Donald Rhodd were particularly good.  Having heard Portia give an exceptional tribute and Bruce a creditable one at the earlier University Chapel service, it seemed superfluous for them to speak again on the same subject later in Parliament.

Then the mace was taken inelegantly through the side door and the Chamber was treated to the sincere and elegant rhetoric of Professors George Alleyne and Nigel Harris, Sir Shridath (a difficult pronunciation for the Speaker)) Ramphal; Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer (not of Antigua, please) of Antigua & Barbuda and former Prime Ministers PJ Patterson and Edward Seaga.  All were worth hearing but our two former leaders were captivating with their personal reminiscences of Rex and their subtle drawing of lessons to be learned from him for our current polity.

All praised the humility and generosity of spirit of the Honourable Rex.  These are attributes, which are not frequently apparent among members of the House.  As Rex would have said, Verbum satis sapiens.

Dementia, cyber crimes & flexi-work

Spurred on by many of his own ministry’s mental health personnel, I had asked Minister Spencer to consider adding medicines needed to treat dementia to those provided by the National Health Fund.  The officers who provided him with an answer misinterpreted the question and offered a response, which was so incredible as to be quite embarrassing.  I am looking forward to his promised personal attention to this matter, to a revised answer and most importantly, to the much-needed drugs to be made available.  There are an increasing number of elderly persons in Central Kingston and elsewhere who could be kept calm, perhaps productive and ease the terrible distress of their caregivers if the medicines could be afforded.

The Prime Minister took the Cyber Crimes Bill through all its stages.  Two important points emerged from his careful response to the earlier concerns of other members.

First is the importance of parental supervision of their children’s use of computer devices and also the inescapable responsibility of service providers for the content on their network once a breach is brought to their attention.

The same point had been fully discussed in the Joint Select Committee on reforms to the laws relating to defamation.

The House gave approval to the policy paper approving flexible working arrangements.  Both Government and Opposition rejected my insistence that the worker is always in an unequal negotiating position to an employer and should therefore have the right by law to stipulate a day of worship.  It is not only a matter of conscience but goes centrally to the cohesion of families.  It is going to be ineffective to have recourse to the Ministry of Labour to arbitrate disputes over hours and rest-days.  The abuse is most likely to occur at the point of application for employment — long before the ministry can be invoked.

Finally, when are we likely to have a comprehensive statement on the nation’s water crises?  Parliament, not post-cabinet press briefings, is the correct place for this.