NOTEWORTHY

Below are edited excerpts from comments posted online at www.jamaica-gleaner.com by readers to yesterday's lead story 'Crusade against secrecy: Public barred from viewing financial disclosures of elected officials'.

If Ja is to be saved...

After all the noise about corruption, I would have thought that the financial disclosure of elected officials would be a given. How many individuals comprise the Integrity Commission? I definitely do not agree with that. We had better begin to throw our support behind Trevor Munroe and Greg Christie quickly if Jamaica is to be saved.

My question is this: Who decided that the financial positions of these elected officials be made known only to the Integrity Commission? The commission needs to take a second and more in-depth look at this decision. They have left a whole acre for compromise.

- Fatherforesight

We have a right to know

These parliamentarians offered themselves for public office. If you are in the public domain, then your business must be made public. If you like and cherish secrecy, then remain a private citizen.

What do they have to hide? We have a right to know and we must not let them be in charge of the decision on disclosures because they will never make them.

- Vetmark

Publish financial records

They are called public officials and no one forced them to become such, therefore their financial records should become public. If not, let them go into private business!

- Vass

Waived right to privacy

I will suggest that we go even further and add that the annual tax returns of all members of parliament, councillors and public officials who are heads of governmental agencies be accessible to the public.

Once you decide, of your own free will, to become a politician or to accept employment where you are handling public funds, you should be deemed to have waived your right to privacy regarding your financial affairs.

- Percival Clarke

Expose conflicts of interest

All public officials should, by law, be required to disclose to the public their financial records, including tax records. It is urgent that we expose conflict of interests in our politics. Government is at its best when it is transparent. Trevor Munroe and Greg Christie should be applauded.

- R Oscar Lofters