Lack of quorum again delays passage of public bodies regulations

For the second time in two weeks, regulations specifying criteria for the appointment of boards of public bodies stalled in the House of Representatives owing to the lack of a quorum.

Finance and the Public Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke piloted a resolution on the Public Bodies Management and Accountability (Nomination, Selection and Appointment to Boards) Regulations, 2020.

At the end of the debate, Clarke asked acting Speaker of the House Frank Witter to put the question of whether members are in favour of the resolution, at which point Opposition MP Fitz Jackson rose on a ‘point of order’.

However, Witter would not be deterred and put the question a second time.

Peter Bunting, who is leader of opposition business, rose to advise the acting speaker that the resolution could not proceed as there was no quorum in the house.

The debate on the resolution was the last item during yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.

The Standing Orders or the rules of Parliament state that the quorum of the House of Representatives “shall consist of 16 members besides the person presiding”.

Leader of Government Business Karl Samuda expressed disappointment that the resolution could not be passed due to lack of a quorum.

“For the second time this has happened, and it is testing the patience of this honourable House,” Samuda declared.

Earlier during debate on the resolution, Horace Dalley, member of parliament for Clarendon Northern, argued that if four senators are allowed to sit on government boards, members of parliament who are not a part of the executive should also be allowed a similar opportunity.

He also argued that once a person who sits on a public board is declared to be the standard-bearer for a political party, he or she should immediately step down as a member of a government board.

“If we are going to tidy up the thing, I think we should do it once and for all,” Dalley declared.

In his contribution, Bunting also urged the Government to keep parliamentarians from both the Upper and Lower houses off government boards.

“Both members of the House and senators should be excluded from public boards. That, I think, would achieve completely the separation that you are seeking to achieve,” he told Clarke.

However, Clarke said that the change would bring Jamaica in line with international best practices.

“There are some who believe that persons who serve in the political theatre ought to be able to serve on the boards of public bodies,” Clarke told his parliamentary colleagues.

He said that the Parliament could look at it again in the future and determine whether this decision should be rescinded.

Clarke agreed with Dalley that the regulations should be amended in the future to require persons who are standard-bearers for a political party to give up their positions as members of government boards.

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