Manatt battle continues

PARLIAMENTARIANS SQUARED off in Gordon House yesterday over the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issue, and the Opposition only relented after House leader Andrew Holness said Prime Minister Bruce Golding would answer certain questions.

Dr Omar Davies, the opposition spokesman on finance, had asked Golding about the contents of email correspondence between Solicitor General Douglas Leys and US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

The questions should have been answered last week but were forwarded to yesterday. However, Golding was not in the House to respond to the questions as he is currently in the United States where he will address the United Nations General Assembly next week.

Holness, however, drew the ire of the Opposition when he said the matter of the emails was now public and suggested the questions might not be answered in the House of Representatives.

"The question asked of the prime minister, by virtue of the Standing Orders, could pose some difficulties bearing in mind that it is now a matter of public record," Holness argued.

But Derrick Kellier, leader of opposition business, rose quickly in protest.

"What we want to be assured of is that the prime minister will answer the question when he comes back and, if there is failure to answer, the power is in your hands to apply the Standing Orders," Kellier told House Speaker Delroy Chuck.

Answers needed

Said Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller: "This Honourable House must never be treated with disrespect. It does not matter whether anything came public. Once it was raised in the House we need to get the answers here."

Holness, however, protested, saying the Government has "answered every question that the Opposition has asked".

But Davies demanded a retraction, noting that a question he had included about the use of the Road Maintenance Fund was never answered.

Davies argued that Parliament only knew about the use of the fuel tax after he asked the auditor general to investigate the agency.

Holness did not retract his comment but gave the undertaking that Golding would answer the questions.