Holness regrets Davis' appointment
Published:Thursday | August 25, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer
Education Minister Andrew Holness says he would not have appointed Alphansus Davis as chairman of the Teachers' Services Commission had he known there would have been objections.
Addressing the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) 47th annual conference at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, St Ann, Holness said while he was willing to have dialogue regarding the appointment, he was not now in a position to revoke it because of the legal ramifications.
Willing to have talks
Holness had already addressed the issue in his opening remarks, stating his willingness to discuss the matter with the JTA, but went back to the issue when a delegate from the floor raised the matter.
"If I had known, and this is hindsight, if I had known that there was an objection, even if in my view the objection had no basis of merit in law, but if prior to me making the appointment I knew that my friends in the JTA had an issue, then I would not have made the appointment," Holness said.
He added: "My view is that it is not worth this (disagreement), so I wouldn't have gone ahead but, re the law, I am not in a position unless the person so appointed committed himself. The law is developed that way to protect persons who are appointed, so you couldn't really ask me now to go and usurp the procedure. We must sit down, sort it out, because I think we can reach a solution."