JAMAICA | JLP Walk-Out of Parliament Not Going Down Well With Public

KINGSTON,  Jamaica March 20, 2024 - Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Mark Golding, was on Tuesday forced to deliver the remainder of his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate on the street outside the Parliament building, following a walk-out by government members forcing an adjournment of the sitting as there was no quorum.

Golding drew the ire of the Jamaica Labour Party  members including Prime Minister Andrew Holness, when he told the house that  he was not comfortable with House Speaker Juliet Holness, who also happened to be the wife of Jamaica's head of government.

“When the former speaker was forced to resign as a result of an Integrity Commission investigation, the move to replace her with the wife of the prime minister, so that the head of Parliament is now the spouse of the head of Government, does not sit well with the tradition that the speaker must act independently of the government of the day,” Golding said.

Prior to the walkout, the Opposition Leader  pointed out that “good governance isn’t merely a set of ideals; it is the foundation upon which an equitable and just society is built.

“The People’s National Party has always been committed to fulfilling these ideals, and we will translate these principles into tangible actions that uplift and empower every member of our society.”

We are in an increasingly low-trust environment, he said, noting that: 

• Since this JLP Government came to office in 2016, no less than eight (8) Ministers have been forced to resign or have otherwise been sanctioned for a range of serious breaches, and Jamaica continues to rank poorly on international corruption indices.
• The move in 2020 to take away the chairmanship of most parliamentary committees from the Opposition has weakened that mechanism of holding the Government to account.
• The manoeuvres to delay the tabling of reports from the Auditor-General and the Integrity Commission remains a contentious matter, especially since the legal opinion on which this delay is purportedly based has been withheld from parliamentarians and the wider public.
• When the former Speaker was forced to resign as a result of an Integrity Commission investigation, the move to replace her with the wife of the Prime Minister, so that the head of Parliament is now the spouse of the head of Government, does not sit well with the tradition that the Speaker must act independently of the government of the day.
• The failure to disclose the identity of the so-called “illicit six” MPs who are under investigation by the Integrity Commission for illicit enrichment remains a festering sore, only made worse by the Prime Minister’s gag order on Cabinet Ministers speaking publicly on these matters.”

The walkout occurred when Mr Golding, towards the end of his presentation, questioned the appropriateness of House Speaker Juliet Holness, wife of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, being in that position.

The prime minister who led the walk-out described Golding's statement as "desperate" and "low".

elaborating on his concerns outside the  Parliament afterwards, said that the Speaker's conduct "has given rise to concerns by her not tabling the reports of the Auditor-General on a timely basis as they arrive."

He further charged that there are two performance audit reports, done by the Auditor-General, which were submitted to Parliament in January, "which have not been tabled."

Another issue of "grave concern", according to the Opposition Leader, is the decision of the Speaker that "certain reports of the Integrity Commission must be sent to an oversight committee within Parliament, which is dominated by the government side, and chaired by the government side, before those reports are tabled and made public."

"These are issues of grave concern to me, as somebody who believes in the parliamentary system and democracy, and indeed for many Jamaicans," he asserted in justification for his decision to raise the matter during his presentation in the Budget Debate.

At a press briefing after the walkout, Golding said the walkout, led by Prime Minister Holness on Tuesday, has spoiled the Budget Debate and that the process has been "irreparably undermined" by their actions.

"I did not say anything offensive; I wasn't rude," Golding said, after pointing out that Holness made a terrible error and he allowed his emotions to determine his actions in the walkout.

In stoutly defending their decision to walk out of the House, deputy prime minister and JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang, said they had to adopt a strong position to send a clear message to the Opposition Leader, "because his language was inappropriate and deserved a strong response from the government." 

Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, the acting Leader of Government business on the day, also took issue with the Opposition Leader's comments on House Speaker Juliet Holness.

Ms Grange, who was marshalling the proceedings from the Government benches, said the Speaker was legitimately elected by all members of the House of Representatives, including the Opposition.

She said the House of Representatives has been brought into disrepute by the statement of the Opposition Leader. 

"It is disturbing and hypocritical, that after more than five months (since) her election, the Leader of the Opposition should so spectacularly question the election of this eminently qualified woman," she said.

Ms Grange added that "Like all members of the House who are not ministers, or parliamentary secretaries, she has the right to be considered for the post of Speaker."

 However, Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Donna Scott Mottley, who later spoke on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines, said the move by MPs from the Majority side was disrespectful to the people of Jamaica.

Co-chair of the PNP Gender Commission, Ethnie Miller Simpson said the imagery of this violation being waved like a flag by the Gender Minister, Honourable Olivia Grange, when it is convenient to do so, is worrisome and borders on being disingenuous.

"Supporters of gender parity and advocates for women's economic empowerment assert that women should be seen and compensated as equals. When the argument of 'competence vs. gender' arises, the emphasis is on competence.

In other words, a woman should not be rewarded simply because of her gender but based on her performance and competence in getting the job done.

Similarly, women's achievements should not be viewed as a penalty against them but as part of the journey towards parity.," Ms Simpsomn said.

"Good governance is about measuring how public institutions conduct public affairs, manage resources, and uphold human rights, free from abuse and corruption and with due regard for the rule of law.

A compromised institutional process where the Speaker does not act independently of the head of government is not conducive to forward-looking development in Jamaica's political governance, asserts Miller Simpson.

"The concern lies not with the gender of the Speaker but with her performance. The Speaker's actions, such as the non-tabling of Attorney General reports, preventing timely reviews, and not sharing opinions with other Parliamentarians, raise significant governance issues.

From all accounts, this is not a gender violation but a governance point of order," she declared.