Ennis pays the price

IN MOST Western democracies, which practice the Westminster form of government, Mr. Errol Ennis, the Junior Minister in the Ministry of Finance would have been fired for his admitted indiscretion in issuing two bad cheques in a slot machine game. The $23,000 sum is not of great consequences, but there are issues of principle involved.

Instead of being fired Mr. Ennis received a lateral transfer to other responsibilities. But apparently on further reflection he decided yesterday to resign from his Ministerial post.

His portfolio responsibilities in the Ministry of Finance included the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission. Good sense, if nothing else, should have made him refrain from engaging in gambling in Jamaica. The risk of compromising himself would be ever present if he did otherwise. Now, as it turns out he has done just that with disastrous results.

What if the company to whom the cheques had been issued had been prepared to tear them up? Would the Junior Minister have been prepared to accept that? And who knows what quid pro quo might have been asked in return. Hypothetical yes, but not far-fetched.

The transfer to other responsibilities was effected without any information to the public for the reasons behind it and but for the Sunday Gleaner report, the entire matter would have been hushed up.

We contend, that was not good enough. We have no wish to pillory Mr. Ennis, but everyone, more so public figures, have a price to pay for their indiscretions. Exacting that price is one way to get rid of the sleaziness that pervades our politics.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.

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