By Vernon Daley, Staff Reporter
RONNIE THWAITES' departure from the House of Representatives has created a void.
The former MP for Central Kingston gave some hope that we could have a Parliament where representatives would support their party but at the same time hold independent views.
While he did the right thing in resigning as MP last year following allegations that he had defrauded the postal service, it is unfortunate that the House no longer benefits from his intellect and wisdom. He was subsequently cleared of the allegations but what's done is done.
A POOR HOUSE
Still, the House is the poorer for it. The Government backbench has reverted to the unfortunate state of being an extension of the Executive.
When Mr. Thwaites occupied his seat in the House, he would constantly raise important national issues or those specifically relating to his constituents. It was obvious that some of his colleagues in the Cabinet didn't take too kindly to his putting them under pressure, but he persisted nonetheless.
Many had wanted to see this vibrancy on the backbench develop and continue but that has not been the case since this new Parliament was constituted following the October 2002 General Election.
There are some obviously bright people on the Government backbench but they are not doing a particularly good job. They have entirely surrendered the business of Parliament to the Executive members, giving the impression that they are only there to make up numbers when there is a vote to be taken on a major issue.
One understands that there is going to be even more pressure on the backbench to conform given the fact that the People's National Party (PNP) suffered a reduction in its majority in the last election. The Government now has 34 MPs in the House while the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has 26. This is the smallest majority the Government has had since it came back to power in 1989.
Of the 34 Government MPs in the House only eight are on the backbench while the rest hold some form of Executive power.
Despite the fact that they are few in numbers, I still expect backbenchers to make their voices heard in the House constantly - not just during the Sectoral Debate when a fair amount of the contributions turn out to be nothing but mumbo jumbo.
A BACKBENCHER'S DUTY
In fact, given the small majority of the governing party, one would think that backbenchers would have even greater power to influence Executive direction. The threat of a revolt among its ranks is always a major fear of a Government with a thin majority.
Backbenchers are not there to oppose their party but they have a duty to look at issues dispassionately and raise concerns when they think that policy or programmes would have a negative impact on their constituents or the country. In so doing, they strengthen the parliamentary system and help to restore faith in a sceptical public. The problem is that backbenchers, because of muddled thinking or cowardice, refuse to be critical and therefore pass themselves off as a 'second eleven' Executive.
During the recent Standing Finance Committee meetings, which looked at the 2003/2004 Budget, I can't recall one backbencher saying a critical word about any budgetary allocation. It was left entirely to the Opposition to carry the discourse about whether the best Budget had been constructed. Shame on the backbenchers! Is it that they thought we had a perfect Budget? I don't even think Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, would have suggested that there could not have been better allocations.
DISAPPOINTED
I'm particularly disappointed with Sharon Hay-Webster as a backbencher. As someone who has been in the House for the last two terms she should be providing the leadership and the guidance for her newer colleagues, helping them to understand the important role they occupy as persons who are not fettered by Executive responsibilities. She has done no such thing.
Mrs. Hay-Webster has refused to fill the void left by Mr. Thwaites and the questions is, who will?
My suspicion and hope is that the new MP for Central Kingston, Victor Cummings, will step up and show what he's made of. Of all the backbenchers, he has so far been the most active. Since coming to the House, he has moved several resolutions and asked important questions affecting his constituents.
I understand that his resolution calling for a debate on Local Government has not gone down well with the Minister of Local Government, Portia Simpson Miller. Mr. Cummings should take heart from that. It shows that he is being taken seriously even if he's not winning friends from among the Executive. Go for it Mr. Cummings. Do the right thing and take the mantle of leadership that your colleague backbenchers are too weak to carry.
Send comments to: vernon.daley@gleanerjm.com
