Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter

Bruce Golding, Leader of the Opposition. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Debate on the no-confidence motion brought against the Government will go down in history, not because the measure was defeated by the Government's majority votes of 33 to the Opposition's 23, but because it was the first such motion to be brought against any administration since Independence.

Opposition Leader Bruce Golding moved the motion in the Lower House on Tuesday, in relation to the Trafigura scandal two weeks ago.

The issue surrounds the disclosure that the Dutch company, Trafigura Beheer, which has business arrangements with the Government, contributed $31 million to the financing of the People's National Party's annual conference in September. The funds were lodged to an account known as CCOC Associates, which bears the signature of then Minister of Information and Development, Colin Campbell.

He subsequently resigned as minister and PNP general secretary, stating that he had withheld important details of the Trafigura donation from party officers.

Since 2001, Trafigura Beheer has been contracted by the state-owned Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) to lift and trade oil from Nigeria on behalf of Jamaica.

In an initial reaction to reports of its donation to the PNP, the oil trading firm insisted it only had a "commercial" relationship with the party. The debate was opened by Mr. Golding shortly after 3:00 p.m.and ended at 10:50 p.m. More than 10 Members of Parliament (MPs) contributed to the debate. Below are excerpts from the contributions of some speakers.

Improperly-obtained documents

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller:

"Firstly, it ...continues to be emphatically denied by the People's National Party and the Government that any impropriety was involved in so far as receiving the money for payment as renewal of the contract (with the PCJ).

In fact, this contract, which has been in existence since the year 2001, and which has been renewed from time to time, has not yet been renewed by the PCJ, which is the entity that would be responsible for the renewal.

"The motion, which seeks to blame the Government, is therefore not based upon any proof of wrong-doing by the Government and is, consequently, totally misconceived.

"Secondly, Mr. Speaker, this motion is a continuation of the strenuous attempt being made to divert attention from the behaviour of the Member for North Central St. Andrew (Karl Samuda), which is to be considered in due course by the Committee of Privileges of this honourable House.

"My third comment is, that in seeking to score political points, The leader of the party has been party to a clear breach of the banking law in so far as that law protects the confidentiality of individual accounts and the private transactions of the people of Jamaica.

"The example that he has set has had far-reaching and detrimental consequences for the integrity of our banking system and financial institutions generally. This is not the sort of conduct that can be regarded as a qualification for leadership for our country.

"When one bears in mind that this improperly-obtained documents was utilised as a diversion from another charge of an improperly-obtained document, and which was the subject of the censure motion in this House, I would suggest to the Leader of the Opposition that he is in no position to charge anyone in not deserving the confidence of the people.

"Those who seek to condemn others for not ensuring probity of conduct must themselves come with clean hands."

Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning:

"My contribution complements that made by my colleague in East Central St. Catherine (K.D. Knight).

"He has totally destroyed the premise on which the motion has been advanced. I join with him in speaking about the hypocrisy underlining this discussion of financing political parties.

"Most importantly, I urge members of this honourable House to take very seriously, the issue of confidentiality in the financial sector.

"It cannot be, neither explicitly nor implicitly, that we condone breaking of the law to further whatever purposes, and I don't even seek to ascribe any particular motive in terms of why this is being encouraged. It is dangerous for us to seek to elevate such actions and to describe them as in the national interests and this House should condemn such actions!" he said.

No bank secrecy

Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding:

"The Minister of Finance has sought to make heavy weather on this issue of confidentiality.

"Let me say this, confidentiality between banks and their clients was once sacrosanct because it existed in a situation where only the bank and its client were entitled to that information.

"The bank was, therefore, in a position to manage its own internal security to deal with the possibility of any breaches to that security.

"That no longer is the case. I happen to have been in the Senate where legislation came to disturb that tight circle of confidentiality and it was argued that it was necessary because we had to deal with money laundering.

"So, this bank secrecy you (are) talking about, (it) is no longer (the) bank alone that has that information.

"That information resides in various places and therefore all this sanctimonious thing about bank security, we breached that a long time ago!

"I was accused of using information, which I knew to be illegally obtained. You get information in all kinds of ways but when you get that information, and that information tells you that something wrong has taken place, something that could corrupt the political process in this country, what do you do with it? What is this side saying? "Let me make it clear that if information comes to me that I consider to be information that requires the public to be made aware of, in protection of my democracy, you could a preach til yuh drop down, a going to be calling press conference after press conference!"

Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw:

"Do we recall, Mr. Speaker, that in January of this year, there was a report that called attention to the fact that the Government of Ecuador had suspended an arrangement for a $1-million-barrel-per-year, from Ecuador for Jamaica through the PCJ? And Mr. Speaker, do we know who the lifters were for that deal? One guess: Trafiguara!

"I want to call your attention to the fact, Mr. Speaker, that Trafigura was doing the oil lift from Ecuador and the Ecuadorian President had suspended a 1994 agreement to sell $7 million barrels of heavy fuel oil a year between PCJ and Petro Ecuador. And the question we would have to ask on that is: what was Trafiguar's involvement in this Ecuadorian deal? What is the present status of it? Has it been renewed or not?

"Allegedly, Mr. Speaker, one of the concerns was the oil was being traded to other Central American destinations and not to Jamaica!

"There were concerns also expressed that the agreement was breached as it should not be sold to other markets via re-sellers. There are questions to be answered on the Ecuadorian arrangements," he said.

No proof of wrongdoing

Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips:

"Votes of no-confidence are part of the Parliamentary tradition and it is an unusual occurrence. It is to be used sparingly and it is not to be used cavalierly.

"Votes of no-confidence, Mr. Speaker, in the tradition that we adhere to, if they were to be carried, and this one will not be carried, would require a government to step down.

"But to accomplish that, Mr. Speaker, would require more than shrillness, more than a set of unconnected allegations not proven, more than just dislike of an administration.

"It would require something grave, something serious and, something proven.

"Nothing that we have heard here constitutes proof .... I don't think, Mr. Speaker. Dealing with the motion in those terms is the act of a responsible Opposition."

Opposition Member of Parliament, Ernie Smith:

"As I listen to speakers from the Government side, I have come to the conclusion that in order to detract from the real issues which arise, they have sought to introduce red herrings.

I am disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that a matter of national significance ... which goes to the very root of the administration of the affairs of the business of the people of the country, that the Government speakers have sough to trivialise this matter.

"There is a potential for us to be regarded as a country of 'hanky-panky' business deals, thanks to the PNP. That is what they have reduced Jamaica - once the pearl of the Caribbean - to! And they joke over there, they laugh about it, they regard it as nothing!

"But why do they do this, Mr. Speaker? Is it that they do these things because they believe that anything that the PNP does the people of this country must accept it?"

Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Robert Pickersgill:

"Mr. Speaker, regarding the $31 million, which has been the subject of this motion, what is being said and what is being asked is how come as chairman and acting treasurer I did not know about the transactions.

Mr. Speaker, you will recall that we have said ... that the donation went to CCOC and then it went to the campaign fund.

"The references that I have made before do not include the campaign fund (which) comes into existence at election time, and the name of that account is SW Services Team Jamaica.

"That account ... was opened simultaneously with the establishment of the campaign committee. I am a member of that committee. The campaign committee and the campaign fund would not necessarily be known to the treasurer until a report is to be made to the National Executive Council. Mr. Speaker, that is what I said at the press conference, and I will not resile from that. When this matter came up in Parliament about the $31 million, as treasurer and chairman, I was unaware."