From left, Johnson and Nicholson

Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter

The Senate on Friday passed two bills for the postponement of Local Government elections, despite objections by Opposition members.

Leader of Government Business in the Senate, A.J. Nicholson piloted the bills entitled The Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation Act and the Parish Councils Act.

He said the Government was putting off the election to carry out some aspects of local government reform and to complete the audits of parish councils.

But Opposition senators, like their colleagues in the lower house, dismissed the Government's reasons.

Warned government

Opposition Senator Arthur Williams claimed that the government does not want parish council elections to be held before general election.

"The public don't believe these reasons - nobody out there don't believe you," he said.

He warned the Government that he is going to watch the progress that is going to be made in relation to the reforms.

"So you can postpone this one, the other one you can't postpone ,and I look forward to you naming the date for that one. Let me close by saying the other one - you bring it on , we are ready!" said Senator Williams.

But Senator Nicholson insisted that the reasons for the postponement of the elections were valid, and criticised some recent proposals by Opposition Leader Bruce Golding for Local Government Reform.

"You don't even understand the implications that your leader is trying to put forward," he said. "And you could blabber until the cows come home - you imagine that the proposal that two and a half per cent of the national budget must be put in the hands of 60 Members of Parliament," he said.

Difficult decision

Senator Nicholson said it would be difficult to make such an allocation to constituencies without it adversely affecting the likelihood of financing the councils.

"The far greater threat is that making such a prominent allocation is de facto, creating constituencies as a new type of civil administration, that is what you are doing! A brand new type of civil administration in this country without any constitutional reform to that process," added Senator Nicholson.

But Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Senator Anthony Johnson said Senator Nicholson was trying to deflect the real reasons for the postponements.

"Look here ... you said you do not agree with the reasons that we have put forward. What we are trying to show is that the very same things that you have been saying require full national debate before we have any local government election in this country," Senator Jackson argued.

The bills were subsequently passed without amendments.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com