Opposition wants more transparency in House proceedings

Opposition members have made a renewed push for accountability in governance, calling for greater transparency during the committee stages of parliamentary proceedings in the House of Assembly.

Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton supported the concept of publicising committee stage deliberations, a practice seen in other parliamentary systems. “I support the public viewing of the committee stage. They have to put structure to it before that can happen, but it might bring a level of decorum, a level of responsibility to the committee stage,” Skelton told reporters recently.

The Opposition took pains to highlight its role in scrutinising bills, often at the committee level, where significant amendments are usually made. This stage, they argue, is critical to fostering informed public dialogue and ensuring government accountability.

“Most of the public are not aware of what goes on in the committee stage,” Opposition member Stacy Mather said. “And for those who may be aspiring to be in the House of Assembly… they need to see what is going on in the House, how leaders behave, what is the process, so they can have a better understanding of how the legislative process works.”

Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn further underscored the importance of educating the public on these processes, stating, “The public needs to have an insight in terms of the process, how the process works, and what we are doing on their behalf.”

Government not reading bills

Meanwhile, Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn contended that there was a general lack of preparedness in presenting bills to the House. He also criticised the government’s handling of legislative processes, particularly the rushed readings of bills in a single sitting. “They are not reading the bills before they come to the House of Assembly… Those two last bills that came to the House… were the Police Act and the Cybercrime Act. Those should not have come to… the House of Assembly in the state that they were in. They were woefully insufficient,” he said.

Both bills faced significant pushback from Opposition members over clauses they suggested could infringe on human rights. Walwyn argued that better preparation at the Cabinet level could prevent public anxiety over contentious legislation.

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had also signalled a willingness to open committee stages to the public. The Opposition suggested this was a positive step but insisted that broader public education on parliamentary processes was needed.