Opposition not being railroaded in Parliament - Ramotar

Opposition not being railroaded in Parliament – Ramotar

Dec 24, 2009 News

“There are lies, damn lies and statistics…the statistics don’t lie,” Trotman

By Gary Eleazar
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Donald Ramotar, says that contrary to the Parliamentary Opposition’s view that they are being railroaded in the House they are in fact very included in the legislative process.
Ramotar recently told this newspaper that evidence of that inclusivity is the fact that every piece of legislation that is placed before the House, that is contentious and which displeases the opposition in whatever form it is in, when it reaches the House, is deferred to a Special Select Committee.
The PPP General Secretary, who is himself a Parliamentarian, drew references to the many pieces of legislation that are currently at a select committee stage. This Select Committee includes members from all of the political parties in the House.
Ramotar said that at that stage the parties hammer out the contentious clauses and it is only when a consensus is found that the Bill is sent back to the House for passage.
Ramotar said, too, that at the Select Committee stage it is not only the opposition parties that are allowed to make an input given that stakeholders are sometimes invited to make their contribution.
According to Ramotar when the opposition members complain of being railroaded it is only a ploy to score what he termed cheap political points.
When asked to respond to Ramotar’s contention, Alliance for Change Leader, Raphael Trotman’s first comment was to draw on the famous quote, “there are lies, damn lies and statistics.”
According to Trotman the statistics do not lie and looking back in history from 2006 to present anybody could check and see how many opposition bills or motions are supported by the government benches.
He said that many times they are completely rejected and “the few” that are accepted are amended to the point that, “it becomes theirs.”
This, he said, was the same with the Bill pertaining to his Freedom of Information legislation that he had tabled and had to withdraw. This is now being touted as a priority Bill, he said.
He said that while there is greater inclusion of the opposition at the Select Committee stage their views are “seldom and almost never taken into consideration.”
According to Trotman an observer could also look to the times when the Opposition seeks to have matters of urgent public importance debated and are almost always shut down.
He said, too, that there are questions that are asked by the opposition members that are vaguely answered and in cases when the answers are not forthcoming there is the promise to have the answers presented at a later date.

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