(Jamaica Gleaner) Justice Minister, Senator Mark Golding, on Friday served notice of a busy legislative year for the Upper House, suggesting that senators may be asked to sit more than once per week in an effort to clear the backlog of legislation to be passed.
Golding in a statement at Friday’s sitting said since the fiscal years 2001/2 to 2006/7 the average number of bills passed per fiscal year was just over 32, with 43 passed in 2002/3. However, 186 bills are facing the new government for consideration and debate since assuming office in January 2012. Providing statistics which showed almost crawling pace, he said in the 2011/12 fiscal year, the average number of bills passed per year fell to 18.
“It is therefore fair to say that the legislative performance of Parliament has been inadequate in recent time. To illustrate this point graphically, only nine bills were passed during the period from the commencement of the fiscal year 2011/12 up to the dissolution of Parliament on December 8, 2011,” said Golding.
No less than 186 bills
“In fact the Senate hardly sat after July 2011 during the remainder of the calendar year,” Golding said. He noted that it was therefore “striking and incongruous that the legislative programme for the current fiscal year, which was presented to the new Government on assuming office, has no less than 186 bills listed.”
Consequently, “We in Parliament will have to step up our game. The Senate may be asked from time to time to meet more than the customary once per week, in order to get through a body of legislation that allows the programmes of the Government to be executed efficiently and expeditiously,” he said.
Unrealistic
Golding said given the performance statistics, clearly that legislation programme was, and is quite unrealistic. As a result of the agenda facing the Senate, he said “Faced with this situation, the new Government has set about compiling a realistic legislative programme for the remainder of the fiscal year and the one that’s to come.”
He noted that some bills which were tabled and not passed, but were in an advanced state of readiness, are being reviewed to ensure compatibility with the policies and programmes of the new Government.
Golding said the Senate would be an active one and efforts were being made to ensure quality control of bills, so that when they come to Parliament, time would not be wasted correcting errors. Consequently, each ministry has been asked to provide a priority listing of legislation.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition business in the Senate, Arthur Williams has given the opposition’s commitment to the additional sittings. However, he asked that adequate notice be provided to the senators.
