Parliament Office has informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the Clerk of the Committee is unable to continue in the post due to high levels of stress and no one wants to take up the position due to the “unprofessional conduct” of its members.
The state of affairs, which was communicated to the PAC members by Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs on Thursday, has already resulted in the postponement of meetings that were scheduled for Friday and next Monday. The development also comes amidst a row over a recent decision by the PAC to meet twice a week to clear their backlog of work.
PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira yesterday reacted with shock and bafflement at Isaacs’ notification, while stressing that he did not believe there had been any unprofessional conduct by members of the committee.
“…The present Clerk of the Committee has developed health issues because of high stress levels and cannot continue to clerk the Committee,” Isaacs said in a letter to the PAC’s members, while noting the “frequent challenges” being encountered at its meetings.
“All other Clerks of Committees are unwilling to clerk the Public Accounts Committee because of the unprofessional conduct of some members of this Committee, which is not conducive to a healthy working environment. Unfortunately, in light of the above, unable to provide the Public Accounts Committee with a Clerk…” Isaacs added in the letter, which was released to the media yesterday by Parliament Office.
When contacted, Figueira last evening confirmed that the PAC’s Clerk has notified that “she is not well” but added that he was baffled at Isaacs’ communication on finding a replacement.
He noted that Isaacs is one of the most seasoned public servants around and should be knowledgeable on how to handle the situation. He stated that he is sure there are regulations on how to handle such matters and expressed optimism that the issue will be resolved soon.
Figueira also noted that while the correspondence referred to some members conduct as “unprofessional,” he did not share that view. He indicated that as members of high offices, they are positioned to conduct themselves professionally. However, he acknowledged that at times members can be “loud” as they debate matters but he said he will always step in and caution members to refrain from such behaviour.
When elected in July of this year, Figueira had said that the PAC would seek to meet twice weekly in an attempt to clear its four-year backlog. There is, however, currently a dispute among members on the number of days the PAC should meet. Government has been arguing that a motion passed by the committee to meet twice every week is burdensome and they may not be able to attend due to other commitments.
The PAC is responsible for examining the audited accounts, as presented in the Auditor General’s Report, showing the appropriation of sums granted by the National Assembly to meet public expenditure and such other accounts laid before the Assembly; exercising general supervision over the functioning of the Auditor General; and nominating the members of the Public Procurement Commission for approval by the National Assembly and, thereafter, the appointment by the President; and to determine the emoluments and allowances of the Public Procurement Commission in consultation with the Commission.
Following a delay in its establishment after the start of the new parliamentary session last year, the PAC has faced several hurdles in proceeding with its work.
Its previous Chairman, David Patterson, faced a no-confidence motion which saw a four-month delay in meetings. The motion was eventually taken to the House where government used its majority vote to remove Patterson ostensibly for violations of the Committee’s Standing Orders. The specific conduct attributed to Patterson was a failure to “put” a motion for his removal to the Committee before vacating the seat of Chair at four consecutive meetings. Patterson is also accused of refusing to adhere to a direction from the Speaker that he put the motion to a vote.
Figueira, Patterson, Ganesh Mahipaul and Juretha Fernandes are the opposition members of the committee, while Gail Teixeira, Juan Edghill, Dharamkumar Seeraj, Vishwa Mahadeo and Sanjeev Datadin are the government members.
