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Bird Defends PAC Stance

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Economy
Monday, 30 April 2012 02:30
By caribarena news
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Bird Defends PAC StanceAntigua St John's - Opposition Leader and former prime minister Lester Bird has responded to allegations that he used the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), of which he is chairman, in a manner outside of its constitutional framework, calling it “disingenuous” and uninformed.

Government MP Chandlah Codrington made the allegations, and also suggested that the chairman’s inquiry, through the committee, into the Wadadli Power Plant was unlawful.

But Bird has assured that the matter does fall within the purview of the PAC.
 

“I find it absolutely disingenuous for Chandlah Codrington to say he was going to amend this and amend that," Bird said. "The whole thing is a constitutional tradition. He doesn’t know what he is talking about."

Codrington had said that the power plant issue did not fall under the purview of the PAC, since the matter was never before Parliament and the committee was only allowed to inquire into matters placed before the House.

Codrington has also accused the opposition leader of not calling enough meetings of the committee to handle matters within its mandate.

Bird said such matters fall outside of his control, since the government representatives refuse to attend the meetings and allow for a quorum.

“Chandlah Codrington is the only one who would come from the government side,” Bird said on local radio programme Big Issues on Sunday.

He added that while Codrington would attend the meetings, he would reserve his opinion on anything the committee tried to discuss.

“I was amazed to hear him say that I was trying to run the thing like my own one-man show. My function as the chairman is to try and get the relevant information…” Bird said.

He further pointed out that while holding the position as leader of the opposition, Baldwin Spencer had held a mere eight meetings in 13 years.

The PAC has five elected officials - three from the government and two from the opposition benches.

“It is far from me trying to be a one-man show. I have been trying to do my job,” the opposition MP said. “I have called four or five meetings already and they (government) have absented themselves.”

Regarding the Wadadli Power Plant probing, the opposition leader said he believes he is entitled to raise such a matter at that level, since it was one that should have been before the Parliament, but was unlawfully kept from it.

“I believe I am entitled to raise such a matter to demonstrate that you (government) can’t just take a position of not bring it to Parliament, and that prevents you from dealing with a matter with importance like that…” he said.
 

The MP said when the government decided to go above a certain amount of money, it was “obliged” to take the decision before the Parliament, even if the opposition had not raised it independently.

Tags:
Lester Bird Chanlah Codrington Chinese Power Plant MAN Diesel and Turbo Constitution Opposition Parliament Public Accounts Committee
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20 Comments In This Article   

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Cool Runner

#20 Ronald Maginley » 2012-04-30 23:34

Integrity cannot be taken away from you, it must be willingly given up as a sacrifice to expediency. That is something that I hope, that though circumstance and fortune may demand it, that God will always give me the courage to do what is right.
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Ronald Maginley

What a day

#19 Wadadli Blogger » 2012-04-30 19:39

Well I have lived to see the day when a man who happens to represent me (in All Saints West) in parliament say it is unlawfull to inquire about someone possibly breaking the law!!!

So we the people have to go through executive channels and man made parliamentary laws to get to the truth of how their money is spent?

They can't just give the man what he is in his rightfull duty to ask for and have and simply just shut him up ... instead they say their is no law for you to ask for that!!!
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Wadadli Blogger

Damn Partisan

#18 The Godfather » 2012-04-30 19:01

Tenman, political divisiveness is real, but you are a hypocrite and to damn partisan to give fair commentary!
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The Godfather

RE: Bird Defends PAC Stance

#17 Cool Ruler » 2012-04-30 17:54

And Ron why did they push you off their slate of candidates again ?
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Cool Ruler

RE: Bird Defends PAC Stance

#16 smokie » 2012-04-30 17:35

just another diverting tactic to lead the people astray.
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smokie

Ronald Maginley

#15 tenman » 2012-04-30 17:18

Ronald Maginley, well said. Instead of being busy pointing fingers on who may not have fixed what problem we should be working on getting the problem fixed. The political color divisions continue. Its almost as if the distractions happen on purpose to ensure we never focus on fixing the problem.

Quote:
The Venetians, moved, as I believe, by the above reasons, fostered the Guelph and Ghibelline factions in their tributary cities; and although they never allowed them to come to bloodshed, yet they nursed these disputes amongst them, so that the citizens, distracted by their differences, should not unite against them. The Prince by Machiavelli
..
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tenman

Precisely

#14 Ronald Maginley » 2012-04-30 16:47

There is a common saying that “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Good governance I believe, is not a product of legislation but comes from an electorate that is prepared to demand higher standards from those persons who “serve” a nation.

Unfortunately we have become so embroiled in the notion of Party, denoted by hate for either red or blue (depending on your persuasion), that issues of what is right or proper, have been relegated to the back of the bus. The proper function of the PAC should not be a partisan issue and certainly not one of perceived rights or wrongs of any one Party. What must come first is the interests of the nation and its people.

The need for a functioning PAC is critical to our democracy and must start somewhere. That “somewhere” is the proverbial line in the sand. As to where and when that line is drawn, it should not be left to the whims of politicians who, at the end of the day, prefer a system of unaccountabilit y and patronage. Ultimately it is this system that needs to change and perhaps realistically, that change requires a generational change across the political divide.
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Ronald Maginley

OH PLEASE

#13 CHUPPS » 2012-04-30 16:27

IS CHANDLAH APART OF CABINET INSIDER? I SEE NO RELEVANCE TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. CHANDLAH IS JUST A CRY CRY BABY WHO PLAYS ON YOU ALL SYMPATHY WITH A CERTAIN SNAKE PROPPING HIM UP. CHUPPS
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CHUPPS

Precisely

#12 Tobi » 2012-04-30 15:25

And that, Mr. Ron Maginley, is why Lester Bird has to go. He already had his ample chance to make PAC work when he was in his ruling government. He surely now lacks credibility asking for it to work. His vaulting hypocrisy continually echoes through his hollow calls for good governance.
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Tobi

Give Me The Facts

#11 The Godfather » 2012-04-30 14:30

Maginely, neither should you forget the transfer of US$50,000 from JP Morgan Chase Bank in late January 2009, that was subsequently made out to Patrick A Mixhael Company Limited for EC$134,000. Did this transaction involve any Member of Parliament? Give me the facts!
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The Godfather

Where is the Change?

#10 The Godfather » 2012-04-30 12:15

Maginley, I forgive you ignorance, since you will say anything in Lester Bird's, and as I expected you picked up the corn! And giving Lester that power, is the same as begging Satan for forgiveness, and we all know Lester has no moral authority on this subject!

And since you are a strong advocate of transparency and accountability, what does former PM Lester Bird, Sir xxx, and Asot have to xxxx regarding IHI shenanigan.

Where is the change? Lester's failure to accept responsibility for IHI, and now in opposition agitating for accountability, is that change? Give me an aspirin.
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The Godfather

@Lester Bird

#9 Insider » 2012-04-30 12:01

Whether by accident or by design the Hon. Lester Bird has scheduled Public Accounts Committee meetings that coincides with Cabinet meeting days. He has been warned about it and whether by design or accident that is an untenable situation.
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Insider

Public Justice?

#8 Ronald Maginley » 2012-04-30 11:36

Godfather I think you are missing the point. There are checks and balances in the system as it relates to real transparency and accountability instead of just token legislation. One of the key checks is supposed to be the PAC and there is a reason why the opposition leader is given this responsibility and why a PAC has such a wide remit.

The PAC is supposed to shed light on what those in power wish to hide. It is the responsibility of the leader of the opposition, whoever they are at the time, to ensure that the PAC functions in a meaningful way. If we talk about a culture of bad government, then the failure of the PAC to function is a significant contributory factor.

For the first time in our history the opposition is making an effort to see the PAC function in the way the constitution and convention envisioned it. A properly functioning PAC can change the politics of our nation forever and build a culture of accountability and transparency that is critical to our democracy. Once established it works to the benefit of all of us regardless who is in power and that has to be good for our country.
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Ronald Maginley

Public Justice?

#7 The Godfather » 2012-04-30 10:56

What Codes of Conduct governed former PM Lester Bird and AlP, many legal consequences involving corruption seems to escape public justice, IHI is one of many. And what about his accountability and transparency to the public, does he not owe the public the same accountability promoted by him! Where is public justice?
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The Godfather

RE: Bird Defends PAC Stance

#6 DadliMan » 2012-04-30 10:03

We must choose our battles, and fighting Chandlah is really not worth the effort. Clearly, Chandlah hasn't got a clue and instead of our ire, Chandlah deserves our pity. Here is a guy who has won his constituency handsomely in two consecutive elections, yet behind the scenes, his party is trying to get him off the ticket. I would have thought that Chandlah would have more important things to worry about.

Chandlah's party has decided to sabotage the operations of the PAC by withholding their presence, thereby making a quorum impossible. How in God’s name can Chandlah now blame Lester Bird for failing to call meetings? As a steward of the people, I would have thought that Chandlah would be interested in how our hard-earned tax dollars are spent. Apparently not.
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DadliMan

RE: Bird Defends PAC Stance

#5 Ronald Maginley » 2012-04-30 09:50

I worked with the Hon Lester Bird on the POC and wrote a paper on how typical PACs operate in relation to their scope, methodologies and practices. This document was tabled before the committee with a view of adopting what are standard operating procedures for most PAC’s. The government’s position was that without specific legislation to the fact, the PAC was restricted to what the government tabled and that was only the 2004 Audited Accounts.
A PAC in all other countries have the right to examine any matter receiving or utilising public funds of any description and is not restricted to only what a government chooses to table. A PAC is supposed to be a check on a governments use of funds to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. Ultimately it is this issue that the government does not want to address, hence the PAC is therefore unable to fulfill their constitutional and moral responsibility.
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Ronald Maginley

PAC has No Teeth!

#4 Dig It » 2012-04-30 08:55

Whether or not the PAC calls "enough" meetings or the WPP fall under the "puirview" of the PAC, the Committe has "No-Teeth" to begin with! How can you have a Committee that doesn't have the power to bring elected and unelected officials to come before them and answer questions? I see total and blatant "disservice" to the public in PAC for just having "no-teeth" to chew its food!
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Dig It

stop the foolishness chandlah

#3 Hakim obinina » 2012-04-30 08:31

You pretend to stand up for people but sell then out on the fence rip off,.
How can you now defend the cronies that masterminded the the 52 m Chinese generator rip off.
The opposition is just trying to defend the people's rights to know what happened. That it easy it's not party before country!
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Hakim obinina

@ Codrington

#2 Skyewill » 2012-04-30 07:45

You know better, Let's all jump over that ledge Chanlah, 123 jump...oops, I didn't say Simon Says
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Skyewill

RE: Bird Defends PAC Stance

#1 STEVE » 2012-04-30 06:38

Waste of time to respond to Chandlah. Maybe the Public Accounts Committee should look into the employment of his Laison Officer. I hear "xxxx xxxx a rxxxxxxx".
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STEVE

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