Well, That Should Leave The DLP A Couple Of Free Years To Feed At The Trough!
It is happening folks.
After ignoring integrity issues for two full years of Thompson’s leadership, then grabbing some fine words from the internet a few weeks before the vote – it seems that the DLP commitment to integrity initiatives involves a whole lotta talk and zero action.
The DLP could have been studying and consulting and writing legislation for two years IF integrity legislation was really at the core of their political platform. They said they would adopt their published Ministerial Code immediately upon forming the government… and they did not.
Now as the promised “100 days” deadline for integrity legislation, freedom of information laws and conflict of interest rules approaches, the Barbados DLP Government says they are going to form a group and talk.
That’s it.
No draft legislation. No rules adopted that would control the behaviour of Ministers. (Right now, it is perfectly legal for a Government Minister to receive gifts from people and corporations that sign million dollar contracts with the same Government Minister! BFP story here)
And no transparency or rules governing the Prime Minister’s use of private business jets provided by corporations who profit from government contracts! (Darling… Let’s go shopping in Miami. Leroy has a Gulfstream that just “happens” to be on a training flight to West Palm Beach this weekend and we can stay at his place for free!)
We’re not inventing the wheel, folks. There are a dozen different integrity legislation models out there that have been vetted in courts and the real world for a decade or more. Any one of them would be fine in the interim, but the DLP are obviously none to anxious to implement rules now that they have their fingers on the vault keys.
OK, we’ll not say too much more about this until the magic 100 days on April 15th.
Mek or break time, Mr. Prime Minister.
from the Lapdog Nation News…
Governance Unit Soon
A GOVERNANCE UNIT will soon be launched in Barbados.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Maxine McClean, said Cabinet had pproved the establishment of the a board to facilitate the work.
McClean, who has responsibility for the unit, was speaking at the launch of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Government Information Service (GIS) at the Dining Club, Manor Lodge on Monday.
She said the Governance Unit will be responsible for such things as public consultation on the drafting and implementation of laws for, among other things, freedom of information and asset disclosure by ministers and other public officials.
It will also include: “A range of legislation to ensure that Barbadians not only hear Governments speak about transparency and integrity, but that the country develops an approach to doing business, whether its the public sector or the private sector where integrity and accountability are primary considerations.”
Specific to the GIS, McClean said it continued to have an important role to play in arming citizens with information so that their voices could be heard on matters that affected their lives through Government and other action.
Noting that the information landscape and public expectation had changed in the past 50 years, and that the demand for information was insatiable, McClean praised the contribution of the late Oliver Jackman, who was the first information officer.
Yesterday was also a chance to present winner of the slogan competition, Felton Ince, and runners-up Joy Springer, Carol George-Austin and Ronnie Yearwood with their prizes. (original story link here)
