Aiding contempt for JSC

THE EDITOR: I just couldn’t understand why the chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee Senator Parvatee Amolsingh-Mahabir defended Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s absence from the committee meeting in the way  she did on Monday. Your report published on the JSC meeting is as follows: “She explained that it was difficult for government ministers to attend JSC meetings regularly due to their hectic schedules.” I find the comment quite disturbing for I am led to believe that the goodly senator is aiding and abetting a contempt for the JSC.

Her remarks really defeat the intention of the JSC and can be interpreted as encouraging government ministers to be delinquent in attending these important meetings. Senator Amolsingh-Mahabir’s patronising attitude to government ministers may be the reason why Junior Tertiary Education Minister Satish Ramroop treated the committee with contempt by reaching the meeting one hour late, according to your report. By her remarks it appears as though the chairman of the JSC is not serious about the work of her own committee. Under the circumstances, it is quite possible that the PNM will get away with nepotism, political favouritism, corruption and lack of transparency. Pray, Madam Senator, let us not be apologists, but be prepared to call a spade a spade and damn the consequences.

HORACE WILSON
Poole