Saith: Independents do not oppose Police Bills

LEADER of Government Business in the Senate, Dr Lenny Saith, disclosed that none of the Independent Senators are opposed to the Police Reform Bills. He is certain that the Bills would have been passed in the Senate if they were debated there on Tuesday. Addressing yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Dr Saith said the media misinterpreted statements made by some of the Independent Senators about the legislation which will now be debated in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. “I have listened to some of the comments of the Independent Senators. I have discussed some of these comments with them and not one of them said to me that they are opposed to the Bills.

What they said is they have some concerns and I am sure that if it goes to a debate with the proper amendments, those concerns could have been satisfied. “The process of making laws and developing new approaches is a process of give and take. That is what takes place in the Senate, especially as distinct from the Lower House where the Government has a built-in majority,” he said. Leader of the Independent Senators, Dr Eastlyn McKenzie, told Newsday that the Independents would not take any positions on the Bills until they were debated in the Upper House, and they did not meet in caucus to formulate a common position.

Reiterating the reasons why debate on the Bills was shifted to the Lower House, Dr Saith said it was not a defeat for the Government. “I have no doubt in my mind that we would have passed the Bills in the Senate,” he declared. Saith added that if amendments were made to the Bills, this did not necessarily imply that the legislation would be “watered down.” He reiterated that reforming the Police Service was just one part of Government’s overall strategy to deal with crime. National Security Minister Martin Joseph said he was not powerless under the existing legislation where the Police Service was concerned.

“I am not saying I am powerless. I am saying there is a dichotomy. The Minister is answerable to the population and the Parliament for performance of police, yet at the same time his or her hands are tied at it relates to the authority which is supposed to accompany that responsibility,” he explained. Joseph added that the Bills would address this dichotomy and would give the police enough power to properly manage their affairs. He said the Police Commissioner was also constrained under the existing legislation.

Explaining the procedure by which a police commissioner is appointed, Dr Saith said Government had no plans to look outside the Police Service to find a replacement for incumbent CoP Everald Snaggs, who retires on July 15, and cannot politically influence that appointment in any way. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said he held discussions with Joseph about Snaggs’ successor, but declined to say whether that meant acting CoP Trevor Paul would get the job. Joseph reiterated that the main problem with the Police Service was management, but Government is continuing to provide them with all the necessary resources to fight crime.