Contribution to the 2014/2015 Sectoral Debate by Mr. Derrick Smith
By: , May 20, 2014The Key Point:
The Facts
- It is our strong commitment to Jamaica’s growth, development and prosperity, as well our maturity as an able Opposition which led us to take the position that we took.
- We will not abdicate our responsibility to protect the interests and the rights of the Jamaican people.
The Full Story
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to participate in another Sectoral Debate in this House.
This year marks my 30th anniversary as a member of this Parliament and I am grateful to my constituents in North West St. Andrew, my councilors, my family and my party leaders, members and colleagues, who have kept faith in me through the years and continue to give me support and guidance.
I thank the staff of the House of Parliament – including the clerks, the Hansard Team, the Marshal and the Orderlies, the general staff, the security and those who work in the lounge and other areas who see to our personal comfort.
I also would like to pay tribute to you, Mr. Speaker, for your impartiality and your efforts to maintain the decorum of the House, despite your many challenges.
PARLIAMENT
And now, MR SPEAKER, I would like to turn to the first area of responsibility that I would like to address today, which is that of Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.
MR SPEAKER, the Government boasts that it was able to deliver on more than 40 pieces of legislation during 2013/14. This is very commendable, of course. However, both the Leader of the House and the Leader of Government Business in the Senate, seem to conveniently ignore the fact that, without the cooperation of the Opposition, the Government could not have achieved that target.
It is our strong commitment to Jamaica’s growth, development and prosperity, as well our maturity as an able Opposition which led us to take the position that we took, which we felt was in the best interest of the nation, socially or economically.
However, the Government should recognize by now that, as the Leader of the Opposition said in the budget debate, while we will continue to behave as a democratic and patriotic force in this House, we will not abdicate our responsibility to protect the interests and the rights of the Jamaican people.
As the Opposition, we express the view of a significant section of the electorate, and we help to ensure that the concerns of the various groups and interests not represented in government are either forgotten or trampled upon.
We will continue to serve as a vent for the pent-up expression of those whose grievances and whose voices would otherwise not be heard…READ MORE
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