Minister Proposes Establishment of Parliamentary Resilience and Digital Continuity Centre

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has proposed the establishment of a Parliamentary Resilience and Digital Continuity Centre, “to ensure democracy can never shut down”.

“A digital Parliament must be able to meet during a pandemic, during a hurricane and during any crisis,” the Minister emphasised.

He was speaking during the opening ceremony for the 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic (CAA) Region, at the Moon Palace Hotel in St. Ann, on Monday (August 31).

The Conference is being held under the theme ‘Strengthening Parliaments in the Digital Age’.

Mr. Bartlett explained that the Parliamentary Resilience and Digital Continuity Centre could be modelled on the Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

He emphasised that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that if Parliaments cannot function when people cannot gather, then democracy is fragile.

The Minister maintained that Parliaments must move from institutions of the 19th century with a 21st century website to truly digital institutions that are open, resilient and accessible to citizens.

He asserted that “democracy dies in darkness and it thrives in daylight”; therefore, Parliaments must move from a space that the public may attend, to one where the public is invited and the door is always open digitally.

“In a digital age, daylight means live streams, searchable Hansard, open data on voting records and Bills published in plain language. It means a mother in Savanna-la-Mar and a Jamaican nurse in London can both track what is being done in their name,” the Minister affirmed.

He further noted the need for greater efficiency within the parliamentary processes.

“People’s business cannot wait on paper to move from desk to desk. We need e-legislation, digital voting with proper safeguards, paperless committees and AI (artificial intelligence)-assisted research, so MPs (Members of Parliament) can make better decisions faster,” Mr. Bartlett said.

He emphasised that a digital Parliament must invite participation, digital public consultation, virtual town halls and provide a secure platform for youth and the diaspora to engage.

“We must explain complex laws in 90 seconds, not 90 pages… . Use video, infographics, Creole and sign language… Because if our people do not understand what we do, they cannot support what we do,” the Minister said.