Paulwell Reiterates Call for More Technology in the House

Opposition Spokesman on Energy and Telecommunications, Phillip Paulwell, has reiterated his call for the incorporation of technology in the proceedings in the House of Representatives.
Speaking in the 2009/10 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House on June 23, Mr. Paulwell contended that rendering Parliament “technology-friendly,” by outfitting it with laptops, wirings, and the provisions for documents to be generated in soft form would, among other things, “eliminate the use of paper,” thereby resulting in savings to the administration.
“For the cost of a laptop, the Government would more than recover its investment in these provisions from the savings that would accrue in three years. That’s the kind of bold move that we need to make, to demonstrate the use (and) advantages of information and communication technologies (ICT). There is no better place to start than in this Parliament,” Mr. Paulwell said.
He also pointed out that the technology would significantly reduce the time members spend researching reference material needed for presentations.
“I see Prime Minister Bruce Golding, for example, getting up to look at the laws of Jamaica. If he had his laptop with him, he wouldn’t need to do that, because he would have the laws right there in front of him,” Mr. Paulwell argued.
He said that as new technology become increasingly available, it is imperative that continued expansion of the country’s ICT infrastructure continues, to ensure that the external digital divide, being the gap between the country’s access and use of same, relative to other nations, is contained.
“We must also relentlessly focus on the internal digital divide to continue with the goal of e-inclusion (the digital equivalent of universal access), and provide more of our citizens with affordable access to ICTs and the Internet, to promote educational advancement and social mobility and inclusion,” Mr. Paulwell said.