Simpson-Miller Calls for Greater Co-Operation Between Govt. and Opposition

Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport, Portia Simpson-Miller has called for greater collaboration and co-operation between the Government and Opposition in order for both parties to effectively advance the people’s agenda.
Speaking at a luncheon in honour of Parliamentarians from the United Kingdom (UK) Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston today (September 27), Minister Simpson-Miller encouraged less confrontational and adversarial relations between both parties.
“There are certain common values and principles, which the parliamentary system must advance and both the government and the opposition have to see that these are fulfilled and that the over arching goals of the system are advanced,” she emphasised.
Expressing the need for the government and the opposition to work in tandem with each other, the Minister commended the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the emphasis it has placed on looking at the roles, rights and responsibilities of both parties.
The Minister thanked the delegation for hosting a workshop on the roles, rights and responsibilities of both government and opposition earlier this year in Trinidad and Tobago.
“We in Jamaica want to be a model of a Commonwealth country in terms of government-opposition dialogue and co-operation, in the interest of the people,” Mrs. Simpson-Miller emphasized.
Jamaica and the United Kingdom are members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and in seeking to fulfill its mandate, the association encourages bilateral co-operation and collaboration among its member countries, including visits. From time to time the British Parliament hosts seminars and other training activities to which Jamaican members are invited to participate, and on occasions members of the parliamentary staff have also been invited to participate in attachments.
Two Members of Parliament, Lenworth Blake and Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange have attended and participated in seminars put on by the British Parliament in the UK.
Meanwhile, Head of the delegation and Member of Parliament for Bolton South East in the UK, Brian Iddon, expressed appreciation to the Jamaican government and people for the invitation and noted that the delegation would be taking time out to see the various famed sites on the island.
The 10-man delegation will be in Jamaica for one week, during which they will be exposed to different aspects of industry as well as the culture of the island.