The drafters would have been prep for this outcome.
These lame excuses from Dale Marshall should tell Barbadians why they should not vote back in the BLP.
The AG excuse that the only problem they have with the bill is the fact that they will have to declare they assets every year. Now, that is one lame excuse to continue the good practice of getting rich off the taxpayers.
I do not see this legislation being passed and therefore for the first time in my life I will not be voting.

the best way to prevent corruption in the House is to get rid of 75% of the dishonourable members…

That bill would expose so many things about all the different party members who aren’t doing the right thing for the people, but only thinking about SELF; All in power knows that good old Bajans just keep being accepting all the shit that’s being handed to them for years; One would think that by now change would have taken place; I guess it wouldn’t be in my lifetime; I’ve noticed that more hell is being raised over different songs that about the BULL SHIT that’s being handed to them by they elected officials; Maybe being a politician is lucrative to the persons seeking office. And it surely isn’t about the folks who voted for them; I remember an old saying:- Many don’t believe shit stinks even when they faces are in it; This is what’s being handed down right about now. PURE 110% SHIT;
GOD help Barbadians, since they seem to be so laid back when they should be standing up and demanding results; But on the other hand all politicians seem to forget that they are servants for the people. But instead they seem to be working for themselves first;

Insurance exec arrested.
wth is goin on in Babadus.

The present Government, whilst in opposition, promised to enact integrity legislation to deal with politicians within 100 days if elected. They were elected and immediately started to move avay from that promise. They started to confuse the issue by introducing red herrings about other people in public life. That was not their promise. According to their manifesto promise there should have been integrity legislation to deal with politicians long ago. If they still wanted to deal with others, they could have introduced the appropriate legislation as the next step.

I am clearly of the view that there was not any serious attempt to hold politicians to any standard of integrity. If they wanted to introduce such far-reaching legislation, Government should have put the bill out for public comment. I do not believe that they are serious.

So much for the Government. I can’t really understand the point, about persons who make contributions to political parties, who don’t want to be identified. Opposition spokesman, Dale Marshall, claimed that there are persons who contribute to political parties who don’t want to be identified. According to the laws that are currently on the books all contributions made, during an election campaign, must be reported to the Electoral and Boundarries Commission. Our laws do not allow secret contributions.

Don’t make laugh, Franklyn, what nonsenses are you writing did you read this crap before you posted, to hold politicians to any standard of integrity.
You and you clan of crooks masterminded a level of dishonesty never seen in this country in the past even now out of office you are so greedy for control of the purse strings that you have the Roger Smith before the courts for theft of Sagicor’s money any you want to instruct someone or this gov’t on what is right and what is wrong ??

You have unabated gumption in truth, bet you would never have asked Nicholls and Arthur why they were moving out as money as they were, this money being hard earned taxpayers dollars.

A whole suite of relevant legislation is in the process including IL that you and your people will cringe to face it.

http://www.barbadostoday.bb/la​unch.aspx?referral=other&pnum&​refresh=Hm8109AcC0j3&EID=f3f7e​7b8-04aa-49c3-a50e-30f82c40614​3&skip=true

Barrow once described Barbados as a “Nation of Thieves” perhaps that is why Integrity Legislation bill will NEVER be passed. WE the ELECTORATE are the ONES to DEMAND it! Do we have the BALLS to do so? We have to become more politically active when OUR POLITICIANS defy our wishes. Where are the marches supporting this legislation? You can see marches for all kind of causes that don’t really affect us BUT where are you all when it comes to things fundamental like this one. We are also a nation of HYPOCRITES as well.

@David

You have read my mind exactly. We hide behind our so called religion all the time and refuse to address the real issues affecting us.

Well we did our part.

We brought integrity legislation to the floor of the House, the first Political Party in the History of Barbados ever to do such.

I agree with Caswell on this one. Note that the bill only requires the contributions to be disclosed to the Integrity Commission. Unless folks are only making cash contributions there would already be a record in the banking system of who gave what to each party or politician.

Caswell, doesn’t the current law give the public the right to inspect the returns filed by election candidates within a certain period of time? Is there a loophole that contributions to the political parties do not have to be reported? Otherwise the spending by the candidates as reported in the press seems very low – of course, the amounts have to be within the limits set by law.

Caswell – pls explain.

We can be a funny/hypocritical bunch on BU.
Here where pseudonyms and ‘apolitical’ views abound, there is support for legislation to reveal the identity of persons who make monetary contributions to political parties. A society where people are still dismissed from their jobs because they support the opposing party.

The truth is, our politics is immature and any progressive policy such as this one ought to be introduced only when the entire SYSTEM itself is made more progressive.

As I have said before, Barbados is a 1×1 island with 10 people and 2 degrees of separation. The issue of Integrity Legislation must not be about being malicious (colloquially and formally); but focused on accountability and transparency in a manner that fits the Barbadian context.

Politicians, however, make a conscious decision to run for Parliament and should have no difficulty declaring their assets at the outset. After 3.5 years and having integrity legislation for its MPs as a major plank of its election platform, the DLP should by now have had some system in place to hold at least the Cabinet accountable. Having failed to do so, we continue to hear ‘talk’ of a Minister benefitting financially from a construction company.

Hants | July 21, 2011 at 9:11 PM | Anoyher Lawyer out on bail. This time a female. lawd havest mercy!

BU you have to start one more thread on dishonest lawyers give us a chance to discuss one more time the pompous theives in dark suits.
They use thier alleged knowledge of the law to fleece Bajans particularly diaspora ones.
Lawyers come like boys on the block a real and present threat to society the block boys run drugs, rob and murder,rape and worse the lawyers just thief and thief and theif.
Vonda Pile, Leroy Lynch the Waterman woman whats become of her first name was Laurene or Lorraine, Ernest jackman , Errol Niles list endless.
Then BLPites like Roger Smith on serious money missing charges.
If this is what the BLP bringing to the table better them stay outside the House and continue the war between Mia nd Rawle eastmond on one side and the midgets Owen see thru and Al barracks boys hats george Payne and Dail Marshall on the other.

@enuff

It seems you are knocking an initiative by government that would pave the way for transparency? Ion the words of your leader you want to go to heaven but you do not want to die.

Sorry, 3 should read “Nature of article received”

@Caswell

Thanks for the clarification and putting the wording there. What you have done in fact is to support my position that names were never a requirement and hence the identities of contributors were not a matter of disclosure. Even if with some stretch of the phrase “source from which received” this in no way means the disclosure of an individual or companies name. What it does request (and certainly the way it was done in practice) was denoting the general source of those funds (e.g. members contribution, retail firm; society, etc.).
Please do not go away with the impression that I come here to oppose you or anyone else. I use the forum to share my views, to educate, to clarify, and in some instances, to chastise and that is usually with reference to government or the opposition and any other entities that I believe are not pursuing the right course for progressing Barbados and Barbadians. Just thought that I would make that point clear to you Caswell and to any other BU readers that may think I am on a personal crusade. In any event, you know that you and I have never had reason to fight other person’s fights between us. As the old people say, leave well enough alone!

@ David

I am not knocking any initiative by the government for transparency!! We are fast to decry the wholesale adoption of ‘foreign’ elements into our culture only when it suits us.
All I am saying is that Barbados is a small society with 10 people and nearly everybody connected, and to implement legislation that ignores this fact would be ignorant.
Membership on a statutory board pays $120 a month, who want ‘malicious’ Bajans all up in their financial business for such pittance? This brings me back to my mantra: evidence-based, coherent policy.
You see what happening with Kamla and her PP Government and state boards?

@enuff

Thanks for your comment which further exposes the promise of integrity legislation as a gimmick. The farce which saw Mottley and Arthur tabling a one-pager detailing their assets compounded the matter.

@ Josquin

The late PM was akin to a snake oil salesman. Good at selling/telling but delivering ….another story.

According to the Nation, Richard Sealy said: “Mr Speaker we the members of this side recognize the far-reaching implications of this bill, and recognizing the contribution of the official spokesman of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, I wish to move that this bill be considered by a select committee of Parliament.”

And Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite indicated that the Government had no difficulty with Members of Parliament declaring their assets and liabilities but had some difficulties with the section that required persons in public life to make an annual declaration.

So I am also lost at the comments of those people to whom you refer.

@ George Brathwaite
I firmly believe that a society where citizens are less fearful about party politics would redound to our development: better candidates, stronger parties, stronger governments.

@ David

I don’t know if it were a gimmick or not. All I am saying is that legislation such as this must take our size into consideration so as avoid deterring people from serving on statutory boards etc.

I am, however, NOT making a case for politicians especially Ministers!!

Excepts from the DRAFT Ministerial Code – A Proposal
(Revised December 15, 2007)

MINISTERS’ PRIVATE INTERESTS
“17. Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.”
The Official Gazette of Jan 26 2009 states that the Government, i.e. Minister of Finance, has waived the penalties and interest for non-payment of VAT for over $1 million relating to VAT periods from 2003 to 2005. Further, income tax waived is almost $600K for income years 2002 to 2005, for Rayside Construction.

THE MINISTERIAL CODE
“4. Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct in Parliament.”
What is the outcome of the alleged gun incident relating to Estwick and Marshall?

6c. It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament. Any inadvertent error should be corrected at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister;
6g. Ministers should avoid accepting any gift or hospitality which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an improper obligation;
6h. Ministers must not use government resources for Party political purposes. They must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service and not ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the accepted code of behaviour of civil servants.

Will the integrity and freedom of information legislation be a reality?

In 1991, The National Democratic Party, Of which I was a candidate, stated in its Manifesto, on page 27 the following:
.Introduce integrity and anti-corruption legislation
Require Cabinet Ministers and Chairmen of Statutory Boards to make full declaration of their assets and liabilities
Abolish the Housing Allowance for the Prime Minister. whether or not he chooses to live in Ilaro Court……
I kind of figure that if it has taken twenty years for such legislation to reach Parliament, we can now wait another twenty years for it to get out of the Select Committee !
Why cuss the politicians- the truth maybe is that as Sparrow said: ‘We like it so…”

to the police office whom left de station to report ah zr van pound de proute route stop lookin to report them vans and look to report de pirate pun de route that carryin people in de illegal van , i want de government to setup a special committe to look at who owner these van, some of them van are not insure. no seat belt at the de back,stop any place, drive true no entry , dragg in ,callin out passengers, goin into the bus lane. put off passenger before complete de route, do u want me to cont mr officer,do u remm the mid nite asssin, zm 75 on black rock road, i want to hear your comment from bu fan…….

Josquin

“In her post as Chairman of the National Housing Corporation, Marilyn Rice-Bowen questioned the Minister, Michael Lashley’s leadership of the Ministry of Housing, and accused him of by-passing the NHC board in making decisions when it came to projects funded by the Corporation”

She has never proven one of her accusations.

All myths.

George Brathwaite

Your post at July 22, 2011 at 1:40 P.M.
You admitted that you broke the law. It is as simple as that.