The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

MONTAGU MP Richard Lightbourn wants the government to delay the November 6 gender equality referendum with a view to ensuring the “flawed” process is corrected and misconceptions among the electorate are cleared up.

Speaking as debate on the four Constitutional Amendment Bills continued yesterday, Mr Lightbourn said that the current timeline did not give the public sufficient opportunity to digest the proposed changes.

The government’s aggressive push to hold the equality vote in less than three months, he claimed, is a diversion from the Renward Wells letter of intent saga which has yet to be resolved.

He explained that when the constitutional bills, along with the value added tax (VAT) legislation were introduced to the House last month, it seemed “odd” that the government would bring the landmark legislation at the height of public outrage over Mr Well’s actions. He said at the time Parliament was scheduled to debate the Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority Bill.

Prime Minister Perry Christie told reporters more than a week ago that he ordered an investigation into what prompted Mr Wells, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works, to sign a multi-million letter of intent with Stellar Waste Management to build a waste-to-energy facility at the landfill. However, to date Mr Christie has not revealed the findings of that probe.

“It is easy to understand why the public is confused about the proposed amendments, given that the Parliament itself is confused,” Mr Lightbourn said. “Does the government have a clear plan? It is obvious from the changes that there is none. Why the rush?

“The government has set a deadline by announcing a date, November 6, and now appears hell-bent on keeping that date. We all know that this government is not good at keeping dates and it is evident that the process will not be completed by that date. It would be preferable, in my view,  that the date be vacated at the earliest opportunity to ensure that we get it right as opposed to tying itself to a date and getting it wrong. The country wouldn’t be surprised by an adjournment. That could be respected. The government will lose no credibility if that date is changed.

“The government must ask itself if they are giving sufficient time to digest the proposed changes. There is a lot of work to be done.”

Mr Lightbourn further questioned whether the government was “putting the cart before the horse” as the referendum process unfolded.

“It would seem preferable to have the bills formulated then circulated for discussion. Theoretically the government may accept suggested amendments arising from those discussions and then finalise the bills for debate in public. But not doing as we are doing (which is) amending as we debate, passing the bill, then explaining to the public and then having a referendum.”

As for the four equality bills before the House, Mr Lightbourn said he supported the first bill while siding with the government’s decision that it would not operate retroactively. He said attempting to do so would be a “nightmare”.

The bill would enable a child born outside the Bahamas to a Bahamian woman to have automatic Bahamian citizenship at birth.

Mr Lightbourn said constitutional amendments two and three needed further consideration. Regarding bill four, Mr Lightbourn said he was satisfied with the rewording of the Bill recently implemented by the government.

Bill two will give the foreign spouse of a Bahamian woman the same right to apply for Bahamian citizenship as the foreign spouse of a Bahamian man. Bill three will give an unwed Bahamian father the right to pass on his citizenship to a child born out of wedlock, once paternity is legally proven.

Bill four seeks to make it unconstitutional to discriminate on the basis of sex by inserting the word “sex” into Article 26 of the constitution.

The House is expected to vote on the bills on Monday.