The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday called for the government to either bring the National Intelligence Agency legislation to parliament or “shut the agency down forthwith”.

Her statements came after National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage told reporters on Wednesday that while both the proposed NIA Bill and the sex offender registry regulations had been completed, they had not yet been tabled in the House of Assembly because the Office of the Attorney General requested at the last minute to review the documents. The sexual offender register was promised by the government as a part of Marco’s Law, an amendment to the Child Protection Act that was passed in the House of Assembly last year.

Mrs Butler-Turner, former deputy leader of the Free National Movement, accused the Christie administration of “running a spy agency with no clear legal footing and no accountability.”

She accused Dr Nottage of “seeking to blame the Office of the Attorney General for the delay” as “an attempt to avoid responsibility”. She said Dr Nottage “must share in the collective failure of this government to provide the NIA with a legal foundation.”

“All of this speaks to the general incompetence and the lack of accountability by an out-of-control and reckless government with little regard for certain civil liberties and legal norms,” she said in a press release. “I call on the government to bring this legislation forward as a matter of urgency. The government should either bring the legislation immediately or shut the agency down forthwith.”

On Wednesday, after the House of Assembly had adjourned until the New Year, Dr Nottage, who is also the leader of government business, said the government had to postpone tabling the NIA legislation because the Attorney General’s Office requested to review it.

However, he said it was his intention to have the NIA legislation, along with the regulations for Marco’s Law, tabled before Parliament broke for the holidays.

Dr Nottage said once the AG’s Office has released the legislation, he intends to have the legislation circulated to members of parliament for them to review during the Christmas recess.

He also said it was unlikely that the debate on NIA legislation would take place in January when the House resumes.

The NIA has been a point of contention between the government and the Free National Movement.

Mrs Butler-Turner initially sounded the alarm on the agency saying it was operating without a legal framework and possibly spying on Bahamians. The government has since denied that the NIA is spying on civilians.

The government earlier this year promised to table legislation to govern its operation shortly after the conclusion of the 2014/2015 budget debate.

Concerning the Child Protection Act, also known as Marco’s Law, while an amendment to the legislation was advanced in the House last year, regulations for the country’s first sexual offender’s registry was not advanced as promised.

On Tuesday Bahamas Against Crime Executive Director Rev CB Moss accused the government of dropping the ball on advancing the sexual offender registry.