The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie yesterday called for an amendment to the country's Constitution establishing an upper limit for the appointment of ministers to eliminate "supersized" Cabinets.

Additionally, Speaker Moultrie said there remains an "adulterous" relationship in the tendency for Cabinet through the Office of the Attorney General to be the sole legal advisor to Parliament.

He yesterday called this forbidden by the concept of separation of powers.

In this vein, he told House members several eminent jurists were sought after and agreed to provide legal advice to the Speaker and the legislative branch of government.

These include former Chief Justice Dame Joan Sawyer, activist Fred Smith, QC, Maurice Glinton, QC, Obie Ferguson, Bahamas Trade Union Congress president, Kelphene Cunningham, Vice President of the Bahamas Industrial Tribunal and Bahamas Bar Association President Kahlil Parker.

The Parliament and the Speaker must be given just the right amount of independence to bolster the impartiality and neutrality required. "Let us stop pretending that the office of the Speaker is an independent one. It is not," he said yesterday.

He also said: "Over the past decades, dating back to the eighties when this chair was occupied by the late Sir Clifford Darling, The Bahamas witnessed the most vile encroachment by the executive branch of government onto the territories of the legislative and judicial branches of government. This encroachment and resultant breach was wrong under the Pindling administration, wrong in the Ingraham led government, wrong during the Christie administration and if perpetuated, it will be equally wrong under this Minnis administration.

"By now you must be wondering if this is a resignation statement. It is. After much soul searching and wife consultation I am resigned to the fact that the Speaker must be lonely in his eminence. But despite the isolation, loneliness and solitary confinement of the office, I accept and surrender to my calling.

"I want to assure the prime minister, Cabinet ministers and all members of Parliament that I do not want your job, and I doubt you want mine. So that being the case, I give this notice and assurance that as long as I preside in this chair I will endeavour to do my best to make sure that you do your jobs and only your jobs.

"I am the presiding officer. I serve at your pleasure. But as long as I am Speaker, I will not endorse the current impotency of Parliament, I will discharge my duties in the manner required of me by the Constitution and the established rules and practices of this chamber and procedure of Westminster."

He called on the prime minister in future appointments of members of the executive to ensure there are sufficient backbenchers to allow Parliament to hold the government to account.

"In the interest of transparency and accountability there should be an amendment establishing an upper limit for the appointment of ministers to eliminate the supersized Cabinet we have become accustomed to. I recommend that combined, the size of Cabinet and Parliamentary Secretaries should not exceed an upper limit of 17 or 43 per cent of the elected members of Parliament. As long as the status quo remains it will demonstrate our lack of commitment to the ideals of accountability and transparency."

His words gained the support of Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine.

Mr Wells said: "I want the Bahamian people to know that the Speaker is not out of step with this Free National Movement government. As a matter of fact the Parliamentary Commission that he speaks to there is already a Cabinet paper drafted for the Parliamentary Commission. We've already done that. That issue will be brought to Cabinet at a time and choosing of the prime minister."

Mr McAlpine added that the remarks were a "breath of fresh air."

However, Official Opposition Leader Philip "Brave" Davis said this was a signal that something is wrong.

"Obviously something is happening between him and the executive that has rattled his nerves," Mr Davis said.