The Tribune

HERE we are again. It is a familiar place. Government administrations change with some regularity, and many of the practices remain the same.

“Transparency” and “accountability” were among the most common buzzwords almost a decade ago. We talk and talk about corruption, one political party points fingers at the other, the media reports on the failures of public officials, and we complain a bit more. None of it seems to matter. None of it ever will, unless we take action.

One of the only safeguards we have against corruption is the Public Disclosure Act which requires Members of Parliament and Senators to report on their assets, income, and liabilities as well as those of their spouses and children. The Public Disclosure Act was passed in 1976 and came into effect in 1977. The Act, in Section 4, says, “on the 31st day of December, in each year that he is a Senator or Member of Parliament, in respect of his assets, income and liabilities as at the 31st day of December in each year, so, however, that a declaration required to be furnished on the 31st day of December in any year shall be deemed to comply with the requirement of this subsection if it is furnished before the 1st day of March next following that date.”

This means Members of Parliament and Senators are required to make their public disclosures by March 1 of every year for the previous calendar year. They then have two months to complete the appropriate forms. All Members of Parliament went through the process ahead of the general election, so it is not a new concept and there is not much of a learning curve.

Public Disclosure Commission chairman Bishop Victor Cooper said some new Members of Parliament were unaware of the legal requirement for them to publicly disclose their assets, and extensions have been granted to those who requested them. How is it possible that Members of Parliament — who have lived in The Bahamas where there have been many news stories about failure to disclose, put themselves forward as candidates, and accepted jobs as legislators — did not know about this requirement? How is it that they are all members of political parties, working directly with veterans, without knowing, and without being made aware? It does not make sense, and this excuse ought not be accepted. It is foolish, it is irresponsible, and it is absolutely unacceptable, particularly coming from the chairman.

Contrary to the ridiculous claims of Cooper, press secretary Clint Watson, said all Members of Parliament were made aware of the public disclosure requirement when they were trained at the start of the current administration’s term. He said they may have been busy with other matters, causing them to forget about the deadline. “It’s the first one since taking office and I think people just missed the deadline because they didn’t know it was March 1 or they didn’t remember or they were caught up,” he said.

It is good to know there was training that included this information, but unfortunate that this information came with another absurd excuse. If they were told about the legal requirement to disclose in training, then they must have been given the dates. It is on them to mark calendars, set reminders, strategically place sticky notes, and set whatever other measures they need in order to meet the requirements of the jobs they campaigned to secure. Their busyness has nothing to do with the legal requirement or their obligation to the people of this country.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg blamed the failure of Members of Parliament to disclose on the timing of the general election which was held in 2021. He said the administration has not “taken a break since” since campaigning and “there have been times that it would slip your mind that you have to report, even though you would have been reminded”. He said, “Nobody’d hiding anything, whether it’s the government or the Opposition, so all paperwork will be turned in at the right time.”

The right time, of course, was before the deadline. Public disclosures made after March 1, and certainly beyond this point, for 2021, are late. If no one was hiding anything, they ought to have met the deadline. The public disclosure requirement is not a secret. Every few years, there are front page stories about the failure of Members of Parliament to disclose on time. This is an issue that persists. Why might that be? Could it be the lack of consequences? This is the law, so should there not be a consequence for breaking it? Section 13 of the Public Disclosure Act states that any person who fails to provide their declaration or makes any false statement in the declaration “shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction on information, be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both such fine and imprisonment[…]”

The leniency with delinquent Members of Parliament and Senators is insulting. The law is for everyone. We all have things to do, some of them tedious, to be in compliance with the law. Completing forms detailing the items in our luggage for presentation to Customs officers is not a particular exciting task. Many of us do it while trying to spot our luggage, hold children’s hands, call our rides from the airport, and any number of other tasks. Businesses have to make adjustments to their systems when changes are made to Value Added Tax. When we renew our drivers licences, we have to pay for any years we did not have a licence. We stand or sit in long lines to complete just about any task that requires service by a government agency, and then we get to pay for it. Somehow, we do these things, no matter how boring, tedious, or inconvenient. If we do not do what is required, we have to face the consequences. Members of Parliament and Senators are no less deserving of the complications, frustrations, and expense of being law-abiding people. They should receive no extension beyond the 30 days stipulated in the Act. They should face the consequences of their decided delinquency.

Issue the fines. Collect the money. Use it to build better systems and provide resources and services to the people.

Recommendations

1 Abbott Elementary. The first season has come to an end, and people are already saying it needs to have at least nine seasons. Created by Quinta Brunson — so well-known for being in memes that she has book entitled “I Meme Well” — Abbott Elementary follows a group of teachers who are dedicated to their jobs and bring very different teaching styles to their classrooms. There is the innocent and very keen Janine, the experienced and no-nonsense Barbara, and Ava, the unqualified principal, among other characters. This television show is funny, even as it highlights issues within the American education system and portrays teachers who do what it takes to help their students to have a great elementary school experience.

2 I Want That Purple Stuff. This episode of The Nod is educational and delightful. The Nod is a podcast about Black culture, that was hosted by Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings. There are many great episodes, and it would even be difficult to choose the top ten. I thought of this one when friends were joking about referring to drinks and other treats by the colour, as though the colour is the flavour. When it comes to purple, maybe that is true. We all know purple popsicles don’t taste like grapes, right?

3 Phrazle. You’ve played Wordle, and maybe you have played Quordle too. Heardle is another hit, if you can access the music being played without encountering geographic blocks. One of these word games that you may not have played yet is Phrazle. In this one, you guess a phrase. A letter turns green if it is in the correct place, yellow if it is in the word, but not in the correct place, and purple if it is in the phrase, but not in the correct word. The phrases are generally well known and in regular use, so the game is fun with just the right amount of challenge.