The Tribune

WE would like to salute a number of parliamentarians in today’s editorial – for doing as the law asks of them.

The law requires all parliamentarians to file financial disclosures by March 1 under the Public Disclosure Act.

It is, we repeat, the law. It is not an option. It is not a whim. It is a legal requirement.

That said, the law has been too often looked down upon in the past. So let us salute those who have lived up to their end of the deal.

The Tribune has contacted a number of parliamentarians to ask if they did or did not do so.

So, if all have done as they said, they deserve to be noted.

In that spirit, well done to the entireity of the FNM’s parliamentarians for meeting the deadline – including party leader Michael Pintard for getting his team over that finish line.

Well done to the Deputy Prime Minister, Chester Cooper.

Well done to Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin.

Thank you to Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey. To Energy and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis.

Applause to Wayne Munroe, National Security Minister, and Mario Bowleg, the Youth, Sports and Culture Minister.

Well done Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle and Social Services Minister Myles Laroda.

A salute to Health Minister Dr Michael Darville and Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis.

And well done Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Leon Lundy, and Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder.

One MP, Leonardo Lightbourne, said his declarations would be ready by tomorrow – more than two weeks after the deadline – but he cited being on bed rest for medical reasons as an explanation.

You will note a number of names who we cannot applaud for following the law as yet.

Perhaps one is your own local constituency MP. Perhaps when they come knocking on your door or walking about in your community, you might ask them if they obeyed the law.

The Tribune will certainly keep asking.

For those who have not obeyed the law, perhaps someone will remind them that they risk a penalty of up to a $10,000 fine or two years in prison.

Meanwhile, the Public Disclosures Commission still seems to be having problems with mould.

The chairman, Bishop Victor Cooper, said: “We’ve had people who’ve been affected by mould, we’re not going to have anybody else affected.”

Given the lack of urgency in reporting previous years’ declarations, despite the legal requirement to do so, we imagine this mould crisis will be utterly debilitating to the prospect of reporting this year’s – again, despite it being the law.

That law states that the committee must publish a summary of the declarations once reviewed.

A lot of dust has gathered on the last lot of declarations to be published. Perhaps even some mould too.

Last year’s list of names was never disclosed, despite only 90 percent of parliamentarians having met the deadline. One in ten failed to comply. Who? The bishop is not saying.

So given how the disclosures have been treated in the past, credit to those who have done their duty. Praise to those who have said it out loud, who declared as required, and who affirmed their declaration in public.

As for those who have been more reticent in saying whether they are lawmakers or lawbreakers, there is still time. Step right up. The public is ready to hear you speak.