A PARLIAMENTARY committee examining the role of music and the media in instigating violence yesterday blasted the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) after it failed to have a representative at the meeting.

Members of the Human Resources and Social Development Committee had turned up at Gordon House, downtown Kingston, hoping to hear from the PAJ, the Broadcasting Commission and the Jamaica Federation of Musicians.

However, the PAJ was not present and members of the committee did not attempt to hide their disgust.

"When a parliamentary committee extends an invitation to persons out there, it is not a casual invitation, it is really a summons and should be treated as such," committee chairman Dr Fenton Ferguson said.

Informed at 'last minute'

Ferguson noted that the PAJ, through its president Byron Buckley, informed the clerk for the committee "at the last minute" that he could not make the sitting.

Another committee member, Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, argued that the PAJ's absence, without what he termed proper explanation or apology, was "unforgivable".

"It is something that we should look at with disgust," Bartlett said.

Parliamentarian Ronald Thwaites, who is also a member of the PAJ, said he was "ashamed" at the response of the media group.

"I hope that there is some better excuse and I recommend that they be summoned formally to the next session," Thwaites said.

He added: "It is interesting that the press association, among others, is insisting that we should be here and hear them when it is a question of their freedoms that they want to protect, but when we are looking to the broader public interest, as the subject implies, they treat us with scant respect."

Like volunteers

The chiding would not stop there. North West Clarendon MP Michael Stern said the executive of the PAJ must recognise they are not the only ones with important things to do.

"We need to convey to persons who hold very important positions in the society that we are all here, almost like volunteers," Stern said.

Close to the end of the proceedings, Ferguson said he was informed that the PAJ was making preparations for its annual Journalism Week and could not make it to the committee meeting on the day that was set aside.

"I don't believe it negates some of the comments that were made earlier but, in fairness to him, I do believe it is important to say why," Ferguson said.

He said the committee would be sending a strongly worded letter to the PAJ to have its representative appear.

Meanwhile, Buckley has said the association he leads would gladly participate in the discussions.

"We were never given sufficient notice to prepare to appear before the committee. I received an email late last week and informed the parliamentary clerk that the time was too short to prepare, and also that we were preparing for Journalism Week," Buckley told The Gleaner.

He added that he had requested that the parliamentary clerk schedule another date for the PAJ to face the committee.