WITH PARLIAMENTARY proceedings now at a close until the new year, the 10-member bipartisan committee, set up to examine the recommendations of the Parliamentary Salaries Review Committee, has failed to meet the deadline set by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
Speaking to The Gleaner after Monday's post-Cabinet press briefing, Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, said the bipartisan committee, charged with the responsibility of examining the 40 recommendations in the 60-page report, had only its first meeting last week Tuesday, December 9.
"It was a good meeting," he said, but went on to suggest that the extensive recommendations could take far longer than anticipated to sift through.
On November 11, the Prime Minister tabled the committee's report in the House of Represen-tatives and at the same time announced the formation of the new committee to be chaired by Dr. Davies and comprised of the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the leaders of Government Business in both Houses and one backbencher from each side.
FACILITATING A DEBATE
Mr. Patterson had indicated that the committee would be expected to report to Parliament with a view to facilitating a debate before the end of the calendar year. If unable to do so, he added, a reason should be presented.
Among the recommendations presented in the report were that there should be no increase in the current base pay for Members
of Parliament; that Senators,
who now receive a minimal allowance, be paid a taxable honorarium based on attendance (which could total $500,000 per annum); that the Leader of the Opposition be compensated at the same level as a Cabinet Minister; and that the Government should fund a constituency office for each MP.
The Parliamentary Salaries Review Committee, which
was established by the Prime Minister in February, also recommended the construction of a new Parliament building, due to the inadequacy of the current Gordon House structure.
