Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller (second right); National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips (right); Finance and Planning Minister Dr. Omar Davies (second left) and Agriculture and Lands Minister Roger Clarke listen as Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding (foreground), makes a point to the Speaker of the House, Michael Peart, during last Tuesday's sitting of the House of Representatives.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller came under pressure during Tuesday's sitting of Parliament by the Opposition who questioned her about the overruns of the Sandals Whitehouse project.

It was obvious from the beginning of the question and answer session of the House's sitting that the Prime Minister was in for a hard time. But the difficult session began when the Prime Minister was answering questions tabled in the House at a previous sitting by Leader of the Opposition Bruce Golding on the rationalisation of the sugar company.

While the Prime Minister was answering the questions, the Leader of the Opposition pointed out that she had not brought any further information than what had been disclosed at a previous sitting by Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies.

But when pressed with follow-up questions from Mr. Golding who wanted to know the level of financing that would be made available to the industry for the 2006/07 crop, the Prime Minister became defensive and pointed out that the questions in the first place should not have been sent to her but should have been addressed to the Minister of Agriculture Roger Clarke.

This comment, however, appeared to anger the Opposition Leader who pointed out to her that she had spoken to the issue in a previous presentation and that he had the right to pose the questions to her.

The Prime Minister fumbled to provide the answers, while at the same time being prompted by Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies.

But this was only a synopsis of events that would further unfold during that sitting. While answering another set of questions previously tabled by Mr. Golding on the contents of a report on the Sandals Whitehouse project prepared by Noel Hylton, Mrs. Simpson Miller denied being aware of the existence of the report. Mr. Hylton was appointed by then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson to hold conciliatory talks with the aggrieved parties in the Sandals Whitehouse hotel dispute over cost overruns.

"I have heard mention of the existence of a 'report' but I am not aware of the contents of any such document," she said.

On the question as to whether the report had been presented to the Cabinet, she said this was not so.

But it was her final answer to the question on the assurance given by Mr. Patterson that the Jamaican taxpayers would not be called upon to bear the cost of these overruns that has angered the Opposition.

Frustration

Mrs. Simpson Miller had responded that the rental, which is based on the occupancy level of the hotel each month, would service the debt. But Opposition Member Karl Samuda picked up where Mr. Golding, in frustration, had given up.

"We are asking her on what basis can she say that, when she does not know the revenue or the expense (of the hotel) and we in the Opposition are rejecting it as falsehood. I say it is falsehood. censure me! I say it is false!" bellowed Samuda to the outrage of the Government side.

Speaker of the House, Michael Peart, however, rushed to the defense of the Prime Minister by stating that the comments made by Mr. Samuda were unfortunate.

"You have offered no evidence to substantiate your claim," said Speaker of the House, Michael Peart.

But Mr. Samuda objected to this and pointed out that the Prime Minister's statement was the evidence.

In the rapid cross-questioning by the Opposition, it was obvious that there was some solidarity on the Government side as members rushed to protect the Prime Minister. Among the gallant knights was former Minister of Health John Junor who read a letter penned by Mr. Hylton to the chief executive officer of the Urban Development Corporation stating that he was unable to conclude his investigation into the matter.

The questioning of the Prime Minister lasted for close to three hours before she was able to table the forensic audit report on the Whitehouse project.