Paul-Andre Walker, Rural News Coordinator

Central Manchester Member of Parliament Peter Bunting has urged colleagues in the House to apply the tenets of private sector business management to running their constituencies.

"Certain principles of the corporate world and public administration cut across each other. While the outputs might not be measured in the same way, the principles of management are the same," Bunting told The Gleaner yesterday.

According to the People's National Party general secretary, transparency was a critical factor behind his publication of constituency updates in the leading newspaper, The Sunday Gleaner, two days ago.

News-letters

While many MPs issue news-letters, which are distributed in their communities, Bunting has sought to make the picture a little bigger for his constituents. Sunday's publication of the quarterly report was his second such issue since re-entering representational politics.

"You have 27,000-28,000 voters on the road, and with the best intentions in the world, you will only speak to a small percentage of them," said Bunting.

Co-founder of investment bank Dehring, Bunting and Golding - which has been taken over by Scotiabank - the Central Manchester MP has decided to apply the principles of private sector management to the running of his constituency, a strategy he encourages fellow MPs to adopt.

In the report, Bunting speaks about the refurbishing of the MP office as a resource centre for constituents.

More interesting than that, though, is Bunting's admission that no study on the long-term health impact of bauxite production on communities in Manchester has been done.

According to the report, the House committee on the economy and production, which Bunting chairs, has been conducting hearings with citizens who have been adversely affected by bauxite mining.

Impact

While Bunting continues to try to sell the ideas of transparency and operating a constituency along the lines of a business model, he is also acutely aware of the difficulties other MPs face.

"It would be unreasonable for me to have the same expectations of them," said Bunting. "The Government should supply a realistic amount of funding so the MPs can run their constituencies in a professional manner."

Bunting conceded that his private financial cushion, generated from his career as an investment banker, gives him an advantage over average MPs to spearhead more constituency projects.

Nearly two weeks ago, Audley Shaw, in his maiden Budget Debate contribution as finance minister, unveiled a Constituency Develop-ment Fund - a metamorphosis of the the Social and Economic Support Programme - from which each MP will be able to access up to $40 million for projects.

paul-andre.walker@gleanerjm.com