Portia fast on the Track. Gleaner calls out Portia .

Up to last Tuesday, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller had not addressed the House of Representatives by way of a statement. She last spoke in the Budget Debate in May, and before that, it was November 6, 2012, when she made a statement on Hurricane Sandy.

Commonsenseja comments

If this is not a national disgrace then I don’t know what is. I  find even more amazing the lack on interest by the general public in hearing from the PM on national issues. I am not sure which other country on the planet this could happen and the opposition, civil society and the general public would not be up in arms.

The Gleaner continues..

Our difficulty, however, is that the prime minister has not seen it fit to use the Parliament to address issues of critical national importance. The fact that the prime minister hardly does national broadcasts and is not a talk-show host like Bruce Golding (with Jamaica House Live) makes it even more important for her to make statements in the House and to allow members to seek clarification on behalf of the people they represent.

 

Commonsenseja comments

The Prime Minister has already made it clear that she will NOT talk her way out of office so I am not sure why the Gleaner has a difficulty in the fact the the PM REFUSES to speak with the Jamaican public, who appears to have NO difficulty with the Prime Minister’s position . The PM appears to subscribe to the notion that ” Silence can only  be misinterpreted but never misquoted”.

 

The Gleaner continues

STILL NO REPORTS

We note, for example, that Simpson Miller headed a Jamaican delegation to the 67th session of the Africa Union in June. Aside from media reports that she committed to assist Tanzania in finding mathematics and science teachers, we have heard nothing from her. Foreign Minister A.J. Nicholson said in the Senate nearly a month ago that she would be making a statement in the House on her visit. We are still waiting!

Two weeks ago, the prime minister attended the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. The story is familiar. The prime minister has not yet reported to the country, through the Parliament, on her trip.

For us, this is a most unfortunate state of affairs. It is unacceptable that the prime minister should leave the island, engage in discussions, the results of which could affect the people of Jamaica, and the people are not kept in the loop.

 

Commonsenseja comments

Reports, who on earth is waiting on a report. The Gleaner appears to believe that the Jamaican public is interested in any reports, heck who cares. The Prime Minister is of the belief that Jamaicans are not generally interested in any reports from all her trips and so has sought to satisfy the desires of the general population by NOT providing any such reports.

Do you hear any one  from the general public demanding that the Prime Minister update the country on anything, that to me is proof that the general population does not give a damn and its mainly the Gleaner and Commonsenseja that appears to constantly making such demands.

 

The Gleaner continues

The Question Paper in the House has been empty for some time and remains that way as it seem the Opposition is comfortable, or has all the answers to the operations of Government. Perhaps that is the reason they have not pressed for an amendment to the Standing Orders to ensure the prime minister is forced to take impromptu questions at Prime Minister’s Question Time.

The current system requires that questions be tabled 21 days before answers are provided, and Simpson Miller has never been called upon by this lazy Opposition to provide answers on matters of national importance at Prime Minister’s Question Time.

 

Commonsenseja comments

When the PM and the leader of Government Business Phillip Paulwell reverted to the standing orders and the 21 day period for questioning, there was no outcry from the general public. There were few words said by the Gleaner and other members of the media but in general the Jamaican public had no issue with the PNP hiding behind the 21 day rule as they sought to protect their PM, who they no has a serious deficiency as it relates to answering questions without first having time to see the question and prepare a scripted response.

I am not sure why the Gleaner is taking exception to the opposition JLP position on this issue after-all the JLP will tell you this must be what Jamaicans wanted, so why oppose something, that the general public is in agreement with. Who wants to be swimming upstream in a fast moving river?

The Gleaner continue by asking a bunch of question as can be seen in the attached link.

I am not expecting any answer and I do NOT expect the public to query this anytime soon, after-all it must be that the Gleaner has an axe to grind why it is keeps calling on the PM to speak on National issues,  while no one else appears to be interested .

 

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130722/lead/lead7.html

Bless.