Encourages Them to Be Exemplars of the Behaviours They Want to Promote in the Wider Society

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging Parliamentarians to be mindful of their conduct in Parliament and to be exemplars of the behaviours they want to promote in the wider society.

Prime Minister Holness underscored that the work of the Parliamentarian is supremely important, especially as it relates to the oversight of the executive, the civil service, and the civil bureaucracy.

The Prime Minister said:

“Oftentimes there has been a perspective that the work of the Parliamentarian is less than important relative to the work of a Minister. Let me say here that, that should never be the thought in any parliamentarian’s mind, in any back bencher’s mind, in any mind of the Opposition. The work of the Parliamentarian is supremely important, particularly as it relates to the oversight of the executive and the oversight of the civil service, and the civil bureaucracy. It is through the work of the Parliamentarians that the average man can get his opinions into, sometimes what is a very dense, public bureaucracy that can be insensitive to the opinions and feelings of the masses. Parliamentarians are the conduit of the feelings of the public into public administration. So, that role must never be treated as less than important.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Holness stated that for Parliamentarians who aspire to be Ministers, they must remember that to be a good Minister, they must be good Parliamentarians. In this regard, the Prime Minister said, greater focus is being placed on providing greater exposure to Parliamentarians by way of leading committees and leading important discussions.