Former House Speaker Dr Kendal Major.
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By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HOUSE of Assembly Speaker Dr Kendal Major said he sees no fault in the process the Public Accounts Committee is taking to get answers about the scathing findings from the Urban Renewal’s Small Home Repairs Programme that are in an audit by Auditor General Terrance Bastian.
The controversial Small Home Repairs Programme report notes that payments to contractors for more than $170,000 of work was not completed or done, that there was no competitive bidding for the home repair contracts and the contractors were not required to have proof of all-risk insurance.
Meanwhile, the auditor’s report on Urban Renewal found that the programme’s internal controls are “weak,” leaving the initiative open to “abuse.”
After criticising the report as “unfair” last week, Urban Renewal co-chairs Cynthia “Mother” Pratt and Algernon Allen refused to appear for interviews before the PAC on Thursday, citing prior engagements.
They added that they would appear in the future, once the report is taken off the table of discussion, because of their belief that due parliamentary process has not been followed.
They faced being subpoenaed to appear before the PAC if they do not go willingly.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Dr Major said: “I want you to know that the process is moving along appropriately in order to seek and extract information that the PAC deems important and critical to properly investigating the workings of any particular programme. That process is being meted out and it’s moving along as we speak in the sense that the chairman of the PAC is preparing a report or request. He would write the Speaker indicating the challenge that he has faced and request that we consider that either a subpoena is issued or through the office of the Speaker, operated by the clerk of Parliament, that a resolution is made.”
Mrs Pratt and Mr Allen have said that the audit has not gone through proper parliamentary channels because it has not been tabled in Parliament. They have also said that the audit is incomplete.
Mr Major, however, said this is a “misunderstanding.”
“This report does not have to be tabled,” he said. “This report was requested of the auditor general for a special period and is not like the annual year end reports.”
He added: “This report is not a draft. To my understanding it’s the final report and it doesn’t have to be debated.”
Dr Major said a subpoena could be sent either by the PAC or through his own office, although he acknowledged that the process that decides the way subpoenas are issued is ambiguous.
He said he believes both Mrs Pratt and Mr Allen are “decent, loyal and recognise the rules,” adding that he expects them to comply with the PAC’s demands once the misunderstanding over the matter is cleared up.
He insisted that the rules of the House would govern the process by which subpoenas are issued and not his own personal judgments about the matter.
The co-chairs’ letter to the PAC said: “The process which the Public Accounts Committee has pursued is not appropriate at this time in respect of this report and is an abuse of process. The draft report pre-empted the established parliamentary procedure and legality.
“We are advised that the audit report of the Urban Renewal Commission has not yet been presented to the minister of finance or to the Cabinet of The Bahamas, nor has it been laid on the table of the House of Assembly, as are the appropriate and legal steps to be taken; and as such, we cannot participate in an inappropriate and illegal process.
“However, when co-chair Pratt returns from her convalescence, and an appropriate meeting is scheduled by the committee, we are ready and willing to address Urban Renewal Commission’s matters, which do not involve the purported auditor general’s report until due process in relation to the report occurs.”
Comments
DonAnthony 9 years ago
Thank you Mr. Speaker for your impartiality, now please subpoena these two deadbeat, accountability dodgers as soon as possible, and televise the hearings for all bahamians to see how our tax dollars are being mismanaged and squandered. Vat is onerous on the backs of the Bahamian tax payers and we demand that our tax dollars are not abused through cronyism and incompetence.
TalRussell 9 years ago
by TalRussell
banker 9 years ago
I look forward to the Roman circus that transpires when they have to appear before Auditor General. Muvva Pratt will bring her big, black, leather-bound Bible and invoke the name of Jesus several times, while calling on God to smite Mr. Bastian for denying the po' 'n helpless the fruits of the PLP, and Bulgy will have steam coming out his ears saying that Bastian has no right to question him, and sweating that Bastian won't find out that its his frens who gat da money, and refuse to answer, saying it is beneath his dignity and waistline, and then phonin' Perry to fix it. And Muvva Pratt will be shouting Hallelujahs and Praise Jesus to every question while thumping her Bible on the table. Then she will get the fits and have to go back to convalescing while Bulgy is steaming and crapping his pants. It will be a good show.
Tommy77 9 years ago
What a mess that guy.
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Economist 9 years ago
Mr. Speaker, by doing your job you have restored my faith in the position of Speaker of the House.
You have shown yourself to be a man of integrity. Thank you.
ohdrap4 9 years ago
he has always said that he is a great admirer of LOP.
maybe when he smells the stink around this govt, he decided to find his spine.
he does not need to be a politician, more money in dental surgery for sure, and he earns it with his skills instead of depending oin political patronage.
trust no one over the age of 65.
TalRussell 9 years ago
Comrade Banker you remind me Aunt Esther.
Sanford & Son - Funniest exchange from Aunt Esther & Fred
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SP 9 years ago
HOUSE of Assembly Speaker Dr. Kendal Major most certainly remembers well how Hubert Ingrahams' jelly belly, ass kissing, brown nosing, good for nothing, spineless M.P.s ALL CRASHED AND BURNED WITH HIM instead of standing for what was right and in the electorates best interest.
All those M.P.s "towing the party line" kissing up to Perry Christie and Brave Davis now, will share in their fate and suffer a humiliating defeat at the polls in the fast approaching general elections of 2017.
Christie will join Ingraham as a political failure and worst leader in the hemisphere!
duppyVAT 9 years ago
Yep .............. Doc Major will go the same way as Doc Rollins ............ He will be a one term wonder. But he would have earned something that Perry, Brave, VAG, Shane, Brad etc will never get from the Bahamian people ............................ R-E-S-P-E-C-T
bismark 9 years ago
Dr Major is seen to be a fair and decent individual,regardless of his political side I think that he is fair in his dealings in the house of assembly as speaker,those two clowns should be arrested and brought to the P.A.C. in handcuffs.The P.A.C. by law has a right to know what happen to the peoples money and Pratt and Allen can Dodge all they want,once they are summoned they will appear.
GrassRoot 9 years ago
and he can read. so I assume he is part of the average 1% skilled government workers, unlike the rest of the parliament.
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