Friday, 09 June 2023 13:53

Committee to review job description, code of conduct for politicians

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The nation’s parliamentarians have moved a step closer to having a job description for themselves.

They will also be moving to review a code of conduct for ministers, parliamentarians and members of parliament.

The push towards accountability follows the uproar that greeted last month’s announcement by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke of massive salary increases for the political directorate, which includes mayors and councillors.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in a brief statement in the House of Representatives, announced plans to establish a parliamentary committee to conduct a review. He said he had already consulted with Opposition Leader Mark Golding on the matter.

Holness said the members of the committee would be named as early as next week and tasked with conducting a full review of the job descriptions and code of conduct for parliamentarians.

“We hope that within short order we can establish a process where these job descriptions can be finalised and made public and become the template, the framework against which the execution of our duties can be judged by the public,” Holness said.

For his part, Golding said he and the Opposition supported anything that would entrench integrity in the life of parliamentarians and hold parliamentarians accountable to the public.

He said the “long overdue job descriptions” were received and would be reviewed by the Opposition.