The new Parliament

Editor: The NDP held a press conference on Thursday, January 28, 2016 to express its views on the 2016 government Estimates. Some time during the press conference, Arnhim Eustace, flanked by most of the Opposition MP’s, stated that the NDP would not attend the sitting of Parliament the following day to debate the Estimates.{{more}} This he said was because “…we do not accept the present Government in St Vincent and the Grenadines.” That night, SVGTV played excerpts of this news conference, selecting what I presumed to be the key sections of his critique of the Estimates. The Searchlight and The News newspapers also carried the NDP critique the following day.

It struck me as doubly odd, that firstly, the public was getting a Parliamentary style critique of the Estimates by the Opposition outside of Parliament (the primary forum for this discourse) and secondly, this critique was prior to the government’s presentation, i.e. a back to front debate! Procedural and editorial issues aside then, the news items begged the question as to what the role of the media should be, where there is a self-inflicted absence by the Opposition from Parliament!

The media can certainly generate its own observations on issues through its own employees (staff writers, columnists, news editors) and talk show hosts. It appears that the media in its quest to provide news, is now signing-in not just non-employees, but absentee tax payer employees and covering for them as well! If the media’s argument is that MP’s are also entitled to strike, then report on the strike and its “merits.” The media would not broadcast lessons if teachers were to go on strike! If the argument is that Parliament is illegitimate, the matter is currently before the court and there is a presumption of innocence until the decision is made one way or another. Should the NDP want to comment on some aspect of the government’s Friday presentation, given the current media position, I expect that most of the media will end up being The New Parliament.

It is my view that the media should not facilitate or be part of a flawed and parasitic strategy. Parliamentary debate is intrinsic to the proper governance of a democracy. An independent media should not countenance, aid or abet the undermining of this institution.

In The Gallery