Gov't
survives no-confidence vote
By Dionne Rose, Parliamentary Reporter
Jamaica Gleaner
Kingston
Petroleumworldtt.com
10 22 06
Debate on the no-confidence motion brought against
the Government will go down in history, not because
the measure was defeated by the Government's majority
votes of 33 to the Opposition's 23, but because
it was the first such motion to be brought against
any administration since Independence.
Opposition
Leader Bruce Golding moved the motion in the Lower
House on Tuesday, in relation to the Trafigura scandal
two weeks ago.
The
issue surrounds the disclosure that the Dutch company,
Trafigura Beheer, which has business arrangements
with the Government, contributed $31 million to
the financing of the People's National Party's annual
conference in September. The funds were lodged to
an account known as CCOC Associates, which bears
the signature of then Minister of Information and
Development, Colin Campbell.
He
subsequently resigned as minister and PNP general
secretary, stating that he had withheld important
details of the Trafigura donation from party officers.
Since
2001, Trafigura Beheer has been contracted by the
state-owned Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ)
to lift and trade oil from Nigeria on behalf of
Jamaica.
In
an initial reaction to reports of its donation to
the PNP, the oil trading firm insisted it only had
a "commercial" relationship with the party.
The debate was opened by Mr. Golding shortly after
3:00 p.m.and ended at 10:50 p.m. More than 10 Members
of Parliament (MPs) contributed to the debate. Below
are excerpts from the contributions of some speakers.
Improperly-obtained
documents
Prime
Minister Portia Simpson Miller:
"Firstly,
it ...continues to be emphatically denied by the
People's National Party and the Government that
any impropriety was involved in so far as receiving
the money for payment as renewal of the contract
(with the PCJ).
In
fact, this contract, which has been in existence
since the year 2001, and which has been renewed
from time to time, has not yet been renewed by the
PCJ, which is the entity that would be responsible
for the renewal.
"The
motion, which seeks to blame the Government, is
therefore not based upon any proof of wrong-doing
by the Government and is, consequently, totally
misconceived.
"Secondly,
Mr. Speaker, this motion is a continuation of the
strenuous attempt being made to divert attention
from the behaviour of the Member for North Central
St. Andrew (Karl Samuda), which is to be considered
in due course by the Committee of Privileges of
this honourable House.
"My
third comment is, that in seeking to score political
points, The leader of the party has been party to
a clear breach of the banking law in so far as that
law protects the confidentiality of individual accounts
and the private transactions of the people of Jamaica.
"The
example that he has set has had far-reaching and
detrimental consequences for the integrity of our
banking system and financial institutions generally.
This is not the sort of conduct that can be regarded
as a qualification for leadership for our country.
"When
one bears in mind that this improperly-obtained
documents was utilised as a diversion from another
charge of an improperly-obtained document, and which
was the subject of the censure motion in this House,
I would suggest to the Leader of the Opposition
that he is in no position to charge anyone in not
deserving the confidence of the people.
"Those
who seek to condemn others for not ensuring probity
of conduct must themselves come with clean hands."
Dr.
Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning:
"My
contribution complements that made by my colleague
in East Central St. Catherine (K.D. Knight).
"He
has totally destroyed the premise on which the motion
has been advanced. I join with him in speaking about
the hypocrisy underlining this discussion of financing
political parties.
"Most
importantly, I urge members of this honourable House
to take very seriously, the issue of confidentiality
in the financial sector.
"It
cannot be, neither explicitly nor implicitly, that
we condone breaking of the law to further whatever
purposes, and I don't even seek to ascribe any particular
motive in terms of why this is being encouraged.
It is dangerous for us to seek to elevate such actions
and to describe them as in the national interests
and this House should condemn such actions!"
he said.
No
bank secrecy
Leader
of the Opposition Bruce Golding:
"The
Minister of Finance has sought to make heavy weather
on this issue of confidentiality.
"Let
me say this, confidentiality between banks and their
clients was once sacrosanct because it existed in
a situation where only the bank and its client were
entitled to that information.
"The
bank was, therefore, in a position to manage its
own internal security to deal with the possibility
of any breaches to that security.
"That
no longer is the case. I happen to have been in
the Senate where legislation came to disturb that
tight circle of confidentiality and it was argued
that it was necessary because we had to deal with
money laundering.
"So,
this bank secrecy you (are) talking about, (it)
is no longer (the) bank alone that has that information.
"That
information resides in various places and therefore
all this sanctimonious thing about bank security,
we breached that a long time ago!
"I
was accused of using information, which I knew to
be illegally obtained. You get information in all
kinds of ways but when you get that information,
and that information tells you that something wrong
has taken place, something that could corrupt the
political process in this country, what do you do
with it? What is this side saying? "Let me
make it clear that if information comes to me that
I consider to be information that requires the public
to be made aware of, in protection of my democracy,
you could a preach til yuh drop down, a going to
be calling press conference after press conference!"
Opposition
Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw:
"Do
we recall, Mr. Speaker, that in January of this
year, there was a report that called attention to
the fact that the Government of Ecuador had suspended
an arrangement for a $1-million-barrel-per-year,
from Ecuador for Jamaica through the PCJ? And Mr.
Speaker, do we know who the lifters were for that
deal? One guess: Trafiguara!
"I
want to call your attention to the fact, Mr. Speaker,
that Trafigura was doing the oil lift from Ecuador
and the Ecuadorian President had suspended a 1994
agreement to sell $7 million barrels of heavy fuel
oil a year between PCJ and Petro Ecuador. And the
question we would have to ask on that is: what was
Trafiguar's involvement in this Ecuadorian deal?
What is the present status of it? Has it been renewed
or not?
"Allegedly,
Mr. Speaker, one of the concerns was the oil was
being traded to other Central American destinations
and not to Jamaica!
"There
were concerns also expressed that the agreement
was breached as it should not be sold to other markets
via re-sellers. There are questions to be answered
on the Ecuadorian arrangements," he said.
No
proof of wrongdoing
Minister
of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips:
"Votes
of no-confidence are part of the Parliamentary tradition
and it is an unusual occurrence. It is to be used
sparingly and it is not to be used cavalierly.
"Votes
of no-confidence, Mr. Speaker, in the tradition
that we adhere to, if they were to be carried, and
this one will not be carried, would require a government
to step down.
"But
to accomplish that, Mr. Speaker, would require more
than shrillness, more than a set of unconnected
allegations not proven, more than just dislike of
an administration.
"It
would require something grave, something serious
and, something proven.
"Nothing
that we have heard here constitutes proof .... I
don't think, Mr. Speaker. Dealing with the motion
in those terms is the act of a responsible Opposition."
Opposition
Member of Parliament, Ernie Smith:
"As
I listen to speakers from the Government side, I
have come to the conclusion that in order to detract
from the real issues which arise, they have sought
to introduce red herrings.
I
am disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that a matter of national
significance ... which goes to the very root of
the administration of the affairs of the business
of the people of the country, that the Government
speakers have sough to trivialise this matter.
"There
is a potential for us to be regarded as a country
of 'hanky-panky' business deals, thanks to the PNP.
That is what they have reduced Jamaica - once the
pearl of the Caribbean - to! And they joke over
there, they laugh about it, they regard it as nothing!
"But
why do they do this, Mr. Speaker? Is it that they
do these things because they believe that anything
that the PNP does the people of this country must
accept it?"
Minister
of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Robert Pickersgill:
"Mr.
Speaker, regarding the $31 million, which has been
the subject of this motion, what is being said and
what is being asked is how come as chairman and
acting treasurer I did not know about the transactions.
Mr.
Speaker, you will recall that we have said ... that
the donation went to CCOC and then it went to the
campaign fund.
"The
references that I have made before do not include
the campaign fund (which) comes into existence at
election time, and the name of that account is SW
Services Team Jamaica.
"That
account ... was opened simultaneously with the establishment
of the campaign committee. I am a member of that
committee. The campaign committee and the campaign
fund would not necessarily be known to the treasurer
until a report is to be made to the National Executive
Council. Mr. Speaker, that is what I said at the
press conference, and I will not resile from that.
When this matter came up in Parliament about the
$31 million, as treasurer and chairman, I was unaware."
Jamaica Gleaner
Sunday | October 22, 2006
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