Parliamentarians Disagree on Timing of Banking Bill 2015

(ZIZ News) It was a back-and-forth discourse in National Assembly Chambers on Tuesday when parliamentarians, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas of the opposition and government MP, Hon. Mark Brantley disagreed on the formation of the Banking Bill 2015.

Debates on the Banking Bill absorbed most of Tuesday’s assembly sitting as several parliamentarians weighed in.

MP Brantley, who served for years as leader of the opposition, chastised the country’s new opposition for their comments regarding the timing of the Banking Bill.

“Our research in this brand new Government of National Unity indicates that this was a bill that had its synthesis in or about November 2013. The date is important Mr. Speaker, November of 2013,” he said.

“We went through the rest of 2013, we went through all of 2014 and Mr. Speaker, and we now find ourselves in 2015. Why is that relevant? It is relevant Mr. Speaker because if the public didn’t know and if somebody had just landed on St. Kitts and Nevis, they might have found a view that this bill was something new,” Brantley continued.

Brantley stressed that his government met the legislation when it took office earlier this year.

He further suggested that the opposition displayed contradictory behaviour where consultation on government matters is concerned.

“The basic point I’m seeking to make Mr. Speaker, is that the consultation which they now clamour about, they never came to us with any consultation on anything,” he said.

“They never came to us with any consultation on anything. I see them stand up in here this morning and grandstand Mr. Speaker, talking about this provision and that. The public might be of the view that this bill was drafted by us, this good decent government. They are the ones that drafted it. What is the Point Of Order? You didn’t draft the bill?” he queried.

Following hours of heated debate the bill being was read a third time and passed, making it the Banking Act 2015.