Rahming: Moultrie to be commended for efforts to secure empowerment and autonomy for Parliament at cost of political career
AG says Parliament to go paperless in future
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Free National Movement (FNM) Senator Reuben Rahming, former Pinewood MP, said yesterday that he still had remaining bills from the Pinewood constituency office, as he made the case that allowances for MPs are insufficient to do a “proper job”.
“We literally pay out of our pocket to do the job because the subventions, the allotments and allowances never properly compensate or facilitate the proper addressing of needs that we have,” Rahming said during his contribution in the Senate, noting the job is particularly tedious for Family Island representatives.
“It is always difficult to do a proper job for your people because you have to be all things.
“You are your own secretary, your own runner; the allowance for the constituency office may only allow you to hire somebody at minimum wage and with that, you really can’t expect more than answer the phone etc, etc, etc.”
The senator said in some instances, the salaries for workers had to be augmented out of pocket.
He said: “You don’t want them working for minimum wage, knowing what they have to deal with. But by the time you pay the cable, the light and everything else, you end up [like] me — after elections, still paying off bills for the constituency office because the allowance is not there.
“As a member of Parliament, the Parliament should empower you to represent your people.”
It is always difficult to do a proper job for your people because you have to be all things.
– Senator Reuben Rahming
Last month, Parliament passed a resolution to establish a standing committee to assist in managing the office of the House.
Among other things, the standing committee will be charged with determining the support parliamentarians should receive to carry out their work.
Rahming commended the government for advancing the resolution as a step in the right direction.
He also commended former House Speaker Halson Moultrie, whom he said “went out in a blaze” as he fought for the empowerment and autonomy of the Parliament at the cost of his political career.
“He should be honored for us even coming to this stage that we are right now in contributing to it and indeed I give respect to the government…for bringing this forward,” Rahming said.
But Rahming also went a step further and suggested the committee consider Parliament facilitating a research aid and implementing a library and archive system with digital articles and documents.
Digital advance
Later on in his contribution, Rahming withdrew comments about the government and The Bahamas’ recent downgrades due to not being able to present evidence at the request of governing members and Senate President Lashell Adderley.
He said he could have provided evidence immediately if the process allowed him to present it on an electronic device without having to print and submit it.
In response, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said the Cabinet has decided to advance a paperless Parliament and that in short order, the circulation, review and debate on bills in Parliament will be digital and paperless instead of all tabled documents being physically printed and circulated to parliamentarians and the media.
“That decision has been made by the Cabinet and we will move towards having a paperless Parliament for sure,” he said.
