Don’t publicise all HOA meetings and hearings
Fourth District Representative, Luce Hodge-Smith. Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism Luce Hodge-Smith has pushed back against a key recommendation from the Constitutional Review Commission (C...
Fourth District Representative, Luce Hodge-Smith. Junior Minister for Culture and Tourism Luce Hodge-Smith has pushed back against a key recommendation from the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) that all hearings and meetings of the House of Assembly (HOA) should be held in public.
During the ongoing debate on the CRC report, Hodge-Smith said she fully supports the principles of representative democracy, accountability, transparency, and public participation. However, she made clear that she does not agree with mandating that every House hearing and committee meeting must be open to the public. “I am in support of this particular recommendation.
I agree to it in regard to representative democracy, accountability, and transparency, and public participation. But I am not particularly in agreement that all hearings and meetings be held in public, but I do support making all changes public at the time when the bill is being finalised,” Hodge-Smith said.
The Junior Minister suggested that there are other ways to keep residents informed, including through digital platforms. “We have a lot of social media available that we could possibly create a website that could, if there’s one already, we could use a website that could share the information immediately after decisions have been made,” she said.
Her position contrasts with several colleagues who have strongly backed greater openness during the constitutional review debate. Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn said the public is demanding more inclusion in decision-making and argued that reforms are needed to modernise parliamentary practices that he believes foster secrecy.
Other legislators, including Second District Representative Melvin “Mitch” Turnbull, have also stressed that every citizen should have a stake in the process and that transparency is crucial to building trust. The CRC’s Recommendation 1 calls for the HOA’s standing orders to be amended to strengthen transparency and accountability.
It specifically urges that all hearings and meetings be made public where possible, that government departments strictly adhere to reporting timelines to support oversight, and that all bills be published before debate to allow for consultation. The Commission noted that the public has long complained about bills being rushed through the House without adequate notice or opportunities for review.
Primary source: BVI News