Hon. Dale D. Butler, JP, MP and Hon. John Barritt, JP, MP, provide an insight into some of the challenges and issues facing Members of Parliament in Bermuda presented in the form of a discussion.
Hon. John Barritt, JP, MP, and Hon. Dale D. Butler, JP,
MP, in Hamilton. Mr Barritt is a practising attorney who was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1993. Heis opposition spokesman for Legislative Reform and Public Administration. Mr Butler is Bermuda’s Minister for Culture and Social Rehabilitation. He was Minister for Social Rehabilitation from 2006 to his appointment to his current portfolio in 2007.
The duties of Members of Parliament
Mr Bale: The first responsibility of a Member of Parliament is to be in touch with constituents in order to represent their concerns to their party and Parliament when warranted. As a government Minister this can become tricky because their views might be contrary to the views of the cabinet. As a Backbencher, however, you have the freedom to say what you will even if it is against party philosophy and if it is, sometimes depending on the issue, you can bear the wrath of your party for “speaking out of turn”. Usually the chastisement to toe the party line comes from within. Second, you have a responsibility to attend caucus meetings to give input into
20 | The Parliamentarian | 2009: Issue One - Bermuda
discussions, raise concerns, question Ministers and thoroughly review proposed new laws and amendments to laws. You can also question Ministers. As a cabinet Minister you must keep your colleagues abreast of all developments within your ministry and provide answers whenever they call with a question. Legislatively, you have a responsibility as a Minister to implement the government’s agenda. Prior to having cabinet request the Attorney General’s Department to prepare a Bill, a Minister should have canvassed extensively to gather as much information about a proposed Bill by using: public meetings, making presentations to the executive of your party and to the opposition, then providing that information to
technical officers who now use the internet for research and are aware of “best practice”. The Minister then decides exactly what to ask cabinet to do in his cabinet paper where it is reviewed thoroughly and if accepted, a Bill will eventually be drafted for you to review again and double back to Ministers and Backbenchers. Mr Barritt: Speaking as an opposition MP I did serve in cabinet for a period of time. When you are in the opposition, we don’t know what the government is contemplating in terms of legislation until the Minister advises us ahead of time, and unless we have been invited to see a draft, we don’t know until it gets tabled in the House. The current practice here in Bermuda is that you have two weeks to review and make your