MPs Pringle and Bowen Submit Private Members’ Bills
for Parliament Sitting
Earlier this week, three Private Member’s Bills were submitted to the Clerk of Parliament by Opposition Leader the Hon. Jamale Pringle, MP for All Saints East and St. Luke, and the Hon. Sherfield Bowen, MP for St. Phillip South.
MP Pringle submitted two Bills: a Motion for the establishment and composition of a Public Works and National Housing Joint Select Committee and a Motion for the establishment and composition of a Public Health and Social Transformation Joint Select Committee.
Giving his reasons, MP Pringle explains: “Within the 2026 Budget Estimates, the Ministry of Public Works continued to flag several issues, including procurement which is especially concerning in light of vehicle-gate, road rehabilitation, and the maintenance of government buildings, while the Ministry of Health flagged insufficient funds from the Treasury, the lack of back-up power at many facilities, insufficient basic medical equipment, and so much more.”
MP Pringle asserts it is time for the Legislature to provide oversight of the Executive branch, thereby fulfilling one of its primary responsibilities.
“We as parliamentarians cannot allow the Cabinet ministers to come boasting of hundreds of millions in surplus when these Ministries are crying out due to their dire state,” he says. “Therefore, we are proposing measures that will bolster accountability and transparency and get to the root of the issues repeatedly flagged.”
Meanwhile, MP Bowen’s submission requires the Minister of Finance to lay before the House all the audited financial statements, actuarial reports, and statements of investment for the Social Security Fund that Prime Minister Gaston Browne has admitted are in his possession.
“Currently, the Minister of Finance is in clear violation of Sections 17 and 18 of the Social Security Act of 1972,” MP Bowen says. “How can any informed and prudent decision be made by the Parliament in the absence of these critical documents?” he asks.
Opposition Leader Pringle concludes, “In a democracy, Parliament must do more than debate. It must legislate, oversee, and act in the interest of the people. The public can look forward to other Private Members’ Bills that my colleagues will be submitting for future sittings.”
As defined by Standing Order 30(3), Private Members’ Bills are Motions or Bills that have been submitted by an MP who is not a Cabinet Minister or a Parliamentary Secretary.
The first such Bill in recent history was introduced by MP Trevor Walker and supported by all Opposition MPs. That bill proposed a change to the Oath of Allegiance and was rejected by the Government. However, the Attorney-General later reintroduced the same measure and took credit for the initiative.