WHILE WE recognise that not all members of a parliamentary committee might, at any one time, be in attendance at committee meetings for various reasons, including ministerial appointments and other constituency demands, the problem of absenteeism and flagrant tardiness is increasingly compromising the seriousness of deliberations on critical matters that impact the country.

This newspaper highlighted the 'faithful five' members of the Abortion Policy Review Committee of Parliament last week, whose attendance has been noteworthy when compared with their colleagues whose poor showing kindled the wrath of a group of clerics at last Thursday's sitting.

Jamaicans have taken keen interest in the debate on the report of the abortion policy review advisory group since the committee started hearing submissions from members of the public in July 2008.

But while anti-abortion crusaders and pro-abortion activists are battling to influence government policy on a matter of life and death, some committee members have paid scant regard to the crucial ongoing debate.

The committee's attendance register shows a worrying trend of absenteeism. How can committee members who are absent, in some instances 90 per cent of the time, contribute anything of substance to the committee's deliberations?

Indeed, it would be an act of dishonesty for members who have been absent for more than 50 per cent of the sittings, without credible reasons, to sign the final report to be submitted to the House of Representatives.

Shame on you

The record of attendance shows that out of a total of nine sittings, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, Ernest Smith, Dorothy Lightbourne and Natalie Neita Headley were absent seven times. Shame on you!

At the same time, chairman of the committee, Ruddy Spencer, and Sandrea Falconer must be commended for a perfect record of attendance, while Dr St Aubyn Bartlett and Senators Dwight Nelson and Norman Grant only missed two of the sittings.

It could be argued that the engine of the current parliamentary system is the network of committees which was set up to refine and fine-tune bills before they are debated in the House.

There is no question about the fundamental role played by both select and joint select committees of Parliament, which carry the workload of the legislature.

Walk out

In this regard, The Gavel unequivocally supports the action taken by Father Richard Ho Lung and other Roman Catholic priests who last Thursday refused to make their submissions before six out of a membership of 16 parliamentarians deliberating on the report of the abortion policy review advisory group.

The tardiness of the committee members, with the exception of its chairman, Spencer, did not help the situation last week. One hour after the scheduled start of the 10 a.m. meeting, the chairman called the meeting to order.

Disrespected

The church leaders were in Gordon House early and felt "disrespected" by the seemingly nonchalant approach taken by the legislators to such a critical subject.

We submit that committee members who cannot attend more than half the total sittings of any committee meeting should do the decent thing and step down.

It's absurd to believe that a committee member can make a worthwhile contribution to such a critical debate when he or she is not present to hear more than half the 53 submissions for and against abortion.

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Left: Lightbourne - absent seven times. Right: Smith - absent seven times.

Left: Dalrymple-Philibert - absent seven times. Right: Spencer - perfect attendance record.