JLP MIN Dr Christopher TUFTON RANT PNP

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]The next presenter will you to Next presenter is the member from St. Catherine West Next presenter is a member from St. Catherine West Central.

[00:00:22]Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

[00:00:25]>> [snorts] >> Madam Speaker, colleagues, uh I rise to make my contribution on this bill, the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority Act 2026.

[00:00:37]>> [clears throat] >> First of all, my view, having listened to members on both sides, particularly members on that side, is that this bill, Madam Speaker, should not be as controversial as it is as it is made out to be.

[00:00:52]I really don't think so. However, I have an appreciation as to why this is the case.

[00:01:00]Madam Speaker, we exist, unfortunately, and I think there's enough responsibility to go around in a low-trust society, where many see actions of our political leaders and governments as sinister, and where some, recognizing the sentiments of a wider population who is cynical, see this as an opportunity to exploit for political advantage. And this is very unfortunate because it bears very little to address the issues. What you get instead, Madam Speaker, and this is my own interpretation, not casting any judgment on anyone, is that the arguments that have emanated from this debate up to this point are stimulated by emotive objectives, um rather than logical, practical, and contextual attempts at finding solutions to a crisis that affect the people that we represent.

[00:02:08]And I honestly do think that those who allow perfection to be the enemy of good are hurting the over 500,000 Jamaicans in the five critical parishes that have been impacted by this Hurricane Category 5, the first ever, while we here debate, prolong, and engage in emotive insinuations.

[00:02:38]Again, the consequence of a low-trust society. And I do believe, Madam Speaker, that as leaders we need to rise above this, and that this represents an opportunity for us to be one as a parliament and a government to solve the challenges that the people face.

[00:02:59]For me, Madam Speaker, there is a context.

[00:03:03]There is a context to this debate, this discussion.

[00:03:08]This is a context that has a practical component to which this bill seeks to address, and it appears is being ignored.

[00:03:20]For example, the member from Eastern Westmoreland, who I know has been impacted, and indeed two or so days after the storm, I went to his area, and I believe a a week or so, he and I were at a similar location trying to address some of the challenges, and I saw the pain, rightfully so, um but we were there working together.

[00:03:44]But the member, I think, is, and I say so respectfully, is failing to appreciate when he speaks about the title of the bill, and ignoring that the response to a crisis has to take place in stages, Madam Speaker. In public health, for example, when a crisis occurs, the first action by health is to save lives.

[00:04:12]And I can give you statistics of lives that have been saved either through helicopter JDF-supported evacuation, some from your area, or bringing in external supports, NGOs, setting up hospitals, mobile hospitals, bringing in doctors when our own doctors were victims, health care workers were victims of the storm.

[00:04:36]That was the first phase. The second phase is to try to resume a sense of normality to people and to communities by opening up roads and doing the other things that are necessary to facilitate commerce, and with the trauma that persons are suffering, that should go some way in terms of therapy. The third approach, and the final and more sustainable approach, is what we are debating here, this bill.

[00:05:06]This bill is the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority Act, rightfully named, because having passed the first and second phase, including those who got 150,000, as you have said, or 100,000, as the case may be, because the truth is, if you were to quantify by dollar value the pain, the suffering, and the trauma that those 500 people suffered during that time, Madam Speaker, you could not equate that to a monetary value. But Hold a minute, and The the minister said, "Respectfully, I don't understand." And the Prime Minister asked, "Why respectfully?"

[00:05:50]Right? And and he went on to suggest that I am saying that there shouldn't be an emergency response, essentially, to the hurricane. I never said that. The point I made, Madam Speaker, is that, based on how the relief efforts are structured, if an individual got $100,000 through TEF, and that same individual had total destruction of their home, so during that initial phase that you try to do something for them, they cannot go and get the benefit of the $500,000, having already benefited from the $100,000 through TEF. That's the simple point I'm making. That's something that everybody can agree should be fixed.

[00:06:36]Yes. Um Madam Speaker, I take the member's um suggestion, but I would say that this is not a reason to oppose the bill which we are debating here in this house.

[00:06:49]What we're debating What What What we are debating, Madam Speaker, what And and and Madam Speaker, this is why This is why, Madam Speaker, this is why, Madam Speaker, I make This is why, Madam Speaker, if I may be allowed, this is why I'm I started out by saying Member from Eastern Westmoreland, member from Eastern Westmoreland, Madam Speaker, some protection from you, please.

[00:07:24]>> [clears throat] >> Madam Speaker, the member The member The member Minister, the member, as emotionally traumatized as he has been and is, right >> Minister Minister Tufton, Minister, Minister Tufton, Minister >> is supporting Minister, You can't debate the bill.

[00:07:53]Minister, the same members If you would only listen and follow the rules, both sides would be able to have a far more comfortable debate. I am giving no one extra time, not even a second extra.

[00:08:12]Therefore, I would like you to use your time properly. So, Minister, if a point of order is made, I've said this before, and you're responding to the point of order, indicate it means your time does not continue to run until you have responded to the point of order.

[00:08:31]If you are ignoring the comment, then we continue. You do not need to indicate, you ignore the comment, and you continue with your presentation in the debate.

[00:08:42]That means your time immediately starts running again.

[00:08:48]Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll say quickly, the only point I was making is that there are many times when representatives who have an issue on the ground, ground zero, including the member who spoke, can take the phone and call myself as Minister of Health, we have had conversation to resolve issues of this kind, in this case the Minister of Labour.

[00:09:09]However, being brought into this kind of conversation, to my mind, is exactly the point I was making. We are engaging emotive uh reasoning in order to not support what is the most substantial response for the reconstruction and resilience.

[00:09:27]And I'm saying, let us focus on what is important. But let me move on, Madam Speaker. Let me move on. So, there are phases, and we are now in the reconstruction phase. So, Madam Speaker, what is the context that is important in the discussion around this bill?

[00:09:44]The first context, given that it is a crisis, is the efficiency, or indeed, for better understanding, the speed in which we work to truly restore persons and to make them more resilient against a category 5 hurricane.

[00:10:03]And so, the bill has to be structured in a way to recognize the importance of quick decision-making. And I don't think we should make any apologies for it.

[00:10:14]I don't. In fact, if the members on that side are honest with themselves, they themselves have spoken about the inefficiencies of the current bureaucracy and the need for change. The very opposition leader has spent time talking about it. Is he now arguing that we should engage the very same process to deal with people who have emergencies? Cannot be, Madam Speaker.

[00:10:37]It cannot be.

[00:10:39]And indeed, Madam Speaker, history I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker.

[00:10:56]The member is misleading the house.

[00:10:58]It has never been my position or indeed anybody on this side's position that we shouldn't have more efficiency, a quicker procedure, and a faster resolution of the issues.

[00:11:08]We're all in favor of that.

[00:11:10]The fact is that the current bureaucracy and the way the government is interfacing with it has led to all sorts of problems and they which need to be addressed structurally.

[00:11:19]However, what we are complaining about is a lack of accountability, a lack of transparency, and a lack of and a lack of oversight.

[00:11:30]And a lack of oversight, Madam Speaker.

[00:11:39]No, that's okay. That's okay.

[00:11:41]Opposition leader.

[00:11:43]Opposition leader, opposition leader.

[00:11:47]I've turned off all mics. Opposition leader, Prime Minister is making a point of order on your point of order.

[00:11:55]Hold on now.

[00:11:58]You're not I'm asking, opposition leader, are you yielding?

[00:12:05]Mhm.

[00:12:07]Madam Speaker, Madam Speaker, I'm not yielding. I'm simply saying that the Minister is misleading the house about our position, deliberately I think, because the position they'd like the country to believe is that we want to slow the recovery down. We would like TO FAST-TRACK THE RECOVERY.

[00:12:31]ALL RIGHT. UH Madam Um Madam Madam Madam Speaker, house leader, house leader, I'm having I'm having a challenge as well, so I would like you to address it in this discussion. Yeah.

[00:12:52]For far too long, persons use point of order just to disturb another person and make a presentation.

[00:12:58]>> Yeah.

[00:12:59]We We are required We I know after today's debate, you will see a speaker's ruling on point of order and how it should be utilized so that we stop abusing point of order.

[00:13:13]>> Yeah. Ma- Madam Madam >> sides.

[00:13:16]Madam Speaker, you have you have covered the ground.

[00:13:20]Firstly, a point of order cannot be used to enter into another debate.

[00:13:29]A A Allow Members, allow me.

[00:13:33]Members, members, allow me. Allow me.

[00:13:38]If >> Please allow Please allow the house leader to complete his statement.

[00:13:42]>> Member Member >> Madam Speaker, when I rose on the point of order, Member, allow the house leader that the member was factually inaccurate in a point he made. That No, that that is different. That is different than a member categorizing an intervention. If I believe that your intervention means you are slowing down the process, I must then say it in a debate without you telling me that I am misleading. You can You can intervene on facts. When the Minister of When the Minister of electricity in energy intervened, he highlighted that he was saying you were factually inaccurate on the numbers. That That has nothing to do.

[00:14:39]Members, this is a debate.

[00:14:42]You For the members who have spoken already, you have got your chance.

[00:14:47]When the response is, your response will be categorized unless there's a factual inaccuracy. Do not enter on a point of order. Thank you.

[00:15:25]No, no. I do not have to take any point of order, members. Hold a moment. I do not have to take point of order. And let me remind you of the house rules as well.

[00:15:37]For a point of order to be taken, it means the person on whom the point of order is being raised must take their seat and allow the other member to speak.

[00:15:50]For efficiency's sake, follow the rules of the parliament.

[00:15:57]Everybody So, No, I allowed the opposition leader. I remember when the Prime Minister was speaking, two points of order that were not points of order.

[00:16:10]It It happens on both sides.

[00:16:20]It is a courtesy.

[00:16:22]And I'm asking you for the efficiency.

[00:16:27]>> [laughter] >> No, no. Please Please Please stop that debate.

[00:16:38]Because when your time is up, your time is up, and it doesn't matter who you are in the house.

[00:16:48]Um Minister, continue.

[00:16:52]Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

[00:16:55]And I would just repeat or reiterate what I had said earlier for fear of being misunderstood that there's a choice between being emotive in what we say to generate or play on the sentiments of a low-trust society and being contextual, practical in finding solutions to what is a crisis affecting over 500,000 Jamaicans in the first instance. And I'd say that the opposition leader can't have his cake and eat it.

[00:17:32]It's either he wants the efficiency of pace or because he's allowing perfection to be the enemy of good, he's going to add layers of of of bureaucracy to slow down the process.

[00:17:47]On On On this side, Madam Speaker, on this side, it is important for us to balance the scales and to achieve the efficiencies that are required, but that's at also the pace. And I I give you an example since I was the Minister of Health during the 100-year pandemic called COVID-19. I want to give you one example because health is particular in these types of crisis. We have to act very quickly.

[00:18:24]And sometimes we're accused of acting outside of the framework of some of the rules when we act in the interest of saving lives.

[00:18:33]You know, I recall when when vaccines were scarce, Madam Speaker, and we were fortunate enough to get 78,000 doses of vaccine, but they were to expire within a week.

[00:18:48]And the task at hand was to accept the 78,000 doses to give Jamaicans who were hungry for the vaccine to save themselves or not to take it because of the close expiration date.

[00:19:00]We opted to do to take the vaccine.

[00:19:05]Usually, if you know how vaccines are administered, it's normally the public health nurse and their support systems.

[00:19:11]The doctors don't get too involved in it.

[00:19:14]And I recall when we started the process at the National Arena, the doctors who came to assist with the administration of the vaccine at sometimes were not allowed almost by the nurses who hogged up it because it was their responsibility. There was a There's a process, a protocol that requires you to sit for 20 minutes to see if there's any adverse reaction.

[00:19:37]Well, at the end of the period, in order to at dis- distribute the 78,000 doses, I recall being in Falmouth Square with a public health nurse, with an igloo with ice with the vaccine, approaching a a frying fish under a tree.

[00:19:52]She didn't even sit down. She took the vaccine and went back to doing her regular chore, abandoning almost all the normal protocols in normal time in order to address what was a crisis. That is a practical solution to a context which impacts saving lives. This is what this bill does, Madam Speaker, and we should make no apologies for it.

[00:20:18]In fact, Madam Speaker, the the the most honorable Prime Minister has given examples of countries that have had similar crises and have had to put special purpose vehicles in place. And we could expand that. New Zealand and the Canterbury earthquake recovery, 2011.

[00:20:35]Australia, New South Wales, 2022. And of course, Peru and the authority for reconstruction with change. All special initiatives to deal with a context and to find special arrangements to deal with the people. I urge this house, Madam Speaker, colleagues here, let us put and I'm using your template now. Let us put the people first when we consider the next stage of the reconstruction and resilience and stop engaging in a practice that will only delay addressing the concerns that they have.

[00:21:14]Madam Speaker, the next critical issue that I'd like to address linked to the bill because I think it's in keeping with this low trust society that is creating the cynicism is the issue of oversight.

[00:21:30]And the opposition has made heavy weather of oversight. And I do believe that issues around oversight is perhaps the bigger issue.

[00:21:40]There seems to be a lack of confidence in the process as being prescribed to implement measures and to provide the relief that the Jamaican people need.

[00:21:51]And it's it's okay, I believe, to make suggestions to strengthen the bill. I have no issues with that and I think we all should accept that.

[00:22:04]But I think to take extreme positions which ultimately results in delaying the bill is really not doing justice to the original intent and indeed many of the clauses contained within the bill.

[00:22:17]Madam Speaker, when you examine on balance the bill, there are sufficient positions and clauses that addresses issues of oversight, which I believe can accommodate appropriate levels of scrutiny up to the point of this Parliament interrogating actions that have been taken.

[00:22:40]Section four establishes the authority's function, including requirements for established performance indicators, reporting standards, project tracking systems and compliance. And I hear the member talk about how do we know what will be done, what are the plans?

[00:22:57]It is contained in the bill in terms of the requirements to have a plan and to make that plan public, which gives you an authority the right to interrogate it. Financial accountability and audit oversight, section 9 to 11, requires the maintenance of proper accounts and records, the preparation of annual audited financial statements, access by the auditor general.

[00:23:21]Madam Speaker, the systems that exist currently to interrogate the action of the leadership under this new arrangements, and annual reports that would be submitted to the houses of Parliament and to the Senate. Together, Madam Speaker, these provide a robust framework for financial transparency, independent scrutiny, and parliamentary oversight. I am not sure which bill they are reading because it doesn't sound like the bill that we have here debating today, Madam Speaker.

[00:23:55]Ministerial oversight and planning discipline, section 10 to 13, requires the authority to furnish reports.

[00:24:02]And of course, those reports will find their way up to the cabinet of Jamaica.

[00:24:06]The government, you know, one of the oversights of the debate is that the practical reality is that the government was elected to lead.

[00:24:18]And again, the people the people have been trusted in the government as we do every five years or otherwise to provide leadership. We cannot allow that leadership in a time of crisis to be stymied by the over bureaucratization as insisted by the opposition because at the end of the day, they are the same ones who will come and accuse us of inaction to address the very problem that we face.

[00:24:46]And we can't do that.

[00:24:48]Cabinet control over approved projects and implementation plan, section 17 to 19, is very much there. Procedural safeguards for expenditure approvals and stepping powers, section 21 and 24, very much present. Madam Speaker, I really have to wonder if the members fully understands what this bill is about. When it comes when it comes when it comes to balancing the need for speed to address an emergency, to address the 500,000 plus Jamaicans who are in need, with the need for oversight which even the Parliament here is involved in providing.

[00:25:32]Madam Speaker, I close. I close. I close.

[00:25:39]I close by saying Madam Speaker, should not be so controversial. Because I believe You have enough time. I would like you to repeat the the point you were making.

[00:25:58]I could not hear you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I appreciate your protection.

[00:26:04]I was saying, Madam Speaker, that there are provisions in the bill to deal with oversight through the regular channels of oversight responsibility from the Parliament to the auditor general to the cabinet of Jamaica, to publish reports, P A A C. And I wonder I wonder and it it forces me to say that on that side, they seem to be caught up in the trap of the low trust society where they probably DON'T TRUST THEMSELVES.

[00:26:41]IT IS UNFORTUNATE.

[00:26:43]Because because because if if if Madam Speaker, we on this side trust ourselves to go right by the people, you don't seem to trust yourself why you're questioning existing arrangements that are in place for oversight.

[00:27:04]So, Madam Speaker, in closing, in closing, Madam Speaker, I wish I had a Nara for Cornwall. It would have been a long time. It It takes It takes It takes your men process for Nara to take between six and 12 months per procurement transaction. That is why it's dragged out so long. I wish I had a Nara. Nara should have been We should have declared Cornwall a national emergency and subjected to fiscal discipline.

[00:27:30]That's another issue. That's another issue.

[00:27:33]Madam Speaker, I close.

[00:27:36]I close by saying that we should be careful.

[00:27:40]We should be careful that we do not allow perfection to be the enemy of good.

[00:27:49]We should accept where suggestions can strengthen the bill.

[00:27:53]We should make those suggestions in all sincerity, bearing in mind that the primary goal is to address the plight of the Jamaican people who have suffered over the last couple of months.

[00:28:07]If we did that, if we did that, we would send a good signal to the country. We would demonstrate that as leaders, we want to pass this low trust society and it is starting with us because we mean the people good and we put the people first.

[00:28:27]Thank you very much, MADAM SPEAKER.

[00:28:40]THE MEMBER FROM Kingston Central, Kingston Central, Donovan Williams, the member from Kingston Central, Central, Donovan Williams, member Donovan Williams, that's for the orderlies' benefit. Donovan Williams, the member from Kingston Central, all the way to the back.

[00:30:49]>> Members, before the next member of the house makes his presentation, I would just like to advise the house that you have 10 presentations remaining at 30 minutes per presentation.

[00:31:08]And that is 5 hours. So, you can have a wonderful time making as much noise because the speaker will relax.

[00:31:19]The speaker will relax and allow us to be here for a long time.

[00:31:25]I would like to hear the presentations, and this being such an important bill, the people of Jamaica would like to hear the presentations.

[00:31:38]There is no food downstairs.

[00:31:42]>> [laughter] >> In answer to your question, so members, I am asking you, please allow each other to make their contribution to the debate on either side of the fence.

[00:31:57]No, repeat repetitions must be restricted to zero.

[00:32:04]As it relates to point of order, I think I have already stated for those who spoke already in the debate, don't even think of standing up. And for those who intend to speak and gave your name, don't even think of standing up. When you speak, you can address whatever point of order you thought you had, whatever interruption you wanted to make. Point of order relates to issues that abuse the house itself, the rules of the house. And we'll go over it. But if your interruptions are for clarifications and the things that we abuse it for, please refrain today.

[00:32:50]The member from Kingston Central will now speak, and I beg you, house members, let us just abide by the rules.