Opposition Ramps Up Push For Public PAC Meetings

A renewed push is underway to make Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings open to the public, as the Opposition argues taxpayers deserve greater transparency on how government is spending public funds.

The move comes amid concerns raised by Opposition Leader Marlon Penn that the government is deliberately stalling the question-and-answer segment of the House of Assembly (HOA) sittings for several months, a situation he previously described as harmful to accountability and democratic oversight.

Penn said the Opposition intends to table a manual in the House of Assembly to allow PAC proceedings to be held in the public domain.

“One of the things that we made a decision to do is have these discussions in the public space so that the public could hear what's happening with their resources, with their monies, and just how the government of the day is managing their affairs,” the Opposition Leader recently stated.

The Public Accounts Committee, traditionally chaired by the Opposition, plays a key role in examining government expenditure and reviewing how public funds are managed.

Penn said opening meetings to the public would strengthen transparency and ensure greater scrutiny over the handling of taxpayers’ money.

“So we're going to push that and we're going to ensure that those questions and your questions and the questions of the people's business are aired in the public space,” he added.

The latest move signals an increasingly aggressive push by the Opposition to expand public oversight, following complaints that parliamentary processes have limited opportunities to hold government to account.

Last year, Premier and Minister of Finance Hon. Dr Natalio Wheatley indicated that while House of Assembly committee meetings are currently required to be held in private, discussions could take place in the future on whether to open them to the public.

The committee stage of the legislative process allows for detailed examination of a Bill following its second reading, with amendments able to be made at that stage.

While acknowledging that public access to committee meetings is an issue worthy of debate, the Premier cautioned that opening sessions could impact how freely witnesses provide information.