Date: Mon 25-Sep-2000

UBP excluded from panel at meeting

By Matthew Taylor

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Dunkley has blasted ``biased'' panel selection at Thursday night's long-term residency meeting. He said that while the UBP had been invited to talk at the first two meetings, Thursday night's meeting in Somerset saw three PLP members or sympathisers take the platform while the Opposition was excluded. And he claims the Home Affairs department has told him no UBP members will be invited to speak at next week's meeting in Hamilton about the long-term residency Green Paper.

On Thursday PLP Minister Paula Cox began the debate, followed by lawyer Ian Kawaley who made strong PLP statements. Fellow panellist Mrs. Joella Dawn Simmons also told the meeting she was a PLP supporter. The other panellists were Trevor Fife, of the West Indian Community, National Liberal Party vice chairman Graeme Outerbridge and lawyer Elizabeth Christopher. Mr. Dunkley said: ``I really thought the meeting was skewed, it had a biased slant. ``I was very disappointed in the make-up of the panel -- I am not saying I have anything against them personally, most are well respected in what they do but I was very disappointed in the selection of the panel.

``It wasn't balanced -- there was a clear pro-PLP slant. ``There was Graeme Outerbridge from the NLP but he supported the Government by banging the

former Government. ``If it's not balanced you won't get the input you want.'' PLP backbencher Dale Butler who attended Thursday's meeting told The Royal Gazette : ``My understanding was a lot of people were asked but they turned

it down.'' But Mr. Dunkley hit back: ``That's blatantly incorrect. I thought the Opposition would be at every panel. But I was called late last week and told they didn't want anyone else from the UBP. I got this from the Minister's secretary. ``Pam Gordon and Trevor Moniz were on the panel at the first meeting while I was on the panel at the second meeting. ``We have other members who want to go on the panel .``We should get rid of the panel -- I believe all the panel does is take away from the open forum.'' He suggested Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox should go through the Green Paper page by page before the floor was opened up to anyone who wanted to speak.

Mr. Dunkley said: ``What we have now is we started at 7.30 p.m. and it wasn't until 9 p.m. that it was opened up and only ten or 12 speakers got to speak out of about 400 people. ``But anybody in a democratic society should have the opportunity to speak out when they want.'' And Mr. Dunkley hit back at panellists and audience members who had slammed the UBP administration for dodging the issue of long-term residents during their time in Government. ``If they are flogging us for that they should flog us for creating such a successful country.''