By ANDRE BAGOO Thursday, October 15 2009

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COLM IMBERT...

A BILL meant to validate the proceedings of the Uff Commission of Inquiry was yesterday reported by MPs to have bizarrely disappeared from the Order Paper of the House of Representatives.

As he was about to move the Lower House to be adjourned to next Monday, when debate of the Commission of Inquiry (Validation and Immunity from Proceedings) Bill 2009, Leader of Government Business Colm Imbert revealed the discrepancy.

“Mr Speaker this is quite bizarre...I remember that the bill was on the Order Paper,” Imbert said, referring to the last Order Paper issued by the Parliament last Friday when the bill was brought to the House. The bill was passed in the Senate two weeks ago.

“It should have been on this one,” Imbert said, referring to yesterday’s Order Paper on which the bill did not appear. A few minutes later, after MPs exchanged Divali greetings, the Speaker explained the intriguing discrepancy.

“The reason why the validation bill was not on today’s Order Paper was that there was a qualifying period and it would qualify by today,” he said.

The bill was brought from the Senate last Friday. According to Standing Order 48, “an interval of not less than five days must elapse between the first and second reading of a bill”. However there are circumstances where the Government, if it desires, can expedite this process. The same Standing Order notes, “the member in charge of the bill may, at the conclusion of the proceedings on any stage of the bill either name a day to be appointed for the next stage of the Bill or move that the next stage be taken forthwith.” Additionally the five day limit holds, “unless the House, on motion made and question put, agree to proceed with the Bill at an earlier date or forthwith.”

Yesterday Imbert issued a personal warning about next week’s debate saying, “I intend to ask the house to be strictly relevant.”

The bill to be debated on Monday is designed to preserve the work of the Uff Commission of Inquiry into Udecott and the construction industry.