Speaker: MP’s code of conduct will need force of law

(CNS): Speaker Alden McLaughlin has called for legislation to support a proposed voluntary code of conduct for MPs that he hopes will be accepted by them all before this parliament ends next year. McLaughlin said that members were now close to consensus on the code, which has been under consideration for at least three years, since the main stumbling block — who should adjudicate complaints — may have been resolved. He said the Standards in Public Life Commission has agreed to take on that role, creating an independent body.

“I really believe it would be an important legacy of this term of this parliament for us to leave behind a code of conduct,” he said. If the SPLC did agree, it would alleviate the concerns about “the majority using the code to beat the minority” as it will be an independent body looking at the complaints.

The speaker said he believed the conduct would need to be supported by law. “I believe it is important if and when, prayerfully, a code of conduct is agreed, it is given the force of law,” he said. “Obviously, any other parliament may change any law but I do not believe some voluntary code is going to be sufficient. I think whatever we agree needs to have the force of law behind it.”

He asked Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, who he knew was listening, as well as the acting premier and the leader of the opposition to consider that issue. McLaughlin said he was hopeful there was some impetus to now get things done.

Responding to questions from McKeeva Bush (WBW), who blamed the opposition for stalling the agreement and signing of the code, McLaughlin told him that the opposition had not accepted the code that government members had signed because the original proposal did not have an independent body to deal with the complaints.

But if that was to be resolved by the SPLC taking on the job, a new draft would be circulated to members to sign and give this parliament a lasting legacy.

See below the original letter sent to then-premier Wayne Panton by Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart outlining the PPM concerns over the code of conduct.