The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a long-anticipated job description and code of conduct for Jamaican Members of Parliament (MPs), marking a key step toward greater accountability and transparency in the nation’s legislative body.
The motion was brought forward by Kerensia Morrison, MP for St Catherine North East and member of the Jamaica Labour Party, who described the move as “timely,” citing growing public frustration over absentee MPs who continue to collect full salaries despite not showing up to Parliament.
“Madam Speaker, this motion has come at a time juncture when Jamaicans are demanding standards of performance and accountability from parliamentarians as they expect and deserve the highest quality of representation from elected officials,” Morrison said during her address to the House.
She went on to criticize MPs who are chronically absent, often missing sittings for extended periods while still appearing in public and engaging in political activities.
“One of the concerns raised in the public’s space is that there are Members of Parliament who are absent from the sitting of the House for weeks or months while collecting full salary from Parliament and it raises criticism when members whose absence barring illness is perpetual and chronic signing maybe once every three months while appearing hail and hearty in public going about regular business, politicking in the sun while they can’t attend Parliament,” she said.
“It is barefaced,” Morrison continued. “This is a move in the right direction, where respect for the people who elected us will be made demonstrable by our attendance in Parliament. We can’t be absent from Parliament, but we are out there politicking, risking a sun stroke.”
Her remarks were met with support from colleagues across the aisle, including St Andrew Western MP Anthony Hylton, who also contributed to the debate.
“Coming to Parliament is important, [but] to my mind, the most important thing is that you come here and you make a meaningful contribution. You can’t come here and say nothing, and when you do say something, it doesn’t move the needle at all. You have members here sitting, and I wouldn’t recognise their voice if they speak anywhere else,” he noted.
The approval of the job description and code of conduct is seen as part of a broader push for reform and modernization within Jamaica’s parliamentary system. It is expected to outline attendance requirements, ethical standards, and clearer performance benchmarks for MPs.
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