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In view of the Deputy Premier Kenneth Bryan’s remarks at the Chamber of Commerce’s Parliamentary Luncheon held on 14 November, my colleagues and I have considered the Government’s aim to introduce a referendum Bill and a proposed National Conservation Amendment Bill at the next meeting of Parliament scheduled to commence on 9 December.

Pursuant to our earlier public comment, we consider the published financial services bills to be necessary and urgent to assist the Government in generating revenue to meet its planned 2025 expenditures. We would not consider a proposed referendum bill or a National Conservation Amendment Bill to be so urgent as to justify varying the constitutionally mandated due process by waiving the 28-day notice and foregoing the complete 28-day public consultation in order for the two proposed bills to be debated at the next meeting of Parliament.

Of the 21 Bills, 13 Bills are coming from the Ministry of Financial Services and four from the Ministry of Social Development. The 13 financial services Bills had the benefit of months of informal industry consultation starting in Q3 of 2024. The three main social development Bills, namely the Older Persons, Adoption and Children are necessary because they provide overdue safeguards and enhancements for some of the most vulnerable in our community, such as our older persons and the children. Furthermore, the social development bills have had the benefit of two years of policy development, multiple focus groups and broad stakeholder consultations, and meet the constitutional requirements for public consultation.