There was a lot of legitimate house business at Friday's sitting - but, sadly, the single item on the "orders of the day" that consumed the most time was the disciplining of Shyne Barrow.
That took up 97 minutes! - Many times longer than any of the day's debates.
The debate on the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, 2023 lasted less than 10 minutes even though it will bring sweeping reform to one of the most vexing public policy issues of the past few months.
Both sides of the house supported the legislation - but Patrick Faber said a reckoning of what happened before must be done:
Patrick Faber, UDP Collet
"I think it is no secret that a lot has happened, especially under the present Commissioner. What was it? Almost 10 gun licenses within a couple months period, or 18 months period or so, 17 months."
"And to be honest with you Madam Speaker, the nation has not really received a clear answer as to what has gone on there. So while we are moving on, and while we are moving to a system that we are hoping is much better, and I say that because in as much as it is, we feel that it is hard to corrupt a system with more people being the watchdogs than just one individual. The truth of the matter is if those individuals selected and I see the guidelines and I appreciate those guidelines, but if the fact of the matter is we don't put people of integrity, and there is some leeway in the people who are, or the constitution, the makeup of the board that if we don't select the right people with the right integrity in terms of this body we will see the very same problems."
"Now I'm not casting any aspersions on the Commissioner, but there are questions that really need to be answered. And I hope that Mr. Minister of Home Affairs that we are trying to get to the bottom of these things because it can mean that in fact a good number of those licenses that are issued out there, still in the wrong hands, and it could contribute to the very, very overwhelming problem that we have now with crime and violence, but particularly gun violence in this country."
Michel Chebat, PUP
"And I certainly want to highlight one, especially, Madam Speaker, and that is really the implementation of a digital management system for firearms and ammunition. And I think this is important because this will allow the board to ensure that there are no multiplicity of licenses, especially in those instances that the law does not allow."
"But it will also allow the board to have real-time information when it comes to who has gun licenses and so forth. And also Madam Speaker, I think it is important to highlight that the board will have the power to conduct audits of firearm and ammunition and also it will have the power to review the issuance of gun licenses."
Kareem Musa, PUP Caribbean Shores
"We consider it to be a progressive bill that certainly creates a level of structure that has not existed for quite some time, I think since inception. It adds the added bonus of creating a responsible system whereby license holders must go through a certification process."
The CEO of Home Affairs has said publicly that he asked the commissioner of police for an audit of the existing gun license register 6 months ago.
