By John Barritt

The Arab proverb has it right, Mr Editor: Trust in God but tie your camel. It is good sound advice that makes even more sense (and dollars and cents) when it comes to Government and Government spending. Just look at the track record — and what better place to begin than with reports of the Auditor General. They make the case better than I can.

The Port Royal golf course “special report” (which, as it turns out, is hardly so special — at least not in the way we would like) is but another in a long line that reach back not just into the PLP administrations but into those of the UBP as well.

There is a pattern here that ought not to be ignored. There is a deficiency in the oversight that the Legislature is meant to provide that ought to be corrected. Now.

That was the point I tried to make in last week’s column. Unfortunately, as one reader remarked in email conversation with myself, it looked like I was prepared to simply shrug off all of that on which the Auditor General reported.

Sorry, not so. The Port Royal report has called into question some very serious breaches of practices and procedures which should have been followed, but were not, and for which those responsible should at the very least be called to account.

That’s now the task of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a standing committee of the House, whose job it is to review, examine and investigate the contents and come back with recommendations.

PAC should do so in quick time. It has eight years, eight years people, since the project began, budgeted at $4.5 million. Three years ago, three years people, it was completed at a cost of $24 million.

This is no way to run a Government. Nor is this any way to provide much needed oversight of Government. You see now (I hope) why I go on about the need for an active, very active, and robust PAC.

It isn’t just a case of following up and bearing down after the fact. We need a committee that follows along as contracts are entered, as money gets spent, that calls into question practices, procedures and people as the barn is being built, and not after the horse has bolted.

It cannot just be about scoring political points, although obviously criticism and complaint is warranted. There is plenty of fodder there for opinion pieces, sound bites and fierce debate on and off the Hill, but some hard work is also required here. Deficiencies need to be remedied in the legislative system of oversight and accountability that is so obviously failing taxpayers.

Make a new start with the new acute care hospital wing and the proposed new airport. Those responsible have told us, repeatedly, that these projects represent the best deals they could make under current circumstances, financial and otherwise. Further, we have been promised that these projects will be managed responsibly, and with all due diligence — and a lot better than that other lot could do.

Sound familiar? Of course it does. The players may change but the tune never does — and, give them their due, they all start out with the best of intentions. But as we know from experience, and from history, the road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions.

What our Legislature needs to do is put them to the test and tie Government to much closer examination and continuing oversight. It ought to be done regardless of who is in power and as matter of standard, good practice, again without regard to which party is in power and which is out, so that it becomes routine.

This is where PAC comes in, a standing committee of backbenchers headed by the Opposition spokesman for finance. It consists of backbenchers from both the Opposition and Government (see insert) — and for good reason. The jobs they are meant to perform for us goes beyond just criticism in the one case, cheerleading in the other. Together they are meant to provide a check and balance on the executive, ie Cabinet, their decisions, and the spending of money.

They have the power to summons people for questioning. They have the power to the hearings in public. They should get on with it. Think of the questions that should be asked whether it be the hospital or airport and the answers that should be sought, all of it, every bit of it, information that should be shared with the public.

Good news: PAC is alive … and to some of these very issues. It has been meeting, but sadly only privately to this point. There are two reports on the Legislature’s website (www. parliament.bm): check them out. One of them, the most recent, is on the Auditor General’s reports on the annual Government accounts for the financial years ended March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2010. That’s right, people, 2010 is the most recent report to be scrutinised, and that alone tells you all you need to know about what is wrong.

The PAC report highlights that:

* “The budget process has not kept up with modern needs”;

* Government “continues to face challenges in the raising of revenue and collection of monies”;

* “There is an on-going challenge … with the quality and timeliness of accounts submitted for audit”;

* The House consider up-dating budget rules “to make supplementary funding a more disciplined process”; and,

* The Minister of Finance must bring greater transparency to bear in his reports on Government expenditure, including disclosure of what “action has been taken with those [civil servants] who violate Financial Instructions”.

Now I don’t know about you, Mr Editor, but I suspect the people would like to see a lot more action and collaboration on this front from Government and Opposition MPs — and a lot less politics. Can’t they just get on with it? Now.