The new chairman of the parliamentary committee which scrutinises the spending of public money has promised to make it a priority to request that its meetings be held in public.

Shadow Finance Minister E.T. (Bob) Richards, who was appointed last week as chairman of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC), was asked by The Royal Gazette if he would raise the matter with the Rules and Privileges Committee, which would make the decision.

"Absolutely," he replied. "We believe that it should be opened up. I understand that the Public Accounts Committee doesn't make the decision. It's Rules and Privileges. We have to raise that matter with them and certainly we'll be doing that.

"We think it's quite antediluvian that these things are held in secret. It's public scrutiny that keeps Government honest, for crying out loud! It should be held in the open and we will continue to prod the Government in that direction.

"I'm just focused on the Budget right now and not sure when we next meet but it's going to be a priority."

This newspaper's A Right to Know: Giving People Power campaign is calling for all publicly funded bodies and parliamentary committees to open up their meetings to taxpayers.

Public accounts committees all over the world hold open meetings and Bermuda is thought to be in a tiny minority of democracies where it doesn't happen.

The Island's PAC — which has two Opposition MPs and three Government backbenchers — agreed unanimously four years ago to open its doors but it was knocked back by Rules and Privileges.

Former Shadow Finance Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, who is on the PAC again this session, has previously said the public and press should be allowed to attend the meetings. Auditor General Larry Dennis wants to see the same thing.

"Every sophisticated jurisdiction holds their PAC meetings in public," Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin told this newspaper last month. "I think even Cuba does. Bermuda is one of the more sophisticated jurisdictions and we meet in camera which is absolutely primitive."

Independent Senator and former Government Financial Secretary Walwyn Hughes said on Wednesday that there was no reason for the PAC not to hold open meetings. Senate President Alf Oughton, also independent, also called for a review to bring about more transparency in Government.

He told the Upper House on Wednesday that a joint committee needed setting up to review the recommendations on transparency made by a study group hosted by Bermuda's legislature on behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association two years ago.

Premier Ewart Brown was asked yesterday whether he agreed with Sen. Oughton's remarks and whether Government would consider looking at the issue.

His Press secretary, Glenn Jones, said: "The Premier read the Senate President's suggestion today, so to also respond today would be irresponsible."

Government Senate Leader David Burch did not respond to an e-mail on the topic by press time.