ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The leader of the main opposition New National Party (NNP), Dr. Keith Mitchell, says he will support “getting rid of some of the sections” in the controversial Data Protection Bil if his party is elected to office at the next general election in Grenada.
Mitchell told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the Dickon Mitchell government had disregarded concerns from several stakeholders, including the business community that also called for more public consultation.
“They pushed the thing right through because they had the majority. So clearly, if an NNP government gets into office…I will certainly support and recommend you remove some of the sections that seem to be objectionable,” he added.
Last month, the government defended the need for the Data Protection Bill, dismissing calls by the NNP and at least one non-governmental organization to shelve the measure pending more public consultation.
“We need this bill to be passed and to be in place so that we can implement the big projects that we have for this country…and these projects have to be supported by the Data Protection Bill,” the Economic Development, Planning, Tourism, Creative Economy, Agriculture, and Lands, Fisheries, and Cooperative Minister, Lennox Andrews told Parliament.
The senior government minister told legislators that the approval of the legislation by both Houses of Parliament is required so that the government can enforce two projects that will result in an injection of US$24 million into the economy.
The NNP had acknowledged that while Data Protection legislation “is desirable and necessary,” it would have preferred that the matter be placed before a joint select committee and tasked with holding widespread public consultations.
However, the government, which has a 9-6 majority in the Parliament, voted against the motion and approved the bill by amending several clauses instead.
Mitchell, 76, who had served as prime minister on two occasions, told CMC that other regional governments had adopted other options in passing the legislation removing “the sections that were difficult to accept by the population.
“So we may have to do this…and I assume I will influence any new NNP government, and I will certainly lend my voice to any removal of the controversial sections.”
and then , Dr. Keith Mitchell, says he will support “getting rid of some of the sections){kind=link}