EDITOR, The Tribune.

On the 11th November, 2015, the Government tabled the National Honours Bill. The Bill was sent to Committee and immediately there commenced a mad rush to have the Committee report back to Parliament by the 9th December in response to the Prime Minister’s mandate to that effect.

The mandate was complied with and the Bill was thereafter debated in Parliament. (If the Government was only capable of responding to issues facing the country, which many would consider more important at this time than a National Honours Bill, then this country might have progressed far ahead of where we find ourselves today).

Several Cabinet Ministers pontificated about the need to have our own system of honours to effectively rid ourselves of some of the colonial trappings. There was, however, concern expressed that notwithstanding this goal, the Queen’s Honours might be considered to carry more prestige than the local honours and consequently there would effectively be elimination of the Queen’s Honours so that this issue would not arise. What then would be the Government’s first demonstration of its regard for the country’s National Honours?

It proceeds to orchestrate the issue of 27 New Year’s Queens Honours. What hypocrisy! The Government has clearly demonstrated the value that it has placed on the National Honours and by its actions, has made a mockery of the system.

RICHARD LIGHTBOURN, MP

Montagu Constituency,

January 5, 2016.