The National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) bill has rightly stirred much debate in our parliament and society at large. This is expected as ensuring that we rebuild and do so responsibly is of utmost importance to the future of this nation.

Thorough analysis has already been devoted to the arguments for and against this legislation. Thus, the purpose of this column is not to reiterate points that have already been ventilated in the public. However, it would be remiss of me if I did not point out the problems that arise when political invective is used in lieu of rigorous arguments. This was most recently seen in Friday’s Senate sitting which took an unfortunate turn in its tone and direction.

The purpose of that sitting was to debate the NaRRA legislation but at some point, it devolved into a personal diatribe against the chairman of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMROCC). This was best exemplified in the contributions made by Senator Dr Maziki Thame. In her remarks, the learned senator stated: