by Linda Straker
- 2013 Integrity in Public Life Act requires every individual in public life to file declaration of personal particulars and those of spouse and children
- Notification to declare assets was September 2024, with late October deadline
- Redhead said time does not permit him to declare his assets
Ron Redhead, Member of Parliament (MP) for St George North-East described the process of declaring assets to the Integrity Commission (IC) as “drama” and admitted that he is yet to declare his assets for 2024 as instructed to him by notification sent from the commission.
“As it relates to assets, I have not assessed anything new and it’s a whole process. You have to get bank statements and a whole lot of other things. You have to pay for bank statements and all this other drama,” Redhead said in response to a question posed by a caller while he was the guest on the weekly Wednesday To the Point programme, on the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN).
The 1-hour programme is dedicated to Government, and ministers and senior officials share information with the citizenry about state projects, initiatives, and undertakings.
Redhead was fired as a Cabinet minister in January 2024. However, as an elected Member of the Lower House, he represents the constituency of St George North-East in Parliament.
Providing a justification of the delay in declaring his assets, Redhead said, “I have not filed mine because the time does not permit me. Every year we have to keep filing this, I have nothing newer than last year to be included,” he said, promising that he declares his assets because it’s the law.
The 2013 Integrity in Public Life Act requires every individual in public life to file a declaration setting out personal particulars and in addition, those of a spouse and children declared; particulars of individual income, assets and liabilities held and spouse and children (this includes any income, assets and liabilities acquired, held or incurred by any other person or agent on his/her behalf) and monies or other property held in trust for him/the persons; or held in Trust by him/her for another person.
Since the act went into effect, the IC has notified all Members of Parliament and several others as listed in the law to declare their assets. The most recent notification to declare assets, according to several Members of Parliament, was in September 2024. The deadline was late October. Anyone unable to declare assets by the dates stated in the notification can request an extension of time. Redhead did not disclose if he had requested additional time to file his declaration.
Declaration information must also include balances on all accounts held in banks locally and abroad and applies to the declarant’s spouse and children. “The balances should include balances held on foreign exchange, fixed/time/certificate of deposits or any other accounts held in a bank or financial institution by the declarant his/her spouse or children,” states the declaration form as posted on the Integrity Commission’s Facebook page.
The form instructs that support documents to the declaration shall include cash in excess of $1,000 held other than in bank, and this includes cash administered by others on behalf of declarant’s, his/her spouse and children. “If the person in public life has investment in shares, the declaration must state the number held and type; ordinary or preference shares and if the investment is in bond or stocks, under description state, bonds or ‘stocks,” explains the form.
I guess not assets to declare since this is probably his first job?
This is just to inform anyone who thinks that they are the proponent on reporting in regards to what is being reported on any media’s platform. One of the mission of any reporter is to REPORT. Their reporting should be done in an unbiased fashion. We constantly try to censure freedom of speech, whenever it addresses someone that we support. But that is not what transparency of the media should be. Readers/viewers of the news have these options. (1) Read what is written, make your comments and sign off. (2) Read what is written and sign off. If you think that the news is relevant, then say so, If you think that it isn’t then put irrelevant. That’s how simple it should be! The news is not only for you. You may not think that it is relevant, but what about others who think the opposite. REMEMBER THAT THE RAIN FALLS ON THE JUST AND THE UNJUST. If you want to report news of significance, then create your own platform and do so. We must learn to keep our unsolicited opinion to ourselves. Some of us in this country love to dictate what/how the media should report…..and knows nothing about journalism. These reporters are doing what news media outlets should do. That’s report what is said so, the readers/viewers can be informed, whether it’s good or bad. Politicians chose their words very carefully and love to use BUZZWORDS. They know exactly what they are saying. We often try to be Politician’s unsolicited mouthpiece. We try to be their proxies way too often. Let these people defend themselves, they can do it! They are not minors who must be protected or defended. Why do we always make a mountain out of a mold, every time something does not lined up to our thinking? Information is knowledge and knowledge gives you the power to make decisive decisions. What one might consider to be insignificant, might be of value to another. This is called perspective/perception! We have to right to demand clarity from the media, if we don’t understand what is written/viewed, and keep our personal comments to ourselves.
I listened to the interview and the context in which he said ‘drama’. It was not to minimize the importance of process, but more so to express that it is a cumbersome process. It is this type of petty reporting that creates so much ignorance in this country. what is the value of this headline? What is the intent of the writer? Out of an entire hour, that insignificant stuff is what makes headlines? We need to do better.