One-question limit not acceptable
We were pleased that government called a press conference for the most recent Biwater contract signing on July 13, but greatly disappointed that journalists who attended were limited to one question each.
The provided excuse for the restriction — that media houses were “very well represented” at the proceeding — falls flat. Officials’ statements and the contract signing itself lasted about 40 minutes; the question-and-answer period ended after less than 10.
This ratio suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the media. Journalists in a democracy should not be expected simply to parrot statements made by officials: They should be expected to ask the questions the public wants to know.
Considering the secrecy that has shrouded the Biwater agreement since it was signed behind closed doors in February 2010, surely ministers and other officials should have been willing to spend more than 10 minutes answering serious questions about the controversial topic.
The Biwater contract is among the largest ever signed in the territory in terms of cost and duration, and it is in government’s best interest to make sure that the public is fully informed about the many key issues it raises.
To a cynical eye, a press conference with such artificial limitations would seem designed to give the appearance of transparency without actual transparency.
Indeed, the July 13 proceeding provided a prime example of the problem with such an arrangement: At least one important question went unanswered.
One reporter asked whether the government would be responsible for Biwater’s debt if either party defaults on the original water-and-sewerage contract. The question touched on the much-discussed issue of whether the agreement represents a contingent liability for the territory, as has been suggested by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Premier Ralph O’Neal’s first response did not answer the question: “I would think [Biwater has] insurance and so on to cover any incident like that.”
When the reporter rephrased his query, Mr. O’Neal responded, “I think the agreement has an arbitration clause.” But this response still did not answer the original question.
When the reporter tried to probe further, he was told to contact the Ministry of Communications and Works for further information. However, the Beacon’s subsequent attempts to obtain more information from the ministry and from the Water and Sewerage Department were unsuccessful.
At future press conferences, media representatives should be given time to ask as many questions as they like, within reason. And officials should do their best to answer them. In a democracy, this is among their most important responsibilities.