Norman yet to ‘blow’ Horne

Opposition has to await weekend decision by senator

THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) said yesterday that its president Mark Golding, General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, Chairman Phillip Paulwell, and other senior party officials met Monday with Senator Norman Horne to pursue a resolution concerning his seat in the Senate.

Horne indicated that he would communicate his decision “in due course”, and gave a commitment to speak again with the leader of the Opposition by end of this week.

Horne, who was appointed among eight Opposition senators appointed by the governor general, on the recommendation of former Opposition Leader Peter Phillips, is yet to take his seat in the Upper House, creating a dilemma for Golding, who wants his friend and former business partner Peter Bunting to sit in the Senate as leader of Opposition business.

The PNP, in a statement yesterday, said Golding impressed on Horne the urgency of the matter, and its significance to the orderly running of the Senate, and reminded him of the responsibilities of leader of the Opposition to the State and the Constitution.

The Opposition leader indicated to Horne the two options available to him; either:

1. Make good on his public declaration made in October that he did not intend to be sworn in to the Senate and would shortly send his letter of resignation to the governor general to indicate the same; or,

2. Indicate that he intends to take the oath of office and be sworn in as a senator.

If, however, he chooses to be sworn in as senator, he should provide documentation evidencing that he had renounced his US citizenship prior to his appointment to the Senate, in order to clarify his eligibility, a matter being put forward by the PNP for the first time.

“The country therefore waits on Mr Horne to act, so the Senate can be fully constituted,” said the PNP release.

The release said nothing about the $10 million that Horne said last Friday that the party owes him.