If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear – Lance Carberry

Aug 14, 2009 News

At yesterdays PNC/R Press Conference, Chief Whip and Member of Parliament, Lance Carberry, commented on Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon’s announcement on the additions to the polygraph testing exercises.
On August 6, last, Dr Roger Luncheon announced that polygraph testing would be institutionalised in Guyana.
He said that the testing would be extended to the operational arm of the State as well as to Government agencies.
However, Government Ministers and Permanent Secretaries would not be subjected to polygraphs.
When asked of the PNC/R’s opinion to the announcements and the party’s take on the policymakers not being subjected to the testing, Mr. Carberry divided the subject of the matter into two principles.
His first principle focused on the fact that polygraph testing has never before been considered as a requirement of employment in any capacity.
“Polygraph testing was never a condition of employment for any of the people in the public service.”
He added that if it should be introduced, an agreement with the representatives of those workers should be met. “……and therefore if you are going to introduce it you should be introducing it with the agreement of the representatives of those workers.”
Mr. Carberry’s second principle asked why those in the higher echelons of Government should be exempted from the testing, seeing as they have nothing to hide.
Highlighting that the testing is in place to determine the suitability of the person to the position he of she holds, and that in keeping with the Government’s insistence that the employee be truthful in all that he or she does, he said that the government and its officials should have nothing to fear.
“If you are going to apply polygraph testing as a means of determining the suitability of people there is absolutely no reason why you should be exempting Permanent Secretaries, the Director General of the GRA, and Ministers of the Government”