Tynwald has not been strong enough in holding the government to account.
That’s the view of former Chief Minister Tony Brown.
He said: “Tynwald hasn’t been strong enough to make the government accountable to Tynwald and the people.
“A lot of things have happened which, in the last 20 years, wouldn’t have happened, drifting.”
He added: “Things don’t go to Tynwald. There is a continual excuse, ‘we cannot provide you with this information because it’s confidential’.
“That is absolutely wrong. Tynwald can summons any information it requires, as can the House of Keys.”
He warned MHKs not to underestimate the power of Tynwald.
“Ultimately, Tynwald is the rule of the Isle of Man because it is the parliament of the Isle of Man.”
He said there was “less information” nowadays about how the government decided its policies than during his time.
Brown was an MHK from 1986-2011. He was Speaker of the House of Keys for five years and then Chief MInister for five years, before retiring from national politics.
He gave his views as part of an in-depth interview with Manx.News during its election coverage.
You can watch this part of the interview here:
