Dear Editor,
Parliament’s decision to appoint MP Peterson as Chair of the Committee for Spatial Planning, Infrastructure, and Housing is nothing short of outrageous. This is not just the largest and most influential committee in Parliament; it demands the highest level of integrity from its leadership.
On June 12, 2025, The Daily Herald reported that national detectives have launched a formal investigation into a physical altercation allegedly involving MP Peterson. The St. Martin News carried the same report, and the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the investigation is active. Yet, in full knowledge of these facts, Parliament chose not only to ignore them but to reward the individual at the center of the controversy.
Let’s not forget that MP Peterson has had various run-ins with the law and incidents that have directly impacted his appointment as Minister. In fact, it was precisely for this reason that he could not pass the screening process to become Minister. If those standards disqualified him from ministerial appointment, how can he now be trusted with chairing the very committee that oversees spatial planning and infrastructure?
It is telling that PFP leader Melissa Gumbs described MP Peterson as “a valued and trusted member” of her party, while conceding that she “takes this matter very seriously” and emphasizing that “accountability is a value expected of every PFP member.” But those statements ring hollow in the face of this appointment. If the PFP truly practices what it preaches, MP Peterson’s appointment should be immediately suspended until the investigation is concluded.
This is a slap in the face to every citizen who believes in justice, transparency, and good governance. The Party for Progress has built its reputation on those very ideals. How can the public take that messaging seriously when its actions so clearly contradict its words?
Let’s be clear: promoting someone facing serious allegations to a leadership role is a blatant disregard for public trust. It sends a dangerous message that political power shields individuals from consequences and that integrity is optional when it becomes inconvenient.
Parliament has failed the people with this decision. If it wishes to restore even a shred of credibility, it must act decisively and that begins with suspending MP Peterson’s appointment to the committee until the investigation is resolved.
Albert Bryan
