VSA minister acknowledges longstanding concerns about successive contracts but gives no timetable for the amendment raised by MP Sjamira Roseburg.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Claret Connor told Parliament that his ministry had been unable to obtain an advisory document concerning proposed changes to temporary employment legislation and asked MP Sjamira Roseburg to forward a copy for review.
The disclosure came during follow-up questions on the proposed 2027 budget, after Roseburg sought a specific update on a draft amendment she said had already been prepared and submitted to the Social Economic Council, known as the SER.
Connor acknowledged the longstanding concerns surrounding the repeated use of successive temporary contracts. However, his response did not establish the current location or status of the draft Roseburg referenced, whether it would be placed on the ministry’s legislative priority agenda, or when Parliament could expect further action.
Roseburg Seeks Status of Existing Draft
Roseburg’s question focused on work she said had already progressed beyond the changes introduced through the Civil Code in 2022.
During the earlier clarification exchange, she explained that she had drafted legislation herself but understood that another proposal addressing short-term employment contracts was already within the ministry.
She referred to a subsequent draft amendment to Book 7 of the Civil Code and said the SER had provided advice. She also referenced a December 19, 2025, presentation involving former VSA Minister Richinel Brug.
She asked whether that existing proposal was being examined and whether it formed part of the government’s legislative priorities. If it was not on the agenda, she asked that its inclusion be considered.
That distinction mattered because the minister’s initial answer had described the 2022 Civil Code changes and the monitoring of those provisions, rather than identifying the status of the later proposal she was asking about.
Searches Had Not Produced the Advice
Returning to Parliament with his clarification, Connor said the ministry had previously been informed about the advisory document.
He explained that attempts had been made to obtain it through the SER website, where advice is generally published, and through another channel. Those attempts had not been successful.
Connor then asked whether a copy could be forwarded to the ministry for review.
His answer established that the ministry had not obtained the advice through those efforts. It did not establish that the advice or draft legislation had been lost, nor did it confirm whether the document was held elsewhere within government.
The minister did not announce a deadline to obtain and review the document.
Monitoring the 2022 Changes
Connor reiterated that the ministry recognizes concerns about the repeated use of successive temporary contracts and the need to balance labor-market flexibility with adequate worker protection.
He referred to changes made in 2022 under Book 7, Title 10 of the Civil Code, which governs employment agreements.
According to the minister, those provisions are being monitored and will subsequently be evaluated against existing labor legislation, relevant court decisions, discussions with social partners and international labor standards.
However, he did not present findings from that monitoring or identify when the evaluation would be completed.
He also did not specify whether the later draft referenced by Roseburg would proceed independently or be considered as part of that broader evaluation.
For Parliament, the outstanding issue remains the status of an identifiable legislative proposal that Roseburg said had already received advice, rather than a general commitment to continue examining temporary employment practices.
Elderly Council Still Under Review
Connor’s follow-up responses also clarified that the proposed Elderly Council had not yet reached the establishment stage.
Responding to MP Sarah Wescot-Williams, he said the ministry had completed research into the feasibility of potentially establishing the council.
That research is undergoing review and approval to determine the appropriate next steps, he explained.
The response did not include an establishment date, proposed membership or an implementation schedule. Nor did Connor announce a timetable for the comprehensive elderly policy Wescot-Williams had requested.
He also reported a recently signed stakeholder agreement involving the Freegan Food Foundation and a division within his ministry, as well as collaboration connected to the St. Maarten Crisis Care website and app. He said he could provide further details during the second round.
SZV Meeting Promised After Patient Concerns
Connor also committed to honoring MP Veronica Jansen-Webster’s request for a closed-door meeting concerning SZV.
Jansen-Webster had challenged whether the support described for patients referred abroad reflected the experiences of people who traveled without companions.
Connor assured her that the requested meeting would take place and that the SZV concerns could be discussed there.
He did not provide a meeting date or present findings on the individual patient experiences raised by the MP.
The commitment therefore opens a forum for examining those cases, while leaving their circumstances and any necessary corrective action to be addressed.
Outstanding Information Requested Before Second Round
On questions raised by MP Darryl York concerning St. Maarten Medical Center, Connor said he had requested the information before the second round of debate.
York had previously objected to a tentative delivery date that could fall after the next stage of deliberations had begun.
Connor’s follow-up confirmed that an earlier delivery had been requested; it did not confirm that the answers had already been received.
The minister also promised Jansen-Webster more specific information about consultancy entries classified as “other.”
She had questioned why several companies appeared under that description when separate legal consultancy categories already existed. Connor said the information would be updated as requested and provided before the second round.
Health Insurance Start Still Depends on Legislation
Connor maintained that a timetable for implementing general health insurance could not be settled before the ordinance is passed.
Jansen-Webster had sought a month or quarter to submit and clarify whether phased implementation could still begin in January 2027.
The minister acknowledged the urgency but said the implementation trajectory could be discussed and identified once the legislation is approved.
He did not commit to a January start.
Connor also told Roseburg that the ministry would review the 2025 motion she raised on school breakfast support and get back to her afterward. He did not announce an additional allocation or specify an amount for a potential amendment.
The clarification round closed with several commitments to provide information, review documents and arrange further discussion. On temporary contracts, the minister identified the immediate next step as obtaining the advice Roseburg said had already been issued—before the ministry could give Parliament a substantive response on the proposal’s future.
