senate

Sittings

18th Sitting of the Senate

3rd Session - 12th Republican Parliament

Friday 12 May, 2023
10:00 AM
Announcements By The President/Vice-President
Leave of absence

Leave of absence was granted to Sen. the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne and Sen. Laurence Hislop, who are out of the country and to Sen. Damian Lyder and Sen. Anil Roberts, who are ill. Ms. Yokymma Bethelmy, Mr. Michael Seales, Mr. Rishi Tripathi and Ms. Karunaa Bisramsingh were appointed temporary Senators in their place.

Sen. the Hon. Nigel de Freitas [President of the Senate]
Oath Of Allegiance Of A New Member
Temporary Senators

Temporary Senators Bethelmy, Seales, Tripathi and Bisramsingh took the oath of allegiance.

Sen. Yokymma Bethelmy [Government Senator (Temporary)]
Sen. Michael Seales [Government Senator (Temporary)]
Sen. Rishi Tripathi [Opposition Senator (Temporary)]
Sen. Karunaa Bisramsingh [Opposition Senator (Temporary)]
Bills Brought From The House Of Representatives
The Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) (Financial Year 2023) Bill, 2023

The Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) (Financial Year 2023) Bill, 2023 was brought from the House of Representatives in the name of the Minister of Finance. The Acting Leader of Government Business, Sen. the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon, moved that the next stage of the bill be taken on Tuesday May 16, 2023. The motion was approved.

Sen. the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon [Minister of Trade and Industry]
Papers
Six Papers

Six papers were laid. See Order Paper for details.

Sen. the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon [Minister of Trade and Industry]
Questions To Ministers: Oral Answer
Four Questions on Notice

Four questions qualified for oral answer. All questions were answered.

Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon [Minister of Trade and Industry]
Sen. Jayanti Lutchmedial-Ramdial [Opposition Senator]
Hon. Faris Al-Rawi SC, MP [Minister of Rural Development and Local Government]
Government Business: Bills Second Reading
The Miscellaneous Provisions (Trial By Judge Alone) Bill, 2023

The Attorney General, Sen. the Hon. Reginald Armour, S.C., moved the second reading of The Miscellaneous Provisions (Trial By Judge Alone) Bill, 2023. Debate began on the bill. Fifteen senators contributed to the debate before the wind up by the Attorney General. The adjournment of the Senate was moved during his contribution.

Sen. the Hon. Reginald Armour SC [Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs]
Sen. Jayanti Lutchmedial-Ramdial [Opposition Senator]
Sen. Evans Welch [Independent Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal [Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs]
Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Sen. Anthony Vieira SC [Independent Senator]
Sen. Rishi Tripathi [Opposition Senator (Temporary)]
Sen. Hazel Thompson-Ahye [Independent Senator]
Sen. Dr. Varma Deyalsingh [Independent Senator]
Sen. Karunaa Bisramsingh [Opposition Senator (Temporary)]
Sen. Deoroop Teemal [Independent Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Randall Mitchell [Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts]
Sen. Dr. Maria Dillon-Remy [Independent Senator]
Sen. Josh Drayton [Independent Senator (Temporary)]
Sen. David Nakhid [Opposition Senator]
Sen. Amrita Deonarine [Independent Senator]
Matter On The Adjournment
Two Matters

Sen. Wade Mark raised a matter on the adjournment regarding the need for the Minister in the Ministry of Finance to address the inconsistency in the information provided to the Senate and information contained in the CLICO 2022 Financial Statement on CLICO’s shares in Methanol Holdings International Limited. The Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Hon. Brian Manning, MP, responded.

Sen. Mark raised a second matter regarding the bulldozing of live crops on agricultural lands in Felicity owned by former Caroni workers, in order to build 630 homes. The Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Adrian Leonce, MP, responded.

Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Hon. Brian Manning, MP [Minister in the Ministry of Finance]
Hon. Adrian Leonce, MP [Minister of Housing and Urban Development]
Adjournment
The Senate adjourned to Tuesday May 16, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

The Sitting concluded at 6:58 p.m.