The Vice-President indicated that the President of the Senate was acting as President of the Republic, and granted leave of absence to Senators Dennis Moses, Daniel Dookie, Saddam Hosein, Melissa Ramkisson and Taurel Shrikissoon. Ms. Alisha Romano, Ms. Ayanna Lewis, Mr. Ndale Young, Mr. Brian Bain, Mr. Albert Sydney and Mr. John Heath were appointed to temporarily replace the aforementioned Senators.

Tributes were paid in the Senate to Prof. George Maxwell Richards, former President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, who passed away on January 8, 2018.

Tributes were paid to former Senator Donna Carter, who passed away in early January, 2018.

The Bill was read a first time in the Senate. The Attorney General moved that the next stage of the Bill be taken later in the proceedings. The Senate agreed.

36 Papers were laid. See the Order Paper and Supplemental Order Paper.

There are seven reports to be presented. See the Order Paper.

There is one urgent question by Sen. Wade Mark to be considered.

Sen. Mark raised the matter of the rapid escalation in the number of murders in Trinidad and Tobago. The Vice-President was not satisfied that the matter qualified under this standing order.

Senator Wade Mark moved a Private Motion which asks the Senate to annul the Freedom of Information (Exemption) Order, 2017. The Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries was first to enter the debate, followed by Sen. Dr. Dhanayshar Mahabir, Sen. Khadijah Ameen and Sen. David Small.11 Senators made contributions before Sen. Mark rose to conclude the debate. The Attorney General then rose under the relevant Standing Order to respond. A division was taken, the result of which was 10 for, 19 against, no abstentions. The motion was therefore defeated.

Sen Mark raised the issue of the failure of Royal Bank of Canada to properly inform its customers of the closure of its Sangre Grande branch and the need for the Financial Services Ombudsman to intervene in the interest of affected persons, particularly senior citizens. The Minister in the Ministry of Finance responded.

At the next sitting, debate is expected to begin on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, Proceeds of Crime, Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago, Customs and Exchange Control) Bill, 2017, which was passed in the House on January 12, 2018. THe sitting ended at 10:59 p.m.

View this Sitting on YouTube via the following links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3