senate

Sittings

9th Sitting of the Senate

5th Session - 12th Republican Parliament

Tuesday 28 January, 2025
1:30 PM
Papers
Twenty-Eight Papers

Twenty-eight papers were laid. See Order Paper for details.

Sen. the Hon. Rohan Sinanan [Minister of Works and Transport]
Sen. Dr. Muhammad Yunus Ibrahim [Vice-President of the Senate]
Sen. the Hon. Kazim Hosein [Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries]
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne [Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs]
Presentation Of Reports From Select Committees
One Report

One report was presented. See Order Paper for details.

Sen. the Hon. Randall Mitchell [Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts]
Questions To Ministers: Oral Answer
One urgent question

One urgent question was posed and answered. See Order Paper.

Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Hon. Colm Imbert, MP [Minister of Finance]
Questions To Ministers: Oral Answer
Three Questions on Notice

Three questions qualified for oral answer. See Order Paper. All questions were answered.

Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Allyson West [Minister of Public Administration]
Hon. Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, MP [Minister of Education]
Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh, MP [Minister of Health]
Motions Relating To The Business Or Sittings Of The House And Moved By A Minister Or Parliamentary Secretary
Appointment to Special Select Committee

The Leader of Government Business, Sen. the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne, moved a motion that Sen. the Hon. Allyson West be appointed to a Special Select Committee appointed to consider and report on the St. Dominic’s Children’s Home (Incorporation) Bill, 2023 , in lieu of Ms. Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing. The motion was approved.

Sen. the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne [Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs]
Private Business: Motions
Legislative Framework on Parliamentary Autonomy

Opposition Senator Wade Mark moved a private motion calling on the Government to reaffirm its commitment to introduce a legislative framework on Parliamentary Autonomy and to introduce in Parliament, within three (3) months, a Bill on Parliamentary Autonomy and have same referred to a Joint Select Committee of Parliament for consideration and report. Six senators contributed to the debate before the adjournment of the sitting.

Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Reginald Armour SC [Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs]
Sen. Anthony Vieira SC [Independent Senator]
Sen. Jayanti Lutchmedial-Ramdial [Opposition Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal [Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs]
Sen. Deoroop Teemal [Independent Senator]
Sen. Anil Roberts [Opposition Senator]
Matter On The Adjournment
Two Matters

Opposition Senator, Sen. Wade Mark, raised a matter on the adjournment regarding the need for urgent government intervention to address the growing deficit in PETROTRIN employees’ pension plan. The Minister of Finance, Hon. Colm Imbert, MP, responded.

Independent Senator, Sen. Anthony Vieira, raised a matter namely the need for legislative reform to enhance judicial independence and establish judicial autonomy in Trinidad and Tobago. The Attorney General, Sen. the Hon. Reginald Armour, S.C., responded.

Sen. Wade Mark [Opposition Senator]
Hon. Colm Imbert, MP [Minister of Finance]
Sen. Anthony Vieira SC [Independent Senator]
Sen. the Hon. Reginald Armour SC [Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs]
Adjournment
The Senate adjourned to a date to be fixed

The Sitting concluded at 6:35 p.m.