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20190430, Unrevised Senate Debate

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20190430, Unrevised Senate Debate 1 Leave of Absence 2019.04.30 SENATE Tuesday, April 30, 2019 The Senate met at 1.30 p.m. PRAYERS [MADAM PRESIDENT in the Chair] LEAVE OF ABSENCE Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have granted leave of absence to Sen. The Hon. Dennis Moses, Sen. The Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon and Sen. Avinash Singh, all of whom are out of the country. SENATORS’ APPOINTMENT Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have received the following communication from Her Excellency The President, Paula-Mae Weekes, ORTT: “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By Her Excellency PAULA-MAE WEEKES, O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. /s/ Paula-Mae Weekes President. TO: MR. HARVEY BORRIS WHEREAS Senator Dennis Moses is incapable of performing his duties as a Senator by reason of his absence from Trinidad and Tobago: UNREVISED 2 Senators’ Appointment (cont’d) 2019.04.30 NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAULA-MAE WEEKES, President as aforesaid, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, in exercise of the power vested in me by section 44(1)(a) and section 44(4)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby appoint you, HARVEY BORRIS, to be temporarily a member of the Senate, with effect from 30th April, 2019 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator Dennis Moses. Given under my Hand and the Seal of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Office of the President, St. Ann’s, this 30th day of April, 2019” “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By Her Excellency PAULA-MAE WEEKES, O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. /s/ Paula-Mae Weekes President. TO: MR. WAYNE A. M. INNISS WHEREAS Senator Paula Gopee-Scoon is incapable of performing her duties as a Senator by reason of her absence from Trinidad and Tobago: UNREVISED 3 Senators’ Appointment (cont’d) 2019.04.30 NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAULA-MAE WEEKES, President as aforesaid, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, in exercise of the power vested in me by section 44(1)(a) and section 44(4)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby appoint you, WAYNE A. M. INNISS, to be temporarily a member of the Senate, with effect from 30th April, 2019 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator Paula Gopee-Scoon. Given under my Hand and the Seal of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Office of the President, St. Ann’s, this 30th day of April, 2019” “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By Her Excellency PAULA-MAE WEEKES, O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. /s/ Paula-Mae Weekes President. TO: MR. AUGUSTUS THOMAS WHEREAS Senator Avinash Singh is incapable of performing his duties as a Senator by reason of his absence from Trinidad and Tobago: UNREVISED 4 Senators’ Appointment (cont’d) 2019.04.30 NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAULA-MAE WEEKES, President as aforesaid, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, in exercise of the power vested in me by section 44(1)(a) and section 44(4)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby appoint you, AUGUSTUS THOMAS, to be temporarily a member of the Senate, with effect from 30th April, 2019 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator Avinash Singh. Given under my Hand and the Seal of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Office of the President, St. Ann’s, this 30th day of April, 2019” OATH OF ALLEGIANCE The following Senators took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance as required by law: Harvey Borris, Wayne A. M. Inniss and Augustus Thomas. 1.40 p.m. REGIONAL PARLIAMENTARIANS (WELCOME) Madam President: Hon. Senators, I would ask that you join me in welcoming to our Parliament some of the regional parliamentarians and other persons from international organizations who have participated in a two-day Regional Caribbean Parliamentary Workshop which was hosted by Parliamentarians for Global Action. Among our guests are the Hon. Pearnel Charles, Speaker of the House of Representatives from the Parliament of Jamaica; [Desk thumping] the UNREVISED 5 Regional Parliamentarians (cont’d) 2019.04.30 Hon. Andy Glen Daniel, Speaker of the House of the Assembly of St. Lucia; [Desk thumping] and may I also recognize the presence of the Hon. Joseph Xavier Hew, Minister of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure from the Cayman Islands. [Desk thumping] So may I welcome all of our colleagues to the Senate of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. [Desk thumping] PAPERS LAID 1. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Finance to the Twelfth Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on an Examination into the Administration of Disaster Relief in Trinidad and Tobago. [The Minister in the Ministry of Finance (Sen. The Hon. Allyson West)] 2. Annual Audited Financial Statements of MIC-Institute of Technology (MIC-IT) formerly Metal Industries Company Limited, for the financial year ended September 30, 2016. [Sen. The Hon. A. West] 3. Annual Report of First Citizens Bank Limited for the year ended September 30, 2018. [Sen. The Hon. A. West] 4. Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year ended September 30, 2018. [Sen. The Hon. A. West] 5. Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year ended September 30, 2018. [Sen. The Hon. A. West] 6. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Finance to the Twentieth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor General. [Sen. The Hon. A. West] UNREVISED 6 Papers Laid (cont’d) 2019.04.30 7. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services to the Twentieth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year 2017. [The Minister Energy and Energy Industries (Sen. The Hon. Franklin Khan)] 8. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs to the Twentieth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year 2017. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 9. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Education to the Twentieth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year 2017. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 10. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Health to the Thirteenth Report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on an Examination into the Administration of Special Health Care Programmes in Trinidad and Tobago. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 11. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs to the Tenth Report of the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, Equality and Diversity, Fourth Session (2018/2019), UNREVISED 7 Papers Laid (cont’d) 2019.04.30 Eleventh Parliament on the Treatment of Detainees at the Immigration Detention Centre. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 12. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of National Security to the Tenth Report of the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, Equality and Diversity, Fourth Session (2018/2019), Eleventh Parliament on the Treatment of Detainees at the Immigration Detention Centre. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 13. Annual Administrative Report of the Office of the Prime Minister for the year 2016 to 2017. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 14. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Education to the Twentieth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the Financial Year 2017. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] 15. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries to the Twentieth Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Third Session (2017/2018), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year 2017. [Sen. The Hon. F. Khan] JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT (Presentation) Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee Caroni (1975) Limited Sen. Wade Mark: Thank you, Madam President. Welcome back, Ma’am. Madam President, I have the honour to present the following report: UNREVISED 8 Joint Select Committee Report (cont’d) 2019.04.30 Eighteenth Report of the Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee, Fourth Session (2018/2019), Eleventh Parliament on the Examination of the Audited Financial Statements of the Caroni (1975) Limited for the years ended June 30, 2010 to 2018. SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT (Presentation) Sexual Offences (Amdt.) Bill, 2019 The Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (Sen. The Hon. Clarence Rambharat): Thank you. Madam President, I have the honour to present the following report: Second Interim Report of the Special Select Committee established to consider and report on the Sexual Offences (Amdt.) Bill, 2019 in the Fourth Session (2018/2019), Eleventh Parliament.
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