20031021, Senate Debates
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
9 Leave of Absence Tuesday, October 21, 2003 SENATE Tuesday, October 21, 2003 The Senate met at 10.00 a.m. PRAYERS [MADAM PRESIDENT in the Chair] LEAVE OF ABSENCE Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have granted leave of absence to Sen. Christine Kangaloo for the period October 17, 2003—November 17, 2003. SENATOR'S APPOINTMENT Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have received the following correspondence from His Excellency the President, Professor George Maxwell Richards. “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By His Excellency Professor GEORGE MAXWELL RICHARDS, T.C., C.M.T., PhD., President and Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. /s/ G. Richards President. TO: MRS. JOAN HACKSHAW-MARSLIN WHEREAS Senator Christine Kangaloo is incapable of performing her duties as a Senator by reason of her absence from Trinidad and Tobago: NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE MAXWELL RICHARDS, President as aforesaid, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, in exercise of the power vested in me by section 44 of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, do hereby appoint you, JOAN HACKSHAW- MARSLIN, to be temporarily a member of the Senate, with effect from 21st, October, 2003 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator Christine Kangaloo. 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 17th day of October, 2003.” 10 Oath of Allegiance Tuesday, October 21, 2003 OATH OF ALLEGIANCE Sen. Joan Hackshaw-Marslin took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance as required by law. APPROPRIATION BILL (BUDGET) Bill to provide for the Service of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year ending on the 30th day of September, 2004, brought from the House of Representatives [The Minister in the Ministry of Finance]; read the first time. Motion made, That the next stage be taken at a later stage in the proceedings. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] Question put and agreed to. PAPERS LAID 1. Address by His Excellency George Maxwell Richards T.C., C.M.T., Ph.D, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, at the opening of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, at the Parliament Chamber, the Red House, Port of Spain on Monday, 29th September, 2003, at 10.00 a.m. [The Minister of Public Administration and Information (Sen. The Hon. Dr. Lenny Saith)] To be printed as a Senate Paper. 2. Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the financial statements of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation for the year ended September 30, 1999. [The Minister in the Ministry of Finance (Sen. the Hon. Conrad Enill)] 3. Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the financial statements of the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation for the year ended June 30, 2003. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 4. Annual audited financial statements of National Helicopter Services Limited for the financial year ended September 30, 2002. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 5. Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the financial statements of the Tobago House of Assembly for the year ended September 30, 1999. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 6. Draft Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 7. Draft Estimates—Details of Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure for the financial year 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 11 Papers Laid Tuesday, October 21, 2003 8. Draft Estimates of the Revenue and Expenditure of the statutory boards and similar bodies and the Tobago House of Assembly for the financial year 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 9. Draft Estimates of Development Programme for the financial year 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 10. Public Sector Investment Programme 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 11. Public Sector Investment Programme 2004—Tobago. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 12. Draft Estimates of Revenue for the financial year 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 13. Review of the Economy for fiscal year 2003. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 14. Social and Economic Policy Framework—2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 15. Social Sector Investment Programme 2004. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] 16. Reports on the Eastern Regional Health Authority for the fiscal years 2000/2001 and 2001/2002. [Sen. The Hon. Dr. L. Saith] 17. The Integrity in Public Life (Furnishing of Information) Regulations, 2003. [The Attorney General (Sen. The Hon. Glenda Morean)] 18. The Integrity in Public Life (Prescribed Forms) Regulations, 2003. [Sen. The Hon. G. Morean] 19. The Provisional Collection of Taxes Order, 2003. [Sen. The Hon. C. Enill] SUMMARY COURTS (AMDT.) (NO. 3) BILL Bill to amend the Summary Courts Act, Chap. 4:20 [The Attorney General]; read the first time. MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS (AMDT.) BILL Bill to amend the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, 1997 [The Attorney General]; read the first time. MEDIATION (NO. 2) BILL Bill to provide for mediation in Trinidad and Tobago [The Attorney General]; read the first time. FAMILY PROCEEDINGS (NO. 2) BILL Bill relating to family proceedings [The Attorney General]; read the first time. 12 Police Service Bill Tuesday, October 21, 2003 POLICE SERVICE BILL Bill to make provision for the efficient management of the Police Service, to consolidate, amend and revise the law relating to the Police Service and for other related matters [The Attorney General]; read the first time. POLICE COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY BILL Bill to establish an independent body to investigate criminal offences involving police officers, police corruption and serious police misconduct and for other related matters [The Attorney General]; read the first time. CONSTITUTION (AMDT.) BILL Bill to amend the Constitution by providing for the establishment of a Police Management Authority, and for other related matters [The Attorney General]; read the first time. APPROPRIATION BILL (BUDGET) The Minister in the Ministry of Finance (Sen. The Hon. Conrad Enill): Madam President, I beg to move, That a Bill to provide for the service of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year October 01, 2003 to September 30, 2004, be now read a second time. Madam President, this is a money Bill and was approved in the other place on October 15, 2003. The Bill provides for the issue from the Consolidated Fund of the sum of $16,042,116,932 under the various heads as indicated in the schedule of the Bill. In the course of preparing for this budget, we met with a wide cross section of the national community who gave of their time and effort in a consultation process. We wish to place on record our gratitude for the pride which they have shown in their country and above all in their hope that Trinidad and Tobago will remain a society that is strong, responsive towards changing circumstances, and sensitive to the needs of those adversely affected by those circumstances. In the main, their views reflected their determination that their children would inherit an even better Trinidad and Tobago and indeed a better world. We would also like to express our gratitude to the technical officers in the public service, in particular those in the Ministry of Finance who worked tirelessly to generate this comprehensive budget documentation which has been laid in Parliament. These include the Review of the Economy 2003, which provides an assessment of the conditions in the domestic and international economy. In particular, it analyzes developments in the productive sectors as well as in certain other key sectors such as fiscal, monetary, financial and trade; The Social Sector Investment Programme which 13 Appropriation Bill (Budget) Tuesday, October 21, 2003 provides an overview of our interventions to alleviate poverty and improve our delivery of services in the area of human development; The Social and Economic Policy Framework 2004, which charts the course in the medium term for the achievement of our social and economic agenda on our way towards Vision 2020; The Public Sector Investment Programme, which establishes the national development goals in respect of human capital development, economic diversification, modernization of infrastructure and effective governance and empowerment; The Draft Estimates, consisting of the details of revenue and expenditure; and the development programme for the financial year 2004. We all recognize that Trinidad and Tobago is a resource rich country and that our richness and wealth lie in the diversity of our people. We have always responded to values espoused by our national community. Madam President, you will recall that in our 2003 Budget we articulated the vision of this administration to make Trinidad and Tobago a developed country in the shortest possible time and certainly by the year 2020. Our 2004 Budget theme—Charting the Course to 2020—Empowering People—is reflective of those shared values and represents a clarion call to move our country to another phase in our journey. This vision is rooted in upholding and advancing the human dignity of every individual irrespective of race, colour, religion, culture, ethnicity, gender or social origin. Such dignity must be based on self-reliance and self-help and the confidence in the ability of individuals to promote their own development and that of their communities and the nation at large. We see Trinidad and Tobago as a prosperous and progressive society; catering to the needs of our citizens, a preferred place to live, raise children, do business, work and go to school. Economic growth will be inclusive of and socially responsive to the needs of all segments of our society.