20130614, Unrevised Senate Debate
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1 Leave of Absence 2013.06.14 SENATE Friday, June 14, 2013 The Senate met at 10.00 a.m. PRAYERS [MR. PRESIDENT in the Chair] LEAVE OF ABSENCE Mr. President: Hon. Senators, I have granted leave of absence to Sen. The Hon. Devant Maharaj who is out of the country. PAPERS LAID 1. National Insurance (Contribution) (Amendment) Regulations, 2013. [The Minister of Finance and the Economy (Sen. The Hon. Larry Howai)] 2. Emergency Ambulance Services and Emergency Medical Personnel Regulations, 2013. [The Minister of Health (The Hon. Dr. Fuad Khan)] SENATOR’S APPOINTMENT Madam Vice-President: Hon. Senators, I have received the following correspondence from His Excellency the President, Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona SC. “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO By His Excellency ANTHONY THOMAS AQUINAS CARMONA, S.C., President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. /s/ Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona SC President. UNREVISED 2 Senator’s Appointment 2013.06.14 TO: MS. PATRICIA HERRY WHEREAS Senator the Honourable Devant Maharaj is incapable of performing his duties as a Senator by reason of his absence from Trinidad and Tobago: NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANTHONY THOMAS AQUINAS CARMONA, President as aforesaid, 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, PATRICIA HERRY, to be temporarily a member of the Senate, with effect from 14th June, 2013 and continuing during the absence from Trinidad and Tobago of the said Senator the Honourable Devant Maharaj. 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 13th day of June, 2013.” OATH OF ALLEGIANCE Sen. Patricia Herry took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance as required by law. FINANCE (SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION) (FINANCIAL YEAR 2013) BILL, 2013 Bill to provide for the Supplementary Appropriation for the service of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year ending 30th September, 2013 of the sum of the issue of which was authorized by the Appropriation (Financial Year 2013) Act, 2012, brought from the House of Representatives [The Minister of Finance and the Economy]; read the first time. UNREVISED 3 Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) 2013.06.14 (Financial Year 2013) Bill, 2013 (cont’d) Motion made: That the next stage be taken at a later stage of the proceedings. Question put and agreed to. PAPERS LAID 1. The National Insurance (Benefits) (Amendment) Regulations, 2013. [Minister of Finance and the Economy (Sen. The Hon. Larry Howai)] 2. The Ministerial Response to the Ninth Report of the Joint Select Committee established to inquire and report to Parliament on Ministries, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Group 2) on the Trinidad and Tobago Solid Waste Management Company (SWMCOL). [Sen. The Hon. Ganga Singh] ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS The Minister of the Environment and Water Resources (Sen. The Hon. Ganga Singh): Mr. President, we wish a deferral to next week for the three questions listed on the Order Paper for oral answer. Clico/CLF (Update on Outstanding Matters) 51. Would the hon. Minister of Finance and the Economy provide an update with respect to all outstanding matters required to achieve a final resolution of the CLICO/CLF matter? [Sen. Dr. L. Henry] Question, by leave, deferred. Heritage Stabilisation Fund (Update on Performance) 52. Would the hon. Minister of Finance and the Economy provide an update on the performance of the Heritage and Stabilization Fund UNREVISED 4 Oral Answers to Questions 2013.06.14 (HSF), and state when the review of the provisions of the HSF, as required by section 22 of the HSF Act, will be laid before the Parliament? [Sen. Dr. L. Henry] Question, by leave, deferred. Children’s Hospital (Details of Proposed Construction) 53. Regarding the proposed construction of a new Children’s Hospital, would the Hon. Minister of Health indicate to the Senate: (a) how many other sites were considered for the location of the hospital; (b) was the chosen site the first site chosen; (c) whether design plans have already been prepared in respect of the hospital, and what is the projected cost of this project; (d) were any designs plans for this hospital drawn up for any site other than the one identified at (b) and discarded in favour of the current site; (e) if the answer to part (d) is in the affirmative, whether there has been any variation in the projected costs having regard to the changed location; (f) what are the financing arrangements for this project, including the repayment schedule; (g) when is the money to build the said hospital to become available to the government; (h) what is the anticipated completion date of the hospital; and UNREVISED 5 Oral Answers to Questions 2013.06.14 (i) the amount of money expended on the negotiation, planning, ground-preparation (including infrastructural work) and other such activities in respect of this hospital to date? [Sen. F. Hinds] Question, by leave, deferred. Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) (Financial Year 2013) Bill, 2013 The Minister of Finance and the Economy (Sen. The Hon. Larry Howai): Mr. President, I beg to move that: A Bill to provide for the Supplementary Appropriation for the service of TrinidadandTobago for the financial year ending 30th September, 2013 of the sum of the issue of which was authorized by the Appropriation (Financial Year 2013) Act, 2012, be now read a second time. Mr. President, this is a Finance Bill and it has been passed in the other place. The Bill provides for the supplementation of the 2013 appropriation in the sum of $2,898,091,400, to fund urgent and critical recurrent and capital expenditure to September2013. Because this involves salary adjustments of just under $1.8 billion, every Ministry is involved. I therefore ask your indulgence as I go through the list of appropriations. The increase is earmarked for the following Heads of expenditure: Auditor General, $523,400; Judiciary, $10,024,900; Industrial Court, $667,900; service commissions, $839,000; Tobago House of Assembly, $222,818,100; Personnel Department, $4,913,100; Ministry of Finance and the Economy, $75,875,000;Ministry of National Security, $203,751; UNREVISED 6 Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) 2013.06.14 (Financial Year 2013) Bill, 2013 (cont’d) Sen. The Hon. L. Howai (cont’d) Ministry of Legal Affairs, $10million; Ministry of Food Production, $74,937,900; Ministry of Education, $314,676,100; Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development, $7,568,000; Ministry of Public Administration, $40,459,700; Ministry of Transport, $136 million; Ministry of Tourism, $8,577,800; Ministry of Public Utilities, $6,300,000; Ministry of Local Government, $257million; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, $3,699,500; Ministry of the People and Social Development, $210,438,000; Ministry of Justice, $859,900; Ministry of Tobago Development, $2.4 million; Ministry of Housing, Land and Marine Affairs, $142 million; Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism ,$15,173,400; TrinidadandTobago Police Service, $661,290,200; Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development, $17.1 million; Ministry of Sport, $69,689,000; Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, $104 million; Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, $97million; Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, $190,187,500; Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration, $9,322,000. This brings the total to $2,898,091,400. Mr. President, permit to advise this honourable Senate that included under the Heads of Expenditure is a sum of just under $1.8 billion which represents the settlement of industrial agreements for various periods of time 2008—2010, 2009—2012 and, in some cases, some interim settlements for 2011—2013. The three largest Heads of Expenditure requiring supplemental resources for recurrent expenditure in areas other than personal expenditure are: the Ministry of the People and Social Development, the Ministry of Housing, Land and Marine Affairs and the Ministry of National Security. UNREVISED 7 Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) 2013.06.14 (Financial Year 2013) Bill, 2013 (cont’d) Sen. The Hon. L. Howai (cont’d) The Ministry of the People and Social Development requires an additional $210.43 million to meet the payment of social grants to the end of fiscal 2013. In the case of the Ministry of Housing, Land and Marine Affairs, the additional resource are required to facilitate expenditure under the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme for one, the expansion of beautification and landscaping activities, two, the engagement of four additional contractors and, three, the continued development of staff with emphasis on training.. Mr. President, with respect to the Ministry of National Security, the additional funding is required to supplement current transfers and subsidies in order to, one, replenish the Strategic Services Agency’s allocation which was utilized to meet interim payments for the training and maintenance support programme arising from the acquisition of four AW139 medium twin-turbine helicopters; two, to strengthen the disaster preparedness and mitigation capacities of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management in readiness for the upcoming hurricane season; three, payment of arrears to TSTT for the roll out of CCTV cameras in TrinidadandTobago and, four, for the Hoop of Life. Other speakers will go into detail on these and other related matters later in the proceedings, so I will not detain this honourable Senate in terms of going through all the details related to the supplemental appropriation which we are now requesting. Mr. President, the country’s fiscal position remains strong. [Desk thumping] This has been acknowledged by the International Monetary Fund UNREVISED 8 Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) 2013.06.14 (Financial Year 2013) Bill, 2013 (cont’d) Sen.