PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FIRST SESSION (2015) OF THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF GUYANA UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA HELD IN THE PARLIAMENT CHAMBER, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, BRICKDAM, GEORGETOWN 9TH Sitting Wednesday, 19TH August, 2015 The Assembly convened at 1.01 p.m. Prayers [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER Nomination of Members to the Committee of Supply and Business Sub-Committee Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I would like to announce that on tomorrow, Thursday, 20th August, 2015, the Assembly will meet to nominate Members to comprise the Committee of Selection. Thereafter, the Committee of Selection will meet to nominate Members to comprise the Business Sub-Committee of the Committee of Supply. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS, INCLUDING POLICY STATEMENTS Reduction in the prices of gasoline and dieseline 1 Minister of Finance [Mr. Jordan]: Earlier, in my Budget 2015 presentation, as set out therein, are measures that are essentially pro poor. I indicated then and I want to indicate now that those were not the be-all and end-all of all our measures, and that we continue to look for ways in which we can help, particularly the poor and lower earning people. I am pleased to announce today, Sir, that with effect from tomorrow Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL) will be reducing its prices for both its gasoline and dieseline products. Gasoline at GUYOIL, with effect from tomorrow, will retail at $168 per litre from $174.70 currently. Diesel will retail at $199 per litre from its current $210. It is hoped, Sir, that these decreases trending in the right direction will be passed on to the consumer, especially in light of the impending opening of school, where schoolchildren in particular will have to be using public transportation. False allegation by the Opposition Vice–President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs [Mr. Allicock]: In the course of the general debate on the Budget 2015 several Members from the Opposition benches have alleged that A Partnership for Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government is practising ethnic cleansing. Specific mention was made that 2,000 Amerindian youths, who were Community Support Officers (CSOs), were dismissed from their jobs. I wish to place on record that my Government has not fired or dismissed the estimated 1,972 Community Support Officers, as is being falsely alleged by the People‘s Progressive Party (PPP), Opposition. I would like to allow the nation to know that this is very misleading. The former People‘s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government had made no financial allocations for CSOs beyond April, 2015. By Cabinet‘s decision, dated 18th March, 2015, the sum of $234,240,000 was approved for 1,952 Community Support Officers, as stipends for the period of January – April, 2015. It is clear that there is evidence that the former PPP/C Government has severed or cut lose the CSOs. The CSOs need to know that the PPP/C regime had made no provisions to pay them stipends beyond April, 2015. I need to say it again - the CSOs need to know that the PPP/C regime had made no provisions to pay them stipends beyond April, 2015. It is evident that these Amerindian youths have been recruited under a political scheme called Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP). They were not employed as 2 contracted employees or public servants. They were not provided any guarantee to employment or legal protection as workers. All that they were offered, on a periodical basis, was a stipend of $30,000 each month without any stipulation that it was being made to persons engaged in training for a specific period. For more information, it appeared that the PPP/C Government had shut down the programme and had left the CSOs exposed, exposing them as political activists in a so-called ‗red shirt brigade‘, to join picket lines and campaigns for the PPP. You know it, over there. The APNU/AFC Government is committed to training and job security for all of our young people, not only 2,000, including Amerindian youths. As it was enunciated by His Excellency President David Granger, in his address to the National Toshaos Council‘s meeting on the 18th August, 2015, ―Young people want permanency, not adversity. They do not want to be placed on a hinterland dole, they want careers.‖ Towards this end, with effect from 1st September, 2015, the YEAP will be replaced by the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service… Ms. Teixeira: Mr. Speaker, can I be recognised? Hon. Members (Government): Continue reading. Mr. Allicock: …and all former CSOs will be eligible to… Mr. Speaker: I recognise the… Ms. Teixeira: Mr. Speaker, with due respect to you, as you are a new Speaker of this House… [An Hon. Member: That is insulting.] I do not in any way mean it to be insulting. Mr. Speaker: I would thank the Hon. Member to stick to the Point of Order. Ms. Teixeira: My Point of Order, Sir, is that any Minister of Government can make a right to reply under the Standing Orders at any time during the debate. Therefore the Point of Order, Sir, is that they should be using a different Standing Order at a different time, and it is not ―Statements by Ministers…‖ to correct what was said before, Sir. That is not under the ―Statements by Ministers…‖ 3 Mr. Speaker: I thank the Hon. Member, and Minister I thank you to continue. Mr. Allicock: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for your consideration. Towards this end, with effect from 1st September, 2015, the YEAP will be replaced by the Hinterland Employment and Youth Services. All former CSOs will be eligible to be enlisted for training to receive relevant skills, so as to enable them to earn an income in the pursuit of suitable livelihood and a means to enjoy the good life. Under the new initiative we hope to train thousands of young people while paying them a stipend. We do have more than 2,000 Indigenous People in this country that we have to take care of. We will bring an end to the abuse of our young people for the political purposes. We reject the allegation of ethnic cleansing as false and mischievous and dangerous peddling of racism and division. Thank you very much. [Applause] PUBLIC BUSINESS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MOTION REPRESENTATION ON COMMITTEE OF SELECTION WHEREAS Standing Order No. 81(1) makes provision for the establishment of a Standing Committee to be known as the Committee of Selection, as soon as may be after the beginning of each National Assembly; AND WHEREAS Standing Order No. 81(2) provides that the Committee of Selection shall consist of the Speaker as the Chairperson, and not less than six (6) or more than ten (10) Members to be nominated by the Assembly; AND WHEREAS at the 2nd Sitting of the National Assembly of the 10th Parliament on the Friday, 10th February, 2012, the majority Opposition amended the composition of the Committee of Selection to be reduced from ten (10) to nine (9) Members, namely, five (5) representing the Opposition and four (4) representing the Government. 4 AND WHEREAS in this 11th Parliament, the Government is in the majority and the Opposition in the minority; AND WHEREAS the Government is desirous that the Committee of Selection should be constituted to reflect the majority held by the Government in the 11th Parliament, ―BE IT RESOLVED: That the National Assembly approves that the membership of the Committee of Selection be five (5) representing the Government and four (4) representing the Opposition.‖ [First Vice– President and Prime Minister] Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have given consent, in accordance with Standing Order 28 (2), for the following motion to be proceeded with at this sitting. Hon. First-Vice President and Prime Minister will move the following motion First Vice–President and Prime Minister [Mr. Nagamootoo]: ―WHEREAS Standing Order No. 81(1) makes provision for the establishment of a Standing Committee to be known as the Committee of Selection, as soon as may be after the beginning of each National Assembly; AND WHEREAS Standing Order No. 81(2) provides that the Committee of Selection shall consist of the Speaker as the Chairperson, and not less than six (6) or more than ten (10) Members to be nominated by the Assembly; AND WHEREAS at the 2nd Sitting of the National Assembly of the 10th Parliament on the Friday, 10th February, 2012, the majority Opposition amended the composition of the Committee of Selection to be reduced from ten (10) to nine (9) Members, namely, five (5) representing the Opposition and four (4) representing the Government. AND WHEREAS in this 11th Parliament, the Government is in the majority and the Opposition in the minority; AND WHEREAS the Government is desirous that the Committee of Selection should be constituted to reflect the majority held by the Government in the 11th Parliament, 5 BE IT RESOLVED: That the National Assembly approves that the membership of the Committee of Selection be five (5) representing the Government and four (4) representing the Opposition.‖ Motion proposed. 1.16 p.m. Ms. Teixeira: Mr. Speaker, are you not allowing any discussion on this Motion? I am just seeking your guidance because a motion has been put to the House and it is normally debated. So could you please advise me, are you going directly to the vote without a debate? Mr. Speaker: I thank the Hon. Member. The motion is proposed. Do I have any speakers on the motion? Ms. Teixeira: In the last Parliament, the Opposition combined had one seat more and they brought amendments to the parliamentary committees to give themselves a majority by four seats for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), one seat for Alliance for Change (AFC) and four seats for the People‘s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).