Baksh showcases UNC crime performance

OPPOSITION Senator Sadiq Baksh will attempt to show the United National Congress’ (UNC) performance on crime when the Senate sits from 1.30 pm tomorrow. In his lone question to National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee, Baksh wants to know the number of new police officers recruited into the Police Service on an annual basis from 1991 to 2001 ( the periods of the first Patrick Manning administration and its UNC successor). Senate Minority Leader Wade Mark will ask Labour Minister Larry Achong whether Government has plans to further increase the national minimum wage and steps to improve the conditions of work of specialised groups of workers. However, Mark’s question to Prime Minister Patrick Manning about the benefits to consumers of the recent reduction in the international price of wheat will have to wait until Manning returns from the Caricom Heads of Government summit which began on Saturday in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The UNC chairman may also be unable to ask Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith about public sector reform as Saith is still recovering from surgery. UNC Senator Arnim Smith will ask Local Government Minister Jarrette Narine about monies for URP from October 2002 to April 2003. Smith will also ask Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas about monies for CEPEP during that same period. Opposition Senator Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan will ask Energy Minister Eric Williams to say whether any ex-National Petroleum employees have been hired as consultants with NP from January 2002 to the present.

Debate will continue on Independent Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran’s motion for live, televised parliamentary debates and his colleague Professor Ken Ramchand’s motion for a Technical University of Trinidad and Tobago. Opposition motions for equality opportunity legislation, anti-terrorism measures, regulation of the banking sector and corruption in public office will also be debated. At last week’s sitting, the UNC claimed Private Members Day was “kidnapped” when the Government moved to debate the Immigration (Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals Amendment) Bill 2003. The Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal remains missing from the Senate Order Paper for yet another week. The motion was removed in April after the UNC said it was not prepared to debate it.