Will Parliament be on the street?

FORMER senate president Michael Williams expressed horror that Government could be hell-bent on throwing Parliament out of the Red House and put  “on the street.”

Responding to an exclusive Newsday story in which Government reportedly took a firm decision to move Parliament out of the Red House and place the Office of the Prime Minister there, Williams said he could not believe Government could be so “devious” in contemplating such action. He recalled that when this issue was first raised in February 2003, he did not share Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s view that facilities at the Red House were inadequate to properly service the needs of Parliament or that the Red House should be the location for the Office of the PM. “Are they prepared to put Parliament on the street?” Williams asked.

The former senate president said the “precincts of the House” fell under the jurisdiction of House Speaker Barry Sinanan and he was curious to know what Sinanan’s thoughts were on the matter. Efforts to contact Sinanan and current senate president Dr Linda Baboolal were unsuccessful.