Senate passes Finance Bill

Finance Minister Colm Imbert, hit the Opposition by saying it’s not the first time heads of expenditure have been varied, as running a budget is a dynamic situation. He chided, “There must be more substance in contributions, or we are just talking for talking’s sake. I beg to move!” Otherwise in reply to urgent questions, Acting Senate Leader, Paula Gopee-Scoon, said a recent oil-spill at La Brea had been fully cleaned up and had caused no environmental damage.

She also said that in a recent case of a man caught in the toilet of a southern girls primary school, no exposure had taken place, razor wire has been installed and extra security been hired by the Parent Teachers Association (PTA).

Later, in reply to Opposition Senator Wade Mark’s motion on the adjournment Culture Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly confirmed the National Carnival Commission (NCC) is organising the ticketing and revenues of this Carnival’s steelband and calypso shows. While Mark had said a 1997 Cabinet Note had said each interest group would run its own shows, Gadsby-Dolly said such a policy contravenes the NCC Act, unless amended by the relevant Attorney General which had never happened