House passes two bills while awaiting reshuffle

AS Government ministers yesterday awaited the much anticipated announcement of the Cabinet reshuffle, they got down to work in the House of Represen-tatives, passing at least two bills before the 4 pm statement by Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

During the debates, several ministers were seen in and out of the Chamber. The Opposi-tion UNC, before the start of the sitting, commented that the ministers were lining up outside the tea room awaiting their turn to see the PM. Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh at one time asked, “When, is the funeral?” Deputy Speaker Hedwidge Bereaux responded that “we always ready for a funeral. Usually yours.” Notably absent at the time were Diego Martin East and  West MPs,  Dr Keith Rowley and Colm Imbert. When they emerged from a reported meeting with Manning at 2.50 pm, they didn’t look too happy. They were relieved of their posts and named as the new Housing and Science and Technology Ministers respectively. Also during the debate, Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday temporarily created a UNC reshuffle of his own, when he opted to sit on the “Opposition back bench,” as Singh was on his feet.

At the start of the sitting, debate of the Firearms Amendment Bill suffered a temporary setback, as the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and MP for St Ann’s East, Anthony Roberts, was out of the House. Speaker Barry Sinanan suspended the sitting for ten minutes to accommodate the MP. Roberts had to wrap up the debate as no one opted to further speak about it. On resumption, the bill was passed with at least three amendments. One of which was to increase the age of a person who could obtain a firearms licence from 18 years to 25 years. The bill amending the Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation Act to allow for TTPost to be exempt from taxes and other charges until June 2004, was also passed. Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas said the extension was needed because the company had lost 21 months of tax exemption due to the late commencement of its operations. June next year will also be the expiry date of the five-year delegated management agreement of the corporation.