Questions arise over use of document by senator

Government senators said they did not have the document. Finance Minister Colm Imbert said the information which Small was referring to information contained in the report of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives.

He said when the Senate debates money bills, it does not debate that report. Small replied that he had referred to such information in the past but would be guided by Senate President Christine Kangaloo’s ruling on the matter. Kangaloo then suspended the sitting for ten minutes to sort the matter out. During the suspension, acting Leader of Government Business, Paula Gopee-Scoon, Leader of Opposition Business Wade Mark and Co-ordinator of the Independent bench Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir were seen actively discussing the matter amongst themselves on the fringes of the Parliament Chamber When the sitting resumed, Kangaloo said, “This document...

that is named Senate document...

contains what I would say to be background information. If you actually read the front of it...it talks about the variations which then leads to the bill that is before us.

She said when Imbert introduced the bill, “he dealt specifically with the items set out in the bill.” Kangaloo added, “Therefore I don’t think that we should be referring or asking too many questions on what is listed in this Senate document...

those items that don’t form part of the bill.” The sitting resumed and the bill was passed.

Earlier in the debate, Imbert reiterated the purpose total revenue for 2016 was $44.9 billion, expenditure was $52.2 billion and the deficit was $7.2 billion. Gopee- Scoon said the transfer of $370 million from the Energy Ministry to the Social Development Ministry, benefitted 28,000 pensioners in TT. However Mark was sceptical.

“Behind these numbers, we have a story,” he stated.

Mark warned that Government was leading the country into a debt trap, “the economy has crashed and we are in the negative zone.”