UNC quiet in Senate tomorrow

THE OPPOSITION United National Congress (UNC) will have few questions for the Government when the Senate sits at 1.30 pm tomorrow, 24 hours after today’s Local Government Election.  Senate Opposition Leader Wade Mark will question Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas about salaries paid to WASA executives, plans to increase water rates and repairs to an underground leak in the Belmont area.

UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh has one question to Housing Minister Martin Joseph on a recently signed housing loan agreement between Government and the Inter-American Development Bank.  Opposition Senator Jennifer Jones Kernahan will ask Agriculture Minister John Rahael about the State’s land policy for Trinidad and Tobago and other agriculture matters. UNC Senator Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan will ask Energy Minister Eric Williams about the country’s proven natural gas reserves. There are no questions for UNC Senator Arnim Smith who was embarrassed at last week’s sitting when his senatorial appointment was temporarily revoked and then reinstated after Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) executive member Dr Patricia Deonarine failed to show up. The UNC wanted to appoint Deonarine as a temporary Opposition Senator so she could offer a doctor’s perspective on proposed amendments to the Medical Board Act.

Debate will continue on Independent Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran’s motion for live televised parliamentary debates and Independent Senator Ken Ramchand’s motion for a Technical University of TT. The Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal remains off the Senate Order Paper while a UNC motion on equal opportunity legislation has been dropped. UNC motions on terrorism, the banking sector and corruption in public office will also be up for debate.