Final Senate session today

THE SENATE will hold its final sitting for 2003 today at 1.30 pm.  Today’s sitting will see Senate Minority Leader Wade Mark attempt to do the impossible by mixing oil and water issues in the Upper House. 

The UNC chairman will ask Public Utilities Minister Pennelope Beckles to indicate the number of gallons of desalinated water purchased from Desalcott from the commencement of the company’s operations on October 1, 2003, the cost of the water purchased from Desalcott and the revenue derived from the sale of water from Desalcott. Mark will then ask Energy Minister Eric Williams to state the daily throughput of crude oil at the Pointe-a-Pierre Refinery from January 1, 2002 to October 31, 2003, the average daily production of crude oil in Trinidad and Tobago during that period and the amount of crude oil imported. He then switches gears to ask Junior Finance Minister Conrad Enill to inform the Senate of the total monies collected by the Board of Inland Revenue on behalf of the Green Fund Agency from the inception of the Fund.

Attorney-General John Jeremie’s legislative brief remains packed and he will present a series of bills for second reading which include legislation to implement the Caribbean Court of Justice as TT’s final appellate court and to amend the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. Also listed for debate on the Order Paper are Independent Senator, Prof Ramesh Deosaran’s motion for live parliamentary debates and Opposition motions on corruption in public life and equal opportunity legislation and calling upon the House to “reaffirm its commitment to the elimination of discrimination in all its forms and the right of the individual to the equality of treatment from public authorities.”