Calm in Parliament tomorrow

AFTER three days of political crossfire in the House of Representatives last week, culminating in the defeat of the Police Reform Bills on Friday, calm is expected to return to the parliamentary arena when the Senate sits tomorrow at 1.30 pm. Public Administration and Information Minister Dr Lenny Saith’s statement on granting licences to 13 new radio stations over the next two years and the debate on the Venture Capital Amendment Bill 2004 could hardly be considered to be political powder kegs, but the Opposition UNC is almost certain to fire a few parting shots at Government for its inability to pass the Bills in the Lower House.

The Bills were originally slated to be debated in the Senate on June 29 but National Security Minister Martin Joseph asked that the Bills be transferred to the Lower House for debate instead. Despite numerous reports of Independent Senators’ being set to oppose the Bills, leader of the Independent Senators, Dr Eastlyn McKenzie, said the Independents would take no position on the Bills until they came before the Senate. Yesterday, Leader of Government Business in the Lower House, Ken Valley, said Government had not decided when the Bills will be re-tabled in Parliament. With the furore of last week gone, tomorrow’s Senate proceedings are expected to be routine with the usual batch of questions from the Opposition. These include questions to Local Government Minister Rennie Dumas, Works Minister Franklyn Khan and Energy Minister Eric Williams about URP, the Piarco Overlay Project and the proposed aluminium smelter plant respectively. Acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams will also move a motion to adopt a report of a parliamentary joint select committee on the public broadcast of debates and business of both Houses of Parliament.