Red House motion on May 23

This week will be a hectic one for the nation’s parliamentarians with sittings of the Senate and House of Representatives and with parliamentary joint select committee (JSC) meetings from tomorrow to Friday.

McKenzie placed a motion on the Senate’s Order Paper of April 11 asking that the Senate appoint a committee to sit jointly with the Lower House’s committee to assess the adequacy of the Red House for the long term accommodation of both Houses of Parliament and report its recommendations back to the Senate within the next six months. In terms of private business, the Upper House is currently debating a motion by Independent Senator Prof Ramesh Deosaran on measures being taken by Government to address the crime situation in TT.

McKenzie said she has spoken with Senate Opposition Leader Wade Mark, who has a private members’ motion ahead of her own, and he has agreed to let her motion proceed once debate on Deosaran’s motion is completed. Private members’ motions are debated in the Senate and the Lower House on the fourth Tuesdays and Fridays of every month respectively.

Parliament sources told Newsday this means that the next Private Members Day in the Senate would be on May 23. Sources said if debate on Deosaran’s motion is completed at that time, the debate could begin on McKenzie’s motion then. McKenzie said the reason behind this motion was to clear the air of rumors about the proposed relocation of Parliament from the Red House and to get to the heart of the matter.

Manning has made no secret of his longstanding desire to have the Office of the Prime Minister relocated from Whitehall to the Red House and has used historical antecedents to support his argument. McKenzie’s senatorial colleague, Prof Ken Ramchand, has been at the forefront of efforts opposing the relocation of Parliament from the Red House.

However tomorrow at 1.30 pm, Local Government Minister Rennie Dumas will begin debate on a motion to validate the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) (Local Government) Bill 2005 in the Senate. Time permitting, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Valley will begin debate on the Fair Trading Bill 2006. Dumas will be in the Lower House at 1.30 pm on Friday to kick off debate on the EBC (Local Government) Order 2006.

The JSC (Government Ministries, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises II) will meet again with officials of Alutrint Ltd, the National Energy Corporation and the National Gas Company at the Red House on Wednesday at 10 am to discuss plans to establish an aluminum complex in south-west Trinidad. The Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee meets with officials of the Vehicle Maintenance Corporation of TT ( VMCOTT) on Thursday at 1.30 pm to discuss the Auditor-General’s report on its financial statements for 2004.