Senate adjourns after 7-minute sitting

This led Minority Leader Wade Mark to suggest that Government should not hold Senate sittings in the future on the Easter Tuesday and allow the people of Tobago to celebrate their Easter activities.

Leader of Government Business Dr Lenny Saith advised the Upper House that the Local Government Minister “was unable to be here at this time.” Saith added that it would have been unfair to MPs to move on to the next bill — Fair Trading Commission Bill — without giving them adequate time to prepare. He proposed an adjournment until April 25, which is Private Members Day.

He promised that the Senate would have to work “twice as hard” on the next regular day (of Government Business) which is May 2.

But Mark suggested that Government knew all along that Dumas would not be available. “Easter Tuesday is traditionally celebrated in Tobago,” he said. He registered his disappointment that Parliament’s time was being wasted with MPs having to come only to be told that the Senate was being adjourned. He urged Government to consult with the Opposition and Independents beforehand on such issues.

Saith responded that while he was not there to “score political points”, he believed he informed the Clerk beforehand of the possibility of an adjournment and that this was relayed to Senators.

Contacted in Tobago, Dumas said Easter weekend was a significant part of Tobago’s cultural, social and economic life. “It is very big and therefore you try to attend,” he said. He added however that to get on a flight was a “challenge”.

Saying that he meant no disrespect to the Parliament, Dumas stated that as a Cabinet member, one had to walk a tightrope between attending community and national functions. “People at the extremities complain that they don’t see us enough and if one does attend functions one is vilified with people saying ‘now he is there (in the Cabinet and Parliament) he has no time for us”.

Dumas said while Mark had an interest in portraying the Government in a bad light, he (Mark) knew that Tobago could not be ignored. He said he did not plan to stay over the Easter Tuesday, but had transportation difficulties. “Rennie Dumas don’t behave like that. Rennie Dumas is a very direct person, there is no subterfuge here,” Dumas said. The EBC Validation Bill seeks to validate the EBC Local Government report.