Hinds ‘welcomes’ Basdeo Panday

On May 10, 2004, the Equal Opportunity Act 2000 was declared unconstitutional by a ruling of the High Court. The Act came out of the minority passing of the Equal Opportunity (Amendment) Bill 1999. Hinds’ criticism came during a special sitting of the Parliament to deal with the Bill now entitled “An Act to prohibit certain kinds of discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity between persons, of different status to establish an Equal Opportunity Commission and an Equal Opportunity Tribunal and for other related matters.”

Hinds said that the 2000 Act focused on racial discrimination saying that Panday who piloted the Bill had, “put things in the context of race and race alone.” He asserted that the Act gave the wrong impression. Princess Town MP Subhas Panday strongly disagreed, urging Hinds to read Panday’s address.

Hinds then read the portion of the 2000 address in which Panday said that, “the purpose of the Bill is to help us deal with the management of diversity in our own society.”

He then sought to further discredit the then Act and complimented citizens saying that “we” have done a, “tremendous job as a nation in managing the diversity which we have inherited.”

“I salute you,” declared Hinds as he gave a commander’s salute to the Opposition benches.

A fiery Hinds responded to interruptions by Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath by referring to Panday saying, “the lion is back and the beast might be coming!” An interruption by Persad-Bissessar was met by a fierce Hinds who pointed his index finger at her and said, “I will respond to you when you speak!” When Deputy House Speaker Hedwige Bereaux intervened and asked for Persad-Bissessar to withhold her comments Hinds smiled and quipped, “Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker...playing lioness.”