Baboolal hails ‘maidens’

“If it was a cricket match we would not be getting anywhere,” punned President of the Senate Dr Linda Baboolal, noting the prevalence of “maidens” offered in the Upper House on Wednesday evening.

She was actually congratulating two Senators — Senate vice president Rawle Titus, known also by the calypso sobriquet of “Axeback,” and frequent temporary Senator Joan Hackshaw-Marcelin — on presenting their maiden speeches to the Senate. Titus had begun by saluting the Government for the tone of debate it had set, and by championing the problems of Tobagonians including the 30 to 40 percent price increase they paid on imports from Trinidad. But then replying to Opposition Senator Arnim Smith’s claim that the identity of criminals and kidnappers was widely known, Titus suggested Smith might know those identities, and got tied up in cross-bench banter.

Facing continued heckling, Titus then invoked the parliamentary convention that a maiden speech is never interrupted, declaring: “This is my first contribution from this position.” A jovial Opposition Senator Wade Mark assured: “My troops will declare a ceasefire.” Hackshaw-Marcelin had initially stepped up to the crease with some trepidation after her predescesor, Titus, had faced fierce Opposition volleys. But one UNC Senator assured: “Don’t worry I’ll protect you.”  Hackshaw-Marcelin said young people should take advantage of the opportunities offered to them by the Budget. She urged them to establish a personal road map to chart their lives, including identifying milestones for the coming years. Urging them not to waste a single day, she quoted poetry to inspire: “The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.”