Danny to rescue Hazel again?

WILL Legal Affairs Minister Danny Montano once again become Education Minister Hazel Manning’s “knight in shining armour” to protect her from the wrath of the Opposition UNC and particularly his brother, Robin Montano? That question will be answered when the Senate sits on Tuesday at 1.30 pm.

At that sitting, Manning will again attempt to answer Opposition queries pertaining to credit cards issued to primary school children for the academic year 2003/2004. At last Tuesday’s sitting of the Upper House, Manning was interrupted by Montano (R) who objected vehemently to the manner in which she was answering the question. This prompted the Legal Affairs Minister to ask Senate Vice-President Rawle Titus to refer to Section 43 (3) of the Standing Orders and use his judgment in the matter.  Section 43 (3) states that the Senate President may order any member to withdraw immediately from the Senate during the remainder of the sitting, and may direct steps be taken, as are required to enforce such action where the conduct of a member is grossly disorderly or has used objectionable, insulting or offensive words or unparliamentary expressions. Titus instead opted to caution all senators about bringing the Upper House into disrepute.

UNC Senator Sadiq Baksh will attempt to ask Attorney General John Jeremie to give the dates on which Canadian forensic investigator Bob Lindquist or companies owned by or affliated to him, were engaged to carry out investigations in Trinidad and Tobago for the period January 1, 2000 to November 30, 2003. At a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall on January 2, Jeremie said Government’s investigations into corruption scandals under its UNC predecessor had taken it to foreign jurisdictions and Government was receiving good cooperation from the territories involved. On Sunday, Newsday was reliably informed that arrests arising out of recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry into the Piarco Airport Development Project are imminent. Several key persons in that project have reportedly fled TT and one has allegedly migrated to Costa Rica and allegedly paid US$1 million to secure citizenship there. Baksh, who was Works Minister during the initial phases of the project, refused to appear before that Commission. Government bills listed for second reading include legislation to establish the Caribbean Court of Justice as TT’s final appellate court and to vest certain State lands in the National Housing Authority for a period of 999 years.