OUT OF ORDER

All of this happened after the Opposition bluntly refused an offer by the Government to suspend the sitting for one hour, so that both sides could meet and hammer out areas of disagreement with the bill, which is essential for ensuring that TT is compliant with the United States’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). At several times during the sitting, Annisette- George frequently warned Opposition MPs about cross talk and creating disorder.

She made it clear to them that she would enforce the Standing Orders should it become necessary.

Following the routine reading of the President’s proclamation to declare the new session open and the laying of 12 papers for consideration by two separate parliamentary joint select committees (JSCs), the drama unfolded when Finance Minister Colm Imbert re-opened debate on the Tax Information Bill, which was one of three bills preserved from the last parliamentary session under Standing Order 79(3).

After quoting from two separate Cabinet notes from May 2013 and October 2013, Imbert said it was clear that then People’s Partnership (PP) government was aware of the implications of FATCA. Imbert produced further documentary evidence which showed that on September 1, 2014, the PP agreed to sign the same inter-government agreement (IGA) for FATCA which he signed with the US government with August.

He further stated that the records also show the PP agreed the IGA be reciprocal and this debunked the Opposition’s concerns about reciprocity in the IGA which he signed. Opposition MPs became agitated and shouted across the floor at Government MPs when Imbert revealed that on December 2, 2014, the PP agreed with the US Treasury Department about the IGA.

Imbert said he consulted with the State’s attorneys and found out that in the first quarter of 2015, while the PP was in office, the Chief Parliamentary Counsel was directed to draft a tax information bill.

He said this was clear evidence that showed the Opposition had sight of the legislation 18 months ago and did not first see it when the Government brought the 2016 legislation to Parliament.

HEAT IN THE HOUSE Government MPs thumped their desks as Imbert quipped,”The dishonesty has to stop! This brought renewed protests from the Opposition as Imbert continued his contribution In response, he countered, “They don’t want the population to learn the truth!” Displaying the bill for all MPs to see, Imbert said the legislation was the same bill which the PP drafted, with the only difference being the date. As he shouted across the floor at Imbert, Annisette- George warned Naparima MP Rodney Charles, “This is not a boxing match.” He said while the Government received no amendments from the Opposition for the bill, the Opposition instead employed a “bizarre methodology” of publishing a newspaper advertisement to highlight its concerns about the bill. Going through each clause in the bill which was on highlighted in the ad, Imbert removed a clause which gave the Finance Minister a certain power and replaced it with the Board of Inland Revenue.

He was applauded for this by Opposition MPs.

He said two other clauses in the bill were already part of the 1989 Tax Information legislation and the PP had no objection to them over the last five years. He indicated that Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie, as a member of the then National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) government, voted for that legislation.

Imbert said Government could not support positions advanced by the Opposition on two other clauses in the bill as this would affect its ability and that of future governments to negotiate a series of bilateral agreements.

Noting the call by six business groups in the country for Government and the Opposition to work together and pass the bill, Imbert said all 23 People’s National Movement (PNM) MPs were set to vote for the bill. Government MPs thumped their desks as Imbert declared, “We are ready to go!” After providing evidence of stakeholder consultation on the bill, Imbert proposed the debate be suspended so Government and the Opposition could meet and reach consensus to pass the legislation.

AG: WHO PAID FOR THIS AD? When Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis moved the motion for the suspension, Opposition MPs rejected it and Persad-Bissessar called for a division.

The Government won that division 22 to 18.

During the division, Annisette-George ordered Moonilal to leave the Parliament Chamber after he challenged her about her authority on Standing Order 55.

Around 2.20 pm, the House was suspended until 3.20 pm for the meeting between Government and the Opposition.

The Opposition blanked the meeting, choosing instead to hold a caucus instead.

Upon the resumption of the sitting, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi asked Persad-Bissessar who paid for the ad.

Persad-Bissessar replied that she asked the Clerk of the House whether the Opposition Leader’s Office could pay to put out the ad. “So we have just found out that taxpayers dollars were used to pay for a full page advertisement, coming out of the lips of the Leader of the Opposition,” Al-Rawi said.

Saying the contents of the ad were at odds with the Opposition’s behaviour, Al-Rawi said it was incredible that the Opposition refused to meet with the Government for free to discuss the bill in the interests of the population.

He said with Imbert having removed three of the Opposition main concerns from the legislation, it was was baffling why the Opposition could not sit with Government to resolve the outstanding three issues which prevented the bills passage. As Al-Rawi reiterated Imbert’s position about the Cabinet notes on FATCA which her former Cabinet considered, Persad- Bissessar jumped to her feet and shouted, “I object!” Persad-Bissessar raised no Standing Order as she objected to Al-Rawi’s comments. As other Opposition MPs joined her protest, Annisette- George, “I now rule that your conduct is out of order in accordance with Standing Order 55 (4) and I am asking you to withdraw from the Chamber.” As other Opposition MPs howled in protest and Persad-Bissessar gathered her belongings to leave, Padarath shouted, “Nonsense!” Annisette- George swiftly ordered Padarath to leave as well. This prompted other Opposition MPs to gather their belongings and leave, some of them grumbling, “dictatorship” and “put out everybody.” Only Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie did not join the Opposition walkout and left the Chamber when the adjournment came at 4.30 pm.

As the Opposition walked out, Al-Rawi said it was instructive that Annisette-George had ruled there was misconduct by “no less a person” than Persad-Bissessar.

Declaring the Opposition had offered no explanation why it could not “sit down and do the people’s business today,” Al-Rawi said this was, “total disrespect to TT.” Saying the walkout was evidence of misconduct and gross dereliction of duty, Al-Rawi said the Opposition was leaving offering no solution to the FATCA issue.

While Government was prepared to have a full debate with the Opposition and go “right down to the wire on a decision that TT relies upon,” Al-Rawi quipped.

“I want to say now. I am convinced that the Opposition always intended to walk out.” Al-Rawi added, “This is a tragedy to the taxpayers of TT...

it is a disgrace to our country...this is a shame on the Opposition... and on the country.”