In a surprise move, the Opposition walked out of Parliament yesterday, after its requests to debate the plight of financially disadvantaged sick children and the country’s soaring murder rate were refused by House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George.
The walkout occurred just before Finance Minister Colm Imbert delivered his explanation of government’s $2.5 billion withdrawal from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF).
But even before the walkout took place, tensions had been generated between the Speaker and Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal over the way he had attempted to present a question.
Moonilal had filed a question for reply by the Government concerning the injunction granted to the National Gas Company against the assets of Super Industrial Services Ltd (SIS).
He’d started to read the question he had originally filed with the Parliament. But he was halted by the Speaker and advised to read the question (number seven) as it was stated on the agenda. He remarked then that he should read “your question” (inferring the question as it was structured on the parliament’s agenda). The Speaker asked him to withdraw that statement and apologise.
Moonilal asked what he should withdraw. He was told to withdraw the statement he made about the question. He questioned, “What statement is that?”
The Speaker then suspended proceedings for three minutes.
During the break, Moonilal showed reporters the original question he’d filed and started reading. It was different from the one on the agenda. When proceedings resumed, the Speaker asked if he’d had an “opportunity to consider what your position is.”
Moonilal asked if he should read question seven and in response to her next question—if he would read the one on the agenda—agreed to do so. He didn’t apologise or withdraw the earlier statement, nor was he asked about it by the Speaker again, and proceedings continued.
But shortly after, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar unsuccessfully sought leave to raise two matters of urgent national importance for debate.
One involved government’s failure to provide timely access to the Children’s Life Fund to financially disadvantaged children in need of urgent life-saving medical treatment. She noted several children had already died because of government’s failure to provide this and the lives of other children similarly circumstanced were in jeopardy.
Another motion concerned government’s failure to address the unprecedented increase in the number of murders in T&T, which Persad-Bissessar said had citizens living in fear and was damaging T&T’s international reputation.
But the Speaker said the motions didn’t qualify under the Standing Orders where they were filed and suggested another SO.
She added that while the matters were important, they needed to be filed correctly. She also said there was need for a meeting between the presiding officer and Opposition MPs and a request had been received. She said she expected the chief whip’s delegation to take the opportunity of the meeting next Monday for “all these matters” to be clarified.
Opposition MPs then rose and exited the chamber.
Briefing thrown out of Parliament
The Opposition UNC was yesterday denied access to a parliament space to host a media conference after they walked out the House.
They had intended to explain the walkout to reporters, at a planned briefing at the office of the Opposition at the Parliament complex. But parliament communication official Jason Elcock told reporters that press conferences weren’t allowed while the House was in session. Instead, the Opposition addressed reporters on the parliament grounds.
Persad-Bissessar said she was casting no negative reflection or aspersion on the speaker’s refusal to allow the two matters for debate, but added, “We’re very disappointed as we believe it’s urgent to save the lives of children, one child (Naveen Harrypersad) died two weeks ago and another, previously.”
She noted the deaths occurred while parents awaited a determination by the Attorney General of the definition of ”exceptional circumstances” in order to access the fund.
“That’s totally offensive and horrendous,” she said, adding she also tried for the second time to have the murder situation debated.
“The National Security Minister gives us these platitudes, yet daily murders are occurring, unprecedented; they’re outstripping the numbers of days in the year. It must be a priority discussion—that’s what Parliament is for.”
Moonilal, explaining the matter with the Speaker, said a question had appeared on the agenda in his name but he hadn’t recognised it and was merely indicating to the presiding officer that it wasn’t his question. He said he wasn’t prepared to ask a question which wasn’t his and had a difficulty with that and was “merely enquiring if the Speaker had drafted the question, but I’m not rude to anybody, I have no intention of being disrespectful to anyone—I was just seeking clarification.”
Persad-Bissessar said the walkout had nothing to do with Moonilal’s issue.
“We walked out when we were disappointed that these two matters which are urgent to people were not allowed,” she said.
She also said Imbert’s HSF statement also lacked details on what the funds would be used for and was a waste of time.