New Senate President Christine Kangaloo says her new job “carries tremendous responsibility” and she is prepared to execute it to the best of her ability.
She said so during her maiden speech in the Senate during Wednesday’s ceremonial opening of the First Session of the Eleventh Parliament at the J Hamilton-Maurice Room at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain.
Kangaloo said her “responsibility is to preserve the order, authority and dignity of this Chair. This responsibility I take seriously.”
Earlier, Kangaloo and the other 15 Government senators, six Opposition and nine Independents took their oaths.
Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Franklin Khan, said Senators must strive to lifting the level of debate during the new session.
He said the Government Senators “will conduct ourselves with decorum, dignity and (be) always mindful of fair play, transparency and good governance.”
Khan then urged all senators to “lift their standards of debate,” adding that it must be done to ensure the national interest was met instead of the partisan interest.
He said the Govt bench reflected “a judicious mix of experience and youth.”
And co-ordinator of the Independent Senators Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir said during the next five years senators must work together to advance the nation.
The Senate was adjourned to a date to be fixed and is not likely to sit until after the budget is debated in the House of Representatives. The budget is expected to be presented for debate by Finance Minister Colm Imbert on October 5 at 1.30 pm.