Kamla hits Government for 'disrespect' over blacklist bill

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar hit the Government for bringing a voluminous bill on the first day on the new session (year) of Parliament and for adding lengthy last-minute amendments.

She spoke in the House of Representatives on September 13 on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Global Forum) Bill 2024 which amends 16 existing laws pertaining to taxation and financial accountability.

She began by saying the Prime Minister has been out of the country for a total of 372 days excluding his current medical trip to the USA.

"That is more than one year."

Persad-Bissessar taunted Finance Minister Colm Imbert saying his seat was now five places down from the top of the front benches. She suggested he had been downgraded and was now "a bit jumpy."

She said while Imbert had been acting PM for most times Dr Rowley has been absent, this time it was Energy Minister Stuart Young. She said maybe the rumours were true that Young will ultimately succeed Rowley.

Congratulating Young, she nonetheless said she hoped Imbert would read the budget, as she liked his smile.

Persad-Bissessar said the Global Forum was an international body requiring transparency and an exchange of information regarding tax matters.

Of the current bill being presented to get Trinidad and Tobago compliant with the Global Forum, she said, "One bill amends 16 laws in one rush to go."

Saying TT has been blacklisted by the Global Forum since 2017, she asked if TT has lost its correspondent banking, that is approval for foreign banks to do business with TT entities. Persad-Bissessar asked if TT's blacklisting in the Global Forum was now responsible for the requirement that any TT national travelling to the UK as of November will first have to apply for a electronic travel authorisation (ETA) unlike now not needing a visa.

"This is restricting our travel," she lamented. The website said countries whose citizens will need an ETA to enter the UK included Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and USA.

Mulling the bill's effect on the Prevention of Corruption Act, she said it lets the police enter a person's home to search for their tax records, subject to a judge's nod. She noted the bill may be passed by a mere simple majority, but wondered about granting the police such access to a person's records.

Saying the bill was 119 pages long and was very lengthy and very detailed, Persad-Bissessar mused, "I don't know how this Government operates."

She said not only had the Government broken tradition by having a debate on the first day in the new parliamentary session/year, but the Opposition had only received the bill two days prior, that is September 11.

"Now I am looking to the minister of finance saying he has voluminous amendments.

"You blind-side us. How can we speak to amendments at this eleventh hour?" She hit the Government for "disrespect and contempt."

The Government was shambolic and chaotic for rushing this major piece of legislation.

Persad-Bissessar said the Opposition had supported every bit of legislation from the Government to try to get TT off of the black list.

"Since 2017, this is the eighth time we are trying to get off the black list."

She promised to support the bill but said the Government has work to do ahead of taking it to the Senate. Barbados and Jamaica were not blacklisted, she said. Mulling the bills amended by the bill, she wondered how many bills had Parliament passed but were still awaiting proclamation into law. Persad-Bissessar lamented that opposition MPs come to the House, engage in debate but then the bill is never proclaimed, in certain cases.

She said rather than the bill, MPs should be debating issues like the cost of living, fuel prices, crime and healthcare. She quipped PNM (People's National Movement) meant "People Never Matter" and "Pressure No Money."