Senator wants debate on gay rights, abortion

Independent Senator Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir says he wants to bring motions on gay rights, abortion rights and the decriminalising of marijuana.

He was contributing to a motion on financial autonomy for the Parliament in the Senate on Tuesday.

He recalled he visited a store in Canada with a number of marijuana products and he said Canada was "eating this country's lunch" when it came to marijuana medicines. He said he would like to frame a motion on decriminalising marijuana, gay rights and abortion rights, adding that he was pro-choice but wanted the help of a research assistant.

For the past few weeks, a religious group had been protesting outside Parliament calling for the maintenance of legislation against buggery in anticipation of an April 12 ruling from the Port of Spain High Court as Trinidad-born gay rights activist Jason Jones has challenged sections of the law which criminalise buggery and serious indecency between adults and impose penalties.