Kamla upset with Speaker

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar told reporters she intends to refer Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George to the Privileges Committee of the House of Representatives over her chairing of yesterday’s budget debate.

Persad-Bissessar alleged that in contrast to the strictures on her speech in opening the day’s debate to rebut the Finance Minister’s budget speech, the Speaker gave free rein to the next contributor, Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister in the AG’s Office.

“That one speaker (Hinds) was allowed to go totally in breach. We will file that motion of no confidence in the Speaker.

“I register my contempt and concern for what is basically disrespectful and unequal behaviour and treatment.”

Persad-Bissessar’s speech was marked by about a dozen interruptions by government MPs, at each of which the Speaker had to rise to restore order, but without awarding any “injury time” to compensate for the interruption.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath told Newsday the four-hour length of the first part of the sitting (chaired by Annisette-George) had exceeded the usual three hours and he reckoned it was a government ploy to facilitate Hinds’ full speech instead of the mere nine minutes he would have had in a three-hour period. Padarath said this was an attempt to distract from Persad-Bissessar’s speech, as was the Prime Minister’s announcement of the local government election date during the Opposition Leader’s presentation.

“The Government did not expect the (unfavourable) public reaction to the budget.”

Opposition Senator Saddam Hosein told Newsday the Government had further tried to distract from Persad-Bissessar’s speech when the Finance Minister issued a statement while she spoke, denying a claim she had made about Clico assets.

Persad-Bissessar was also quite upset to learn that House leader Camille Robinson-Regis had just told reporters the Government intended for the House, later on yesterday, to debate a motion to enact changes in boundaries for the December 2 local government elections.

Robinson-Regis initially said the motion could be debated at any time, but, pressed by Newsday, she said it would likely be debated later yesterday.

Persad-Bissessar said the Opposition had not been told this.

“This is the first time I’m hearing anything about that.”

UNC whip David Lee agreed, saying the budget debate took precedence.