No vote on Tobago bills in the House

SITTING in the absence of the Opposition UNC, the House of Representatives completed committee deliberations on the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2020 and the Tobago Island Government Bill, 2021.

The sitting, which began at 10.30 am, ended at 11.55 am, with no vote being taken on either of the two bills designed to give greater self-government to Tobago.

After the House concluded committee deliberations on the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill, the Prime Minister told Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George, "I wish to report that no further clauses were considered and amended and I wish that the House agree with the report of the committee's progress so far."

The committee stage of this bill began when the House sat on Tuesday.

Opposition MPs walked out of the House before the committee meeting, complaining the standing orders had been breached to give Dr Rowley additional speaking time to conclude the debate on a motion to approve a joint select committee report on the bill.

Earlier in the sitting, the House completed committee deliberations on the Tobago Island Government Bill 2021. It was presented by Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was the sole contributor to debate on it.

In reporting the committee's deliberations on this bill to Annisette-George, Robinson-Regis said, " I wish to report that no clauses were considered in relation to the Tobago Island Government Bill 2021 in the committee." She asked the House to agree with the committee's report on the progress on this bill.

In both cases, all 22 government MPs who were present voted for the motions moved on each of the bills.

Before the House adjourned to Friday at 1.30 pm to debate the Finance Bill, it approved a motion by Robinson-Regis for work on the Fisheries Management (No 2) Bill, 2020 and the Representation of the People (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2020 to be resumed in the next parliamentary session.

Parliament is scheduled to take its regular mid-year recess from July 7.

During the Senate's earlier sitting from 10-10.30 am on Wednesday, Leader of Government Business Clarence Rambharat said the Senate was being adjourned to July 5 at 10 am.

He said if the House passed the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2020, The Tobago Island Government Bill, 2021, the Senate would debate them then.

Should the House not pass these bills, Rambharat said the Senate could debate a motion to annul of the order which proposes to change the process to appoint the commissioner and deputy commissioners of police, the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Miscellaneous Provisions (Special Reserve Police and Police Complaints Authority) Bill, 2020.

He also said once available, the Senate would also debate a report from its privileges committee. Rambharat also said the Senate would sit on July 6 and 7 to complete any outstanding matters before the mid-year recess.