[UPDATED] Kamla leads UNC walkout from Parliament

DISPLEASED with continued interruptions from the House Speaker Brigid Anisette-George, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar led a walkout during Parliament on Monday.

The Lower House met to debate on amendments to the Municipal Corporations (Extension of Terms of Office and Validation) Bill 2023.

Last week, the bill was passed in both houses with additional amendments.

In the Lower House, an amendment was made to clause five which validated the actions of councillors and aldermen between December 2, 2022 and May 18 and up to the date when the bill becomes an act of Parliament.

In the Senate, an amendment was approved to validate the actions of councillors and aldermen only between December 2, 2022 and May 18.

Because of the changes, the Lower House was required to sit again to approve the act before it could be sent to President Christine Kangaloo for assent and proclaimation into law.

On Monday, Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, introduced the bill but said nothing further.

Persad-Bissessar said she did not expect to be back in Parliament "so soon," adding, "I guess you all were missing us so you need us today and we are back, you summoned us, and we are here to do the people's business...

"If they had listened to us last Monday, we would all have been spared...We told you so...We could have saved a lot of time here."

She said money could have also been saved had the government listened. But she added that it is taxpayers' money being used for members to return to fix a "comedy of errors."

Anisette-George told Persad-Bissessar she was repeating comments she already made last week and asked for her to discuss the current matter – the amendments.

Persad-Bissessar said while she was guided, she must say "why (we are) here and what are we correcting.

"If I am to agree to this amendment, then we have to see what is the wrong that we are correcting."

Anisette-George said she fully understood what she meant.

Persad-Bissessar continued and was interrupted again, later saying she will now "go forward."

After being cautioned once more, Persad-Bissessar said that since the AG had come and "stayed totally silent, we cannot debate this matter to give our support to it or not give our support..."

She started saying the Opposition is not being allowed to speak and Anisette-George said that was not true and told her to remain within the confines of the standing orders.

Persad-Bissessar said, "I take total objection to this course of action and I will not partake in this debate."

As she and other members were packing up to leave, she added, "This is not democracy," and told fellow opposition members: "We should all leave."

The only two opposition members who remained were Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein – who acted as chief whip – and Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath began speaking loudly as he left and the Speaker asked him to apologise.

"You're too senior for this type of behaviour," she told him.

Padarath said, "I apologise, but it changes nothing."

Anisette-George then asked him to apologise properly and to keep his emotions under control. She told opposition members they were free to leave, but urged them not to disrupt Parliament.

Persad-Bissessar said if the government listened to the Opposition last week, the House would not have to meet again and could have saved time.

Armour, who spoke after the walkout, said the reason he said nothing earlier was because he had requested an unedited urgent copy of Hansard from May 29 to review what had been said by opposition members.

Speaking to Newsday after the walkout, Hosein said it was a protest against the ruling given by Anisette-George.

"The Speaker was not allowing her to go into the argument she wanted to raise," he said.

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

ALL but two members of the Opposition walked out of Parliament on Monday as they refused to take part in the debate on amendments to the Municipal Corporations (Extension of Terms of Office and Validation) Bill 2023.

Last week, the bill was passed in both houses with additional amendments.

In the lower House, an amendment was made to clause five which validated the actions of councillors and aldermen between December 2, 2022 and May 18 and up to the date when the bill becomes an act of Parliament.

In the Senate, an amendment was approved to validate the actions of councillors and aldermen only between December 2, 2022 and May 18.

Because of these changes, the lower House and the Senate must sit again to approve the act before it can be sent to President Christine Kangaloo for assent and proclaimed into law.

On Monday, Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, introduced the bill but said nothing further.

During her response, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said since the AG had come and "stayed totally silent, we cannot debate this matter to give our support to it or not give our support..."

After being cautioned by Speaker Brigid Anisette-George, Persad-Bissessar said, "I take total objection to this course of action and I will not partake in this debate."

As she and other members were packing up to leave, she added, "This is not democracy," and told fellow opposition members: "We should all leave."

The only two opposition members who remained were Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein and Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath began speaking loudly as he left and the Speaker asked him to apologise.

"You're too senior for this type of behaviour," she told him.

Padarath said, "I apologise, but it changes nothing."

Anisette-George then asked him to apologise properly and to keep his emotions under control. She told opposition members they were free to leave, but urged them not to disrupt Parliament.

Persad-Bissessar said if the government listened to the Opposition last week, the House would not have to meet again and could have saved time.

Armour, who spoke after the walkout, said the reason he said nothing earlier was because he had requested an unedited urgent copy of Hansard from May 29 to review what had been said by opposition members.