Lee: No 'UNC B team' in Parliament

OPPOSITION Whip David Lee has flatly denied any schism in the the recent rearranging of seating on the opposition benches in Parliament.

Speaking to Newsday on September 10, he said there was no UNC "B team" in the House of Representatives.

The day before, in the House, the five MPs supporting the UP slate in the recent UNC internal elections took their seats at the far end of the UNC front bench, away from the seats of the opposition leader and the whip.

The quintet later told reporters that in politics it did not matter where one sits but where one stands, saying they were unfazed by their relocation.

These were Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Naparima MP Rodney Charles, Mayaro MP Rushton Paray, Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir, and Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally. Saying the seating was the whip's prerogative, Lee described the rearrangement as "small changes."

He said before the sitting he had notified Haynes-Alleyne and Paray, and had tried to call Charles.

Lee explained, "Anita was moved to the front bench, not the back bench."

He said Charles was moved from his key position next to the opposition leader because he had indicated he would not be seeking re-election as an MP, so the Opposition had decided to make a change now.

"It was discussed. I had called them. It was very cordial. No animosity."

Saying it was better to sit on the front bench than the back bench, he again noted Haynes-Alleyne had been moved to the front bench.

Nevertheless, he endorsed what she had told reporters that the place where one sits was unimportant.

He said the new position had the five MPs facing important postholders like Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales and Labour Minister Stephen Mc Clashie.

"It is the front bench, It is still a powerful line-up."

Lee said of the five MPs, three (Ragbir, Paray and Rambally) had previously been in the same seats they now occupy, along with the newly-relocated Haynes and Charles. He said Haynes-Alleyne's relocation was a promotion.

Newsday asked if the relocating of five MPs together signalled the creation of a UNC "B Team."

Lee said, "I don't think so. We are all one team.

"MP Paray has said he is a lifetime member of the UNC and stands resolute with the party.

"Time will tell. The Government will try to make people feel there is a UNC B Team."

Asked if the five were still under the opposition whip, that is, an agreement to follow the party line when voting on bills, he replied, "I think so.

"They have said so. Even before the July-August vacation, they said they still fall under the whip. I don't know if that has changed." Asked if the five were still able to caucus with fellow MPs, Lee said, "I'm sure they would be. We never stopped anyone from coming into the caucus room."

On the upcoming budget debate, he said each MP shadows a portfolio, such as Haynes-Alleyne for education and Paray for trade.

Lee said this will be his tenth annual budget debate alongside Paray.

He praised Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for having the Opposition's preparations being built upon their work from past budgets, and said much work has already been done by MPs, also noting the party's constituency-by-constituency pre-budget consultations.

Newsday asked about Haynes-Alleyne's absence from the UNC Sunday briefing on September 1, when educational matters were instead handled by former Naparima principal Dr Michael Dowlath.

Lee said the inclusion of Dowlath was to get a different spin presented, namely that of an educator, on the day before the new school year began.

"This was to bring a different perspective. I think it went down very well, with the public getting his views."