Senate to sit on three bills

THE Senate meets at 1.30 pm on January 20 to debate three bills which the House of Representatives had debated on January 16 at 1.30 pm to January 17 at 3.32 am.

The first is the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2026 which gives drivers three or seven days to fix vehicle defects, after which any fixed penalty warning issued by a police officer to an errant driver converts into a penalty notice if the driver has not complied, but with compliance will be expunged.

The bill was passed by 27 votes "for" and 11 votes "against" previously. As in the House, in the Senate Attorney General John Jeremie will pilot the bill.

Secondly, the Tobago House of Assembly (Amendment) Bill 2026 proposes to increase the number of THA secretaries from seven to 12 and raise the quorum for THA meetings from nine to 12. This was unanimously passed in the House. The THA bill will again be piloted by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Thirdly, the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill 2026 proposes to allow the Prime Minister, with Parliament's nod, to designate certain areas as special zones in which the police and defence force will have extra powers of search, seizure and arrest, while crafting a plan for social intervention. MPs voted for the bill, by 27 votes "for" and 11 votes "against". Jeremie will again pilot this bill.

There are also 19 papers to be laid, the order paper indicated.

There is one question on notice listed on the order paper.

Opposition Senator Dr Amery Browne will ask Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, "Given the recent tragic incidents of murder-suicides with a history of domestic violence, can the minister indicate what measures are being implemented to reduce the incidence of these crimes?"

It remains to be seen whether any urgent questions will be filed for the government.