20150512, unrevised senate debate - tuesday may 12, 2015 - · pdf file 2015. 6....

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Prayers 2015.05.12

UNREVISED

SENATE

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

The Senate met at 10. 30 a. m.

PRAYERS

[MADAM PRESIDENT in the Chair]

JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE

(Appointment of)

Madam President: Hon. Senators, I have received correspondence from the hon.

Wade Mark, Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House, dated May 11,

2015:

“Appointment of a Joint Select Committee

At a sitting held on Wednesday May 06, 2015, the House of Representatives

agreed to the following resolution:

‘BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives agree to the

establishment of a Joint Select Committee to consider a Bill entitled, An Act

to repeal and replace the Insurance Act, Chap. 84:01; to reform the law

relating to insurance companies; to regulate insurance businesses and

privately administered pension funds…and for other related purposes’, and

agree to the appointment of the following Members of the House of

Representatives, and that this Committee be empowered to discuss the

general merits of the Bill along with its details, and be mandated to report by

May 21, 2015:

Ms. Marlene McDonald, MP

Mr. Colm Imbert, MP

Mr. Jairam Seemungal, MP

Mr. Stephen Cadiz, MP

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Unofficial Hansard

This transcript of parliamentary proceedings is an unofficial version of the Hansard and may contain inaccuracies. It is hereby published for general reference purposes only. The final edited version of the Hansard will be published when available.

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Prayers 2015.05.12

UNREVISED

Dr. Delmon Baker, MP

Mrs. Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, MP’

Accordingly, I respectfully request that you cause this matter to be placed

before the Senate at the earliest convenience.

Respectfully,

Hon. Wade Mark, MP

Speaker of the House”

SENATE STANDING ORDERS

Madam President: Hon. Senators, as you would recall, the report of the Standing

Orders Committee of the Senate for the Fifth Session was adopted on March 31,

2015. Senators will note that copies of the new Standing Orders have been

provided and circulated today in order to give Senators adequate and sufficient

time to become familiar with the revised provisions contained in these new orders,

and in accordance with Standing Order 118 regarding its commencement, I hereby

fix Tuesday, June 16, 2015 as the date on which the Standing Orders of the Senate

2015 shall take effect.

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

The Minister of the Environment and Water Resources (Sen. The Hon. Ganga

Singh): Madam President, at the inception of these proceedings, before I get down

to the business at hand, I would like to take the opportunity to wish the Leader of

the Opposition Business in the Senate, Happy Birthday. [Desk thumping]

Sen. Robinson-Regis: Madam President, before my colleague continues, I would

like to say thank you very kindly, and I know today will be a very, very happy

birthday for me spending it with all my friends here in the Parliament in the

Senate. [Laughter and desk thumping] Thank you very much, Minister Singh.

Thank you.

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Appointment of a JSC Committee 2015.05.12

UNREVISED

PAPERS LAID

1. Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on

the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the

financial year ended September 30, 2014. [The Minister of the Environment

and Water Resources (Sen. The Hon. Ganga Singh)]

2. Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial

year 2014. [Sen. The Hon. G. Singh]

3. Annual Audited Financial Statements of the Seafood Industry Development

Company Limited for the year ended September 30, 2014. [Sen. The Hon. G.

Singh]

4. Exchequer and Audit (Electronic Funds Transfer) Regulations, 2015. [Sen.

The Hon. G. Singh]

5. One Hundred and Third Report of the Salaries Review Commission of the

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on a Review of the Salary and other

conditions of service of the Office of the Registrar, Equal Opportunity

Tribunal. [The Vice-President (Sen. James Lambert)]

6. Annual Report on Performance 2014—Making Progress, Strengthening a

Nation. [The Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development (Sen. The

Hon. Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie)] 7. National Monitoring and Evaluation

Policy of Trinidad and Tobago. [Sen. The Hon. Dr. B. Tewarie]

8. Dog Control Regulations, 2015. [The Minister of Local Government (Sen.

The Hon. Marlene Coudray)]

9. Metrology Regulations, 2015. [The Minister of Trade, Industry, Investment

and Communications (Sen. The Hon. Vasant Bharath)]

10. Telecommunications (Universal Service) Regulations, 2015. [Sen. The Hon.

G. Singh]

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Papers Laid 2015.05.12

UNREVISED

11. Telecommunications (Accounting Separation) Regulations, 2015. [Sen. The

Hon. G. Singh]

12. Ministerial Response to the Twelfth Report of the Joint Select Committee of

Parliament appointed to inquire and report on Government Ministries,

Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Group 2) on the Administration

and Operations of the National Transportation System of Trinidad and

Tobago. [Sen. The Hon. G. Singh]

JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS

(Presentation)

Municipal Corporations and Service Commission

Sen. James Lambert: Thank you once more, Madam President. In the absence of

the chairperson of this joint select committee of which I am a Member, I am happy

to do the honour.

Madam President, I have the honour to present the following reports as

listed on the Order Paper in my name:

Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation

Seventeenth Report of the Joint Select Committee appointed to inquire into

and report on Municipal Corporations and Service Commissions on a review

of the Administration and Operations of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional

Corporation.

Penal/Debe Regional Corporation

Eighteenth Report of the Joint Select committee appointed to inquire into

and report on Municipal Corporations and Service Commissions on an

inquiry into the Administration and Operations of the Penal/Debe Regional

Corporation.

Ministries, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Group 2)

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JSC Committee Reports 2015.05.12

UNREVISED

Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control

Sen. Dr. Victor Wheeler: Madam President, I have the honour to present the

following report as listed on the Supplemental Order Paper in my name:

Twenty-First Report of the Joint Select Committee appointed to inquire into

and report on Ministries, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Group

2) on the Administration and Operations of the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing

Board of Control.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

Annual Performance Report 2014 and the National Monitoring and

Evaluation Policy of Trinidad and Tobago

The Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development (Sen. The Hon.

Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie): Thank you very much, Madam President, hon.

Senators of this Senate. I have the honour to lay, on behalf of the Government of

Trinidad and Tobago, two significant documents: first, the Third Annual Report

2014—Making Progress, Strengthening a Nation and the National Monitoring and

Evaluation Policy Trinidad and Tobago. These documents are important as they

show this Government’s commitment to giving an account of its stewardship to the

people of Trinidad and Tobago. The hon. Prime Minister has always been very

clear on the need for accountability and transparency in all that we do, and has

duly emphasized this in word and deed at appropriate times. I have also tried to

live up to my own expectations and to be an example in the way I conduct my

business, do my work and account to the Parliament and the people.

I would now like to share with this honourable Senate and the national

community a synopsis of the Annual Report 2014 and the National Monitoring and

Evaluation Policy. The Annual Report on Performance 2014 is a yearly publication

aimed at reporting on the progress of the work of the Government in implementing

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Statement by Minister 2015.05.12

Sen. The Hon. Dr. B. Tewarie (cont’d)

UNREVISED

the five priority areas as set out in the Medium Term Policy Framework

2011/2014 and which are budgeted for every year.

The Annual Report on Performance 2014 serves as an essential tool by

which citizens can be informed and be made aware of the work of the Government

towards achieving national outcomes and targets that have been identified over the

medium term. This year’s Annual Report on Performance is different from earlier

reports as it shifts reporting on actual activities and outputs to reporting on

achievement of actual outcomes and impac