Govt slams Rowley’s ‘weak and petty’ response
DR KEITH Rowley’s “weak and petty response” to the Prime Minister’s move to refer the Judges Salaries and Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and the Retiring Allowances (Legislative) Amendment Bill 2014 to a Senate Select Committee is an indication of his blunt refusal to modernize the PNM and adapt to modern democracy.
This is the view of Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Ganga Singh, who was responding to the Opposition’s Leader’s questions, reported in today’s Trinidad Express newspaper, on why the Bills were halted by the Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister was very clear in her statement. Strong objections for the Bills arose in some quarters. Consistent with the Prime Minister’s policy of always allowing views to be ventilated, the Government took the position to halt approval of the Bills until all perspectives and opinions are ventilated.”
“But Dr Rowley’s PNM today is the same PNM that held office for almost nine years, it refuses to abide by the basic principles of democracy, it bluntly refuses to modernize, and it is demonstrating it simply will not entertain dissenting views.”
Senator Singh, also the Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, further questioned the Opposition Leader’s understanding of Parliamentary procedures, saying: “We have to wonder whether Dr Rowley fully understands how the Parliament works.”
“Dr Rowley’s emotional reaction to a very clear issue was that ‘everybody is playing games and as the matter is before the Senate for debate…any amendments or suggestions come from senators… and if Government is saying it is prepared to listen and make amendments as per the Senate, that is the procedure’.”
“But Dr Rowley failed to understand that a Senate Select Committee is an instrument of the Parliament where issues can be much more carefully examined, especially where there are objections or issues with particular Bills. In fact, according to the rules and procedures of the Parliament, the purpose of such inquiry is to enable a small group of Parliamentarians to give more detailed consideration on a Bill or certain aspects of it than is possible on the floor of the Chamber. Such a committee is usually given specific terms of reference, and has the power to summon witnesses and obtain evidence from the public, interested persons and relevant Government Agencies.” the Senate Leader said.
He added: “It is also a demonstration by the Government that, notwithstanding its majority, it is prepared to engage all views and permit for processes where issues can be carefully scrutinized. The use of a majority without an understanding of the concerns that exist is not democracy; that would be a democratically built dictatorship, which this Government completely rejects.”
Senator the Honourable Ganga Singh
Minister of the Environment and Water Resources & Leader of Government Business in the Senate