Certainly a blast-off yesterday to the Second Session of the Eleventh Parliament.
And if it's anything to go by, the rest of the Parliamentary year will be filled with more political punches, brinksmanship and hardline posturing. An ominous sign for the Second 2016-2017 Session of the term.
Yesterday, drama aplenty came when some of those punches were pelted between the PNM Government and Opposition in face-off on the controversial legislation concerning the FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) with the US.
It has been the political bane of both sides in the last days of the First Session due to the bill's implications for the banking/economic landscape, the urgency to pass it by its September 30 deadline and the pressure being applied by the financial sector for its passage after both political sides initially dug in on the matter.
Bottom line for the bill: no passage–forget about using your credit cards, buying stuff online, doing fund transfers of any kind and general chaos for any TT-US banking arrangements. And T&T's economy.
So, the greetings for the new Session which MPs on both sides exchanged yesterday prior to business, faded into battle mode after Finance Minister Colm Imbert got down to work immediately after the opening Session formalities.
Imbert's promise not to rehash the bill and simply do some "mapping"–implying he might have been brief–apparently faded from memory as he proceeded to deliver Government's latest push on the bill. Beating up on the Opposition and backing down on a couple clauses of the bill the Opposition had sought changes on,
"Sit down!" Imbert ordered Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar as she rose (with a grin) to ask for similar changes as the one he'd agreed to. A development the Opposition had heartily desk-thumped its victory on.
Imbert may not have been as amused by her not-so subtle attempt to rub his political nose in the fact he'd conceded on changing the clause. The clause was being brought back in another section, he shot back.
But by that time everyone else was in full battle armour also.
"It's time for the dishonesty of the UNC to stop!" Imbert thundered again.
"...Look in the mirror...." UNC MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh prescribed.
But all humour was lost when Imbert sprung a surprise: proposing adjournment for an hour to discuss the bill with the Opposition. Rumble of rejection from Opposition MPs. Which rose to a roar in subsequent minutes.
In the vote which was taken on the issue, Opposition MPs found assorted eloquent one-liners to veto the move. But with Government majority numbers it was carried. And since it was a motion on which the House had voted, it had to be done. Meeting or no meeting.
It was clear from the Opposition's first objection, it was to be "no meeting."
So off they all went: Government to a nearby committee room to cool their heels expecting the Opposition. The latter, to inform reporters they were having none of it.
"I won't meet them in private, but in the Parliament!" Persad-Bissessar declared - explaining just why- with applause from her MPs behind her.
After one hour of precious Parliamentary time (lost) in their respective corners–sans discussions–each returned to the Chamber for further battle. But after Persad-Bissessar was subsequently evicted from the Chamber and colleagues departed with her – leaving UNC's Bhoe Tewarie to battle on the bill – the chaotic sitting ended.
With that, the House adjourned–to Budget Day next Friday. Once again, FATCA left foundering, for now.
Opposition officials said the UNC was forced to issue full page newspaper ads yesterday to state its case on the issue–the first time the party issued ads since 2015 general elections. It may not be the last: FATCA "debate" seems to be preliminary launch of upcoming local government election season.
The PNM presented the bill–which has to be approved by the September 30 deadline–just before the close of the last session, faulting UNC for not completing it in their term when agreement with the US was signed. Strident Government tone may have won grandstanding points, but was poor backdrop for encouraging support.
Nobody scored points yesterday. Hopefully, that–more than the confusion which has attended this bill–will be the lesson of yesterday's launch of the Second Session. And will be heeded in future sittings.