PNM to withhold support on special majority bills

The People’s National Movement is standing by its decision to withhold all further support of legislation requiring a special majority that is brought to the Parliament by the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led Government, following the Section 34 furore, party vice-chairman Camille Robinson-Regis has said. She said after Government betrayed the people of T&T with the premature proclamation of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act the PNM simply had no other choice.

Robinson-Regis said the PNM in opposition supported the United National Congress (UNC) government to bring the seat of the Caribbean Court of Justice to T&T. However, when the time came for it to be legislated for this country under the PNM, the UNC opposition refused to support it.

“…The Anti-Gang legislation, we gave our support. It did not work, not because of the opposition, but they blamed the opposition not working. The first budget of this Government we supported it wholeheartedly, because we felt there were measures in the budget for the good of the people of T&T, but consistently they have let down the people of T&T. They are wholly incompetent and untrustworthy,” she said.

With respect to Volney’s alleged breach of Parliamentary code of conduct and calls for his removal as a Member of Parliament, Robinson-Regis said only Parliament could enforce such action and that the PNM had not discussed the matter. “I don’t think that is for the PNM to do.

We maintain that the Attorney General should be removed. It is much easier to remove a Senator if the Prime Minister felt that the Senator has done wrong, but the Prime Minister has certainly enveloped the Attorney General and has apparently no intentions of removing him. We feel strongly that the Attorney General is culpable in this matter,” she said.