Opposition Senators who walked out of the Senate’s 2019 budget debate yesterday accused Government of lack of presence “on the ground” with flood victims and lack of compassion for encouraging “ business as usual” yesterday.
“But it wasn’t business as usual since lack of traffic on roads showed that nobody took them on,” UNC Senator Gerald Ramdeen told reporters after the Opposition left debate to return to flood locations.
Before the walkout, UNC senator Khadijah Ameen had called on the Government to halt debate for all senators to go and help flood victims.
She said, “It’s with a heavy heart and against my conscience to be part of the convening of this Senate. Given the disaster we’re facing, the Government should have activated the national disaster response and declared (yesterday) a day for all citizens to clean up and rescue victims—but we’re sitting in an air conditioned Parliament instead of being with the people,”
Ameen said she’d been in a truck and boat helping young and old and shovelling slush and she’d met the Prime Minister and others along the way, “But they were on dry land, not in the water. If they’d done that they’d have been better able to know the extent of damage. Yet the Prime Minister says yesterday should be business as usual— back to school and work. No sense of realities confronting people. Business places and schools were open but it wasn’t business as usual since people couldn’t attend after losing belongings.”
She added: “The Prime Minister should have put the military on alert to co-ordinate distribution of relief items. Is HDC going to forgo mortgage payments? Or help people pay courts for their furniture? You can’t buy compassion.”
Ameen queried if the Prime Minister had seen people on rooftops awaiting rescue, people in water seven feet deep, seeing belongings destroyed, children without food, people weeping because of losses and businesses being looted.
“Is the Government pretending to be caring in front cameras? In Piarco they stayed by the gas station and talked to the media. In Sangre Grande they stayed by the Triangle and held press conference. They stayed on dry land while citizens were swamped.”
Ameen said flooding was predicted a week ago, yet nothing was implemented until late, “If something was done, the level of destruction would have been different. Thousands are suffering because Government failed the people. The past few days are the result of three years of neglect, abandonment and failure. It’s shown T&T would be destroyed by a natural disaster.”
Ameen challenged the Government to show caring by halting debate for senators to go and help victims. Senate leader Franklin Khan, however, said debate would continue. Ameen replied, “Then I cannot in good conscience continue being part of this sitting.”
Opposition Senators then left. They told reporters they wouldn’t return for the rest of debate which was initially expected to conclude Thursday. Senator Sadam Hosein said it was unconscionable to continue while people’s homes were underwater.
UNC’s Wade Mark said the Government’s priority for debate and business as usual yesterday was misplaced considering the devastation. He said he’d asked Khan on Sunday to halt debate but Khan said the Prime Minister had said it was business as usual, “We’d hoped Khadijah would change their minds.”
UNC’s Tarhaqa Obika, who left Point Fortin at 3 am yesterday to attend Senate, urged the Government to use natural disaster insurance which government had alluded to last year. Government senators who spoke after they left, slammed their action.