Kejan Haynes
The Senate on Monday approved the Prime Minister’s Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which now sets a minimum one-year term in office for any prime minister to qualify for a state pension, with a tiered payment structure based on time served. Crucially, the bill applies retroactively from March 10, 2025, disqualifying former prime minister Stuart Young, who served from March 17 to April 28.
The bill required a three-fifths majority to pass in both Houses of Parliament, meaning the government needed the support of at least four senators from either the Independent or Opposition benches. The House of Representatives passed the bill on June 27 with 27 government MPs in favour and 11 Opposition MPs abstaining.
In the Senate, the government again secured the numbers, with 20 senators voting in favour, none against, and 10 abstaining.
The passage came one day after the United National Congress (UNC) launched a direct attack on the Independent Senate bench, questioning their neutrality ahead of the vote. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, UNC PRO Dr Kirk Meighoo said if at least four Independent senators failed to support the bill, they would be enabling the PNM “to continue to rape the Treasury, even in Opposition.
Independent Senators’ votes were key to the bill’s passage. Here’s how they voted:
✅ Voted Yes
Mr. Deoroop Teemal
Mr. Michael de la Bastide SC
Mr. Francis Lewis
Mr. Courtney Mc Nish
Mrs. Alicia Lalite-Ettienne
🚫 Abstained
Mr. Anthony Vieira SC
Ms. Candice Jones-Simmons
Dr. Desirée Murray
Ms. Zola Phillips (temporarily replacing Dr. Marlene Attzs)