Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader, MP Jack Warner, yesterday “held the fort” for the Opposition, presenting questions to ministers in Parliament on behalf of absent People’s National Movement MPs.
Warner was the lone occupant on the opposition benches yesterday after PNM MPs boycotted the Lower House.
After Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley was suspended from Parliament on Thursday over his alleged Emailgate presentation in May 2013, the PNM General Council mandated Lower House MPs not attend the House of Representatives for the remainder of the term, that is until June 17, unless Government rescinded Rowley’s suspension. Yesterday in Parliament, PNM MPs’ seats were all empty and only Warner and People’s Partnership (PP) MPs attended.
PP House leader Roodal Moonilal said Government was ready to answer a question the PNM had on the agenda and Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine “had left his desk to respond on it.”
Warner then asked to pose the questions on the agenda for those absent. The only question was in the name of PNM St Joseph MP Terrence Deyalsingh. Mark agreed. Ramnarine responded, noting the St Joseph MP was absent.
At the PNM’s press conference on Thursday, PNM chairman Franklin Khan brushed off queries about Warner’s claim that several PNM MPs had asked him to assist them in posing their questions in their absence. Khan said to ask Warner who told him that. Yesterday, PNM general secretary Ashton Ford said there was no arrangement with Warner to handle PNM questions in the Parliament, but any MP could ask a question for another.
Warner also yesterday gave the reply after Labour Minister Errol McLeod piloted a bill to give domestics and similar categories of workers rights, including recourse to the Industrial Court, and to allow the Judicial and Legal service Commission to appoint justices to the Industrial Court, as well as reduce the certification time for unions to 11 months.
McLeod said the bill—which requires a special three-fourths majority for passage—was brought for both sides to debate and was important to economic development.
Chaguaramas CEO earns $60,000
In answer to an opposition question, Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie said yesterday the CEO of the Chaguaramas Development Authority receives a $60,000 monthly salary plus perks. Perks include housing ($5,000), car and phone allowance plus access to a Macqueripe villa.
He said the CEO’s position in 2010 involved a package of $40,000 (salary) $2,000 (entertainment), $15,000 (housing), $500 (phone) and car worth $45,000 to $550,000, plus gratuity of 20 per cent salary. He said comparative studies, done by Odyssey and Hollick Rajkumar and Co for the current CEO’s package, profferred salary ranges of $65-75,000 and $56-84,000 plus perks. Tewarie said he’d told the CDA’s board to ensure a reasonable package with emphasis on performance.