00:00 We don't anticipate the support of the United National Congress.
00:04 It would be a madman.
00:06 We are here with an amendment which the member admits
00:10 that he will not get the support of the loyal opposition,
00:14 but he brought it anyway.
00:16 They brought it anyway.
00:17 The clear lines are drawn in the House of Representatives on Friday,
00:21 as reflected by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines
00:24 on behalf of the government,
00:25 and Oropuch East MP Dr. Rulal Munilal
00:28 on behalf of the opposition on a bill meant to amend
00:31 Section 123 of the Constitution
00:34 to change the process for the appointments
00:36 of an acting police commissioner
00:38 and acting deputy police commissioners.
00:41 The bill required the support of the opposition.
00:44 We don't anticipate it.
00:46 We have a duty to the people of Trinidad and Tobago
00:51 to make available to them the best solutions,
00:56 the best ideas, the best thoughts and the best legislation.
01:00 Attorney General Roger L'Amour
01:02 piloted the proposed amendments to the Constitution.
01:05 The process for submitting names to the President
01:08 subject to parliamentary approval for acting appointments
01:12 has proved to be administratively burdensome and time-consuming.
01:18 We may well find ourselves in the situation
01:21 where the time required for compliance
01:24 with the constitutional provisions to make acting appointments
01:28 may far exceed the period of the absence
01:31 of the substantive office holder.
01:33 The Attorney General said that period of absence
01:36 includes illness, vacation or business trip,
01:39 and that the government is proposing such acting appointments
01:42 be made by the Police Service Commission.
01:45 Barataria San Juan MP Saddam Hussein, an attorney at law,
01:48 spoke about how the late Patrick Manning,
01:51 when he led the PNM, and the late Basdio Pandey,
01:54 when he led the UNC, dealt with a past amendment
01:57 of the Constitution by the Parliament.
02:00 That particular amendment, with respect to the 2006
02:04 format or formula for the appointment of a Commissioner of Police,
02:10 was done through extensive bipartisan consultation.
02:14 And today we are treated with scant disrespect
02:18 when this government comes here today, throws this bill in our face,
02:22 and says, "We require you to support this."
02:25 MP Hussein recalled the High Court's ruling
02:27 that acting appointments for the top posts in the Police Service
02:30 must be approved by Parliament,
02:33 as he made references to the government's recently formed
02:36 Committee Examining the Reform of the Constitution.
02:40 What we are doing here is part of constitutional reform.
02:44 Why not wait for that committee to report?
02:47 And that shows the regard and the disrespect they have
02:53 for a committee that they themselves appointed.
02:58 Wait for your own committee to tell you what procedure
03:01 you want reformed with respect to the Police Service Commission.
03:05 Later, during the committee stage, the Attorney General
03:07 highlighted a proposed new amendment.
03:09 If the amendment were considered in the rule, it would read,
03:13 "5A, the Police Service Commission shall appoint persons
03:17 to act for a period not exceeding 21 days
03:20 in the office of Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of Police
03:23 in accordance with the criterion procedure prescribed
03:27 by order of the President subject to negative resolution of Parliament."
03:31 As expected, all of the government MPs present
03:34 voted in support of the bill.
03:36 All of the opposition MPs voted against it,
03:39 including Dinesh Rambali, who has recently voiced concerns
03:42 about the party to which he belongs.
03:45 Speaker of the House, Bridget Annisette George,
03:47 announced the final tally.
03:50 Honourable Members, with a division of 21 Members voting for,
03:55 18 Members voting against, and no abstentions,
03:59 the bill is not approved.
04:01 [drum roll]
04:02 That announcement was met with the approval of the members
04:05 of the opposition, as their vote against the bill
04:08 means that acting appointments for Commissioner
04:11 and Deputy Commissioners of Police must continue
04:14 to be approved by Parliament.
04:17 Jules Brown, TV6 News.
04:20 April.
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