00:00Leave it up to these astute young women and government's legislative agenda
00:05would be packed expedient and in the best interest of society. The motion was
00:11brought by the opposition leader. Sextortion is the abuse of power for
00:16some sexual benefit or advantage rather than money. And so what sextortion really
00:22is, it's a modern form of corruption. One where sex and not money is the currency
00:27of the bride. And Madam Speaker, sextortion really encompasses two main
00:31components and that is what adds to the uniqueness of this term and why we are
00:35asking for it to become a criminal offense within 12 months. There is a
00:39sexual component and there is a corruption component. The AG was quick to
00:44point out the opposition's about tune. To be quite honest I was quite surprised to
00:49see that the opposition has found a newfound interest in fighting corruption
00:53in Trinidad and Tobago. When just last week the same opposition voted against
00:58the whistleblower act in the Senate. But it is welcomed. And it is on this note
01:03that the government welcomes the need to name, shame and end sextortion in
01:08Trinidad and Tobago. So much so Madam Speaker that the leader of the house has
01:12informed all members on this side that she will be lifting her whip in relation
01:16to this motion. Because this government recognizes that an issue as important as
01:21sextortion should not be reduced to mere party politics or a bid to score
01:25cheap political points. But rather all members on this side will be voting for
01:31this motion in line with their conscience. The Honorable Attorney
01:35General mentioned that you are ready to prepare model sextortion legislation. But
01:40why didn't this bill come before the court, sorry, come before Parliament anytime
01:46before? Why is it now and why is it you all are now discussing this when the opposition has brought forward this pertinent topic here today?
01:54Madam Speaker the member for Karenese said why now are they hearing of the
01:59plans for legislation. But I would like to let them know through you Madam
02:04Speaker that we are not in the business of quick fixes. Legislation is to be
02:10carefully and cautiously drafted. The opposition wants us to bring subpar
02:16legislation on such a serious issue. The National Security Minister supports the
02:23motion. Madam Speaker sextortion is not merely a violation of personal
02:28boundaries. It involves a grievous abuse of power and the Ministry of National
02:33Security remains dedicated to weeding out corrupt individuals in our society.
02:38The plight of migrants also made it to the debate. Imagine the fear and the
02:44helplessness of a young Venezuelan woman separated from her family, navigating a
02:49foreign land only to find herself coerced into degrading acts in order to
02:53survive. The Minister for Public Admin gave a long speech on how HR can handle
02:59sextortion. This matter should not be relegated to Human Resources Department
03:03in any organization. The complexity and severity of sextortion cases necessitate
03:09judicial oversight. Some sobering thoughts shared by the PM herself.
03:14Together we aspire, together we achieve. That is not only in alignment with my
03:20ministers, it's also in alignment with the opposition. We are not here today to
03:25go into party politics. We are here today to commit ourselves to make a better
03:29nation for our country, our citizens and our national development. If these are
03:35the women occupying the corridors of power in years to come, the future may
03:40just be in the right hands after all. Urvashi Tiwari, Ruknarain, TV6 News.
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