00:00The issue here is whether to adopt the special report before us which recommends that Senator John Bates should not
00:10sit as a member of the Joint Select Committee on National Security.
00:16Leader of Government Business and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Allaha, piloted the motion as Senate
00:22President Wade Mark granted leave to Opposition Senator Janelle John Bates for being ill.
00:28There was an admission of her assisting a witness in the PAAC special report.
00:34Senator John Bates was removed by the leader of the Opposition from sitting on the PAAC.
00:41In light of all of that, the Joint Select Committee on National Security asked Senator John Bates to recuse herself
00:49from that committee and she said no, Mr. President.
00:52Sanjeev Boudou was appointed as a temporary Opposition Senator.
00:56Is the issue, for me, is the sheer hypocrisy of the committee in producing this report.
01:05There are serious questions that the Opposition continues to have about some of the persons and decisions.
01:1546.1, Mr. President, you ruled already. I'm not sure if the member understands your ruling.
01:25I understand carefully. You know what persons? I'm listening. Continue.
01:33Senator Boudou received repeated warnings from the Senate President that the motion does not involve any other member of the
01:40Parliament.
01:41Minister Allaha told the government line that the Opposition has failed to act.
01:47Subsequently, Senator John Bates informed this Senate that she had offered her resignation to the leader of the Opposition as
01:55a Senator.
01:57She is still sitting on the GSC, the GSC, or National Security, today.
02:04The issues surrounding this entire debacle, if I can permit me to call it a debacle,
02:10they have been stuck in the bowels of the PNM for the past month.
02:1746.1, the report before us, has nothing to do with the references being made by the leader of government
02:24business.
02:26All right. All right. I would ask you to tie up the point so that you can move forward.
02:33Temporary Opposition Senator Boudou appeared to offer a response.
02:37Because, Mr. President, it is a senator today. It might be you or me tomorrow.
02:42And it is different strokes for different folks.
02:44And there is a serious issue, Mr. President, as to whether this is a situation of we and earlier, or
02:52we and them.
02:54If you are in UNC and you are beholden to their oppressive policies, you are safe, it seems.
02:59But any time you oppose, any time you express any different view, crap or smoke your pipe.
03:04The debate on the motion for the Senate to adopt the report of the GSC on national security continued after
03:10tea time.
03:11Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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