00:00During her statement at the beginning of the second session of the 13th Parliament,
00:04Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bosassa first spoke about the first session,
00:09which began after last year's general election.
00:12In the last session, in that one year, my government laid 33 bills,
00:17and we were able to have 28 of them passed and enacted into the world.
00:25I think we achieved what was perhaps a record level of success in that agenda.
00:30The Prime Minister then outlined her administration's agenda for the new session of Parliament.
00:35In this new session, we plan to advance legislation for, amongst other things,
00:42a medical malpractice court, a no-fault compensation system,
00:49regulatory frameworks for cannabis and agricultural diversification.
00:53That was not the only time the issue of cannabis was mentioned,
00:57as the Prime Minister spoke about key campaign promises
01:00and other legislative objectives of her administration.
01:04Development of a parental responsibility framework to address school violence.
01:16Increases in the age limits for use of ganja, alcohol, and gambling,
01:21the Victims' Rights Act, Chancellor for the Judiciary,
01:25Amendments to the Firearms Act,
01:28legislation regarding gated communities,
01:31social media regulation for children under 12,
01:35local government reform of construction and building approvals,
01:39as I say in Taylor, amongst many other pieces of legislation.
01:42They are also to include amendments to modernize the Education Act.
01:47So as we begin this new session, Mr. Speaker,
01:50I want to assure the people of Trinidad and Tobago
01:53that I hear you, I see you,
01:56and I remain attuned to realities facing our nation every day.
02:03And the Prime Minister appeared to respond to criticisms
02:06from the opposition and other critics who say
02:09her administration's management of the war on crime
02:11is only focused on the implementation of states of emergency.
02:16When we assumed office,
02:17the nation had recorded more than 625 murders in the preceding year,
02:23the highest level in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:26My government is doing what is necessary,
02:29and will continue to be guided by the National Security Council's advice
02:32on the way forward.
02:41The murder rate dropped by 42% in 2025.
02:46Thus far in 2026,
02:49serious crimes have dropped by 30%
02:51compared to the same period last year.
02:54A second to three months of the state of emergency
02:56that began in March can be approved
02:58in the House of Representatives
03:00via the government's majority.
03:02The Office of the Attorney General said in a statement on Wednesday
03:05that the first extension of the SOE ends
03:08at midnight on June 17, 2026.
03:12Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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