00:00For a second time, the Senate President exercised his casting vote to secure the passage of
00:05legislation brought to Parliament by the government. This time, it was the bill containing
00:10new amendments to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, which did not
00:15receive the support of the six opposition senators or any of the nine independent senators.
00:21Jill Brown reports.
00:23You guys bought this legislation, created the watchdog, established guardrails. Why are you
00:31bringing amendments now that diminishes the role of the watchdog? I don't understand it. I don't get it.
00:41Independent Senator Courtney McNish's question to the government as the Senate debated 2026
00:47amendments to the 2015 Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act.
00:54I'm awaiting to hear all the contributions of all my colleagues before I make up my mind.
01:01Independent Senator Francis Lewis made an apparent reference to Prime Minister Kamala Persaud
01:05assessor's criticisms of all nine independent senators after they did not support the special
01:11operations bill.
01:12If amendments are to be considered, and I'm prepared to spend the time to examine, to frame
01:19amendments, develop proposals, detailed fixes, and safeguards, I don't want to waste big people's
01:26time. So if you're telling me in advance, don't bother, well, I will give my observations on the bill,
01:32but not what we may wish to do or consider in moving it forward.
01:37Opposition Senator Sanjeev Boudou continued to raise the opposition's concerns about the proposed
01:42new exemptions.
01:43A utility, a state enterprise that neglects its plant, for example, until it fails, creates its
01:51own emergency and can then spend outside of the act. Under this definition, the worse that a public
01:58body maintains its equipment is the more freely it can spend the public's money, Mr. President.
02:03When Planning and Economic Affairs Minister Dr. Kennedy Sawat Singh wound up the Senate's debate,
02:08he continued to dispel any concerns about the bill and the government's management of state funds.
02:14I am one of those who are never offended personally by anything. But I feel very strongly that if anybody
02:23must question my motive or the motive of this administration bring facts.
02:34I have a lot of confidence, and I know my Prime Minister has said it to us, that she ain't
02:40going to jail for nobody.
02:41When the vote for the bill was called, all 15 government senators voted for it. All six opposition senators voted
02:47against it. Also voting no were all nine independent senators.
03:18For the second time in less than two weeks, the Senate President broke
03:21a tie in the upper house, as he made reference to the Constitution and the Senate's standing orders.
03:27I exercise the casting vote in favor of the ayes. So we are now 16, 4, and 15 against. The
03:38bill is gone.
03:41In response to objections from the opposition bench, the Senate President reiterated the reasons he gave
03:46when he broke the tie in favor of the government for the special operations bill.
03:52I have said again, because of my last casting vote, there is no settled practice
04:00as it relates to this question of the standing orders, the casting vote rather, in respect of the status quo.
04:21The Senate passed the 2026 Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Amendment Bill.
04:29Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
Comments