Saturday, August 18 2012

SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Wade Mark, yesterday warned Government and Opposition MPs they would be banned from bringing cell phones into the Parliament Chamber if they fail to observe the rules regarding their usage in the Chamber.

Shortly after Attorney General Anand Ramlogan opened debate on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago and Anti-Terrorism) Bill, 2012, Mark reminded MPs that they were supposed to keep their phones on silent while they were in the Chamber, and the sitting was in progress. Noting some persons keep their phones on vibrate, and not on silent, Mark said there are “too many disruptions during these proceedings.”

He warned all Mps that if any of them flouted the rules regarding the proper use of cellphones during House sittings, he would revisit the policy of allowing them to bring cell phones into the Chamber.

Yesterday’s sitting also saw a comedy of errors related to the Cabinet reshuffle on June 22.

There was confusion between UNC MPs Chandresh Sharma and Dr Suruj Rambachan when both moved to lay papers listed in the name of the Local Government Minister.

Rambachan replaced Sharma as Local Government Minister in the reshuffle. Arts Minister Dr Lincoln Douglas had to be directed by Arima MP Rodger Samuel to the Government’s backbench where his new seat is located.

Prior to the reshuffle, Douglas was one of five Government MPs who sat behind the Opposition’s bench. Nela Khan, who was one of those MPs, now sits directly behind Government Chief Whip Dr Roodal Moonilal due to her new appointment as Deputy Speaker.

Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar now sits in the Government front bench in the seat formerly occupied by Tobago East MP Vernella Alleyne Toppin who was relocated to the bench behind the Opposition.

In the reshuffle, Alleyne Topping was demoted from Tobago Development Minister to a Minister in the Ministry of Social Development.