Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:11 hours 36 min ago
Commission of conspiracy—Mark
Published: 2 Oct 2009
Support of at least three Independent Senators was required last night for passage of legislation to validate the work of the suspended Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector. There was no guarantee of support from the Opposition benches. Minutes after Attorney General John Jeremie presented the Commission of Enquiry (Validation and Immunities from Proceedings) Bill, 2009, Opposition Senator Wade Mark said support for the legislation would be determined following the Government’s response to three of its demands.
He demanded that the Government:
Table the report of the commission in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.Implement the recommendations contained in the report of the commission/refer them to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Commissioner Police. Based on evidence in the public domain, take action in defence of the public action immediately.
Mark said based on the response of the AG to these demands, the Opposition will determine whether it will support the legislation. Jeremie responded saying: “On the last point with respect to evidence being in the public domain, I can assure you that the Government is a responsible Government and it is acting responsibly with respect to whatever information is in the public domain.” Mark said the Commission of Enquiry was a “big set up” and a “gigantic conspiracy”. He said the move to validate the work of the commission was a pappyshow.
Opposition Senator Mark
Opposition Senator Mark takes a Stance:
Mr. Mark, your support to this Legislation to Validate the Commission is vital.
However your vote is open, as you wish confirmation from A.G. Jerimie on the following 3, before you say Yea or Nay.
1) Table the report of the Commission in both House of Representative and Senate.
2) Implement the recommendation contained in the report of the Commission / Refer them to the DPP and CoP.
3) Based on evidence in the public domain, take action in defense of the public action immediately.
Mr. Jeremie, I do not believe these 3 demands are unreasonable; do you?
Your response on #3 whereby you state "I can assure you that the government is a responsible government and it is acting responsibly ..." is not a commitment. With the record of this gov't we can take 'nothing' for granted; we want stamped and approved commitment.
Mr. Mark, your support is essential, so please act responsibly. The people of this nation are depending upon you.
In the national interest the
In the national interest the Opposition should support the validation bill without preconditions to avoid further delay. Once the Report is compiled, the Opposition could press for its 3 conditions to be fulfilled. If the Government seeks to cover up the Report, the Opposition must keep the issue alive and let the Court of Public Opinion decide.
There are many reports of past commissions of enquiry lying in the archives gathering dust waiting to see the light of day. Will this be another one of those?
Although the die is cast, I
Although the die is cast, I cannot understand these calls for the opposition to support this bill in the national interest.
It is not also that I believe that this validation is not necessary; it is.
Opposition support was not needed to pass the bill, it was evident that the independent bench (including UDECOTT) would have voted for the bill, thus giving the government the required majority.
Senator Mark and others were correct in asking for guarantees before they voted for the bill especially as they voiced the opinion of many citizens about the status of the commission and the issue of conspiracy in its temporary demise.
How many reports from various commissions of enquiry remain dust-bound, locked away "for my eyes only"? What of the famous Scott Drug Report did we see it? What action was taken as a result of the findings of this enquiry?
In saying that the government would act responsibly, we should take full cognizance of the facts, that acting responsibility for this government is acting against the wishes of the many who elected them to govern, recklessly spending our tax dollars, gas and oil revenues on monoliths, floating palaces,attack helicopters, billion dollar talk shops, imported labour and protecting the so-called rights of company directors by state funding of their claims for judicial review, while many of our citizens live in squalor and utter poverty and on top of all of that wanting to harness a constitutional big stone around our necks without referendum.
The government knew how they would have gotten the majority vote on the bill; as Senator Seetahal said they did not need a three-fifths majority as other similar pieces of legislation were passed without that requirement; the Attorney General provided no convincing arguments to the contrary.
In any case he did have the "important" support of the INDEPENDENT senator who in his INDEPENDENT contribution said "WE IN UDECOTT......".
Simply amazing!
We have all been gifted with
We have all been gifted with the faculties to think and reason, at least most of us.
You have followed the proceeding and based on what you learned from viewing the proceeding, among other things, and from other cases, have made your decision.
We too, with the information provided to us in print had to analyse the situation and make the best decision we are capable of under the current circumstances. If we disagree in the final decision making process, then we take responsibility for our decision.
To me, giving my support to validating this bill was the best decision I could make under the current circumstances. If it is proven that I was wrong, then I will have to accept my error in judgement. I cannot sit undecided and hope that in time a decision may be revealed to me. I had to act now, and I did.
Isn't it interesting that we still have the freedom to express our points of view and 'agree to disagree' when the occasion arises, in T&T. We have to work to ensure that we never loose this right. Thanks for your comments.
Have a nice day, my friend.
Gardenia
"Although the die is cast, I
"Although the die is cast, I cannot understand these calls for the opposition to support this bill in the national interest."
Thanks for the feedback. Interesting. However,this is how I reasoned: both the Opposition and the Public at large have been pressing for this Enquiry to proceed, and as expeditiously as possible.
Often the Oposition is criticised for allegedly being obstructionist and opposing for opposing sake. Here is an opportunity for them to demonstrate that when the situation warrants their support, whether necessary or not, for the passage of important legislation they will cooperate.
Seeking these 3 specific preconditions in such a straightforward matter could only cause unnecessary delay in the process. At the end of the day what form would these guarantees take? The AG's verbal or written undertaking? We all know, and sometimes to our cost, that often a guarantee is not worth even the paper it is written on, nor is a man's word always his honour.
Let us assume that this/these guarantee(s) is/are conceded and later not honoured, what sanctions would Mr Mark or the Opposition have recourse to? None as far as I can see, except maybe to shame the Government in the Court of Public Opinion, both through Parliament ang through public campaign, as I have alluded to previously.
Thank you also (Gardenia and
Thank you also (Gardenia and the Prince) for your replies.
Contrary to the common view in T&T, I believe that the right of an individual not to vote and to abstain from voting should be specifically included in the consitution, as the right to vote is.
I believe that this is the case in Malta where their constitutional system gives three voting categories (which I believe applies to the legislature also), but in order exercise these voting rights individuals must go to their polling stations to validate or invalidate their ballot as they elect to.
But then this may be a different issue. Just a thought!
Thank you again for the dialogue.
SUCKERS THIS IS DESTINED
SUCKERS THIS IS DESTINED -
To drag on and die a natural death. Jail ent nice is only for opposition politicians. Where are,
1) The Integrity Commission
2) Enquiry into Karen’s conflict of interest.
3) T&TEC Report
4) Biche Report
On one hand you have government saying the want it to go ahead, and on the other hand you have a State Enterprise in Court trying to stop it. It has now been delayed to Feburary 2010. Delay, Delay, Delay. Kill, Kill,Kill.