Senior Reporter
akash.samaroo@cnc3.co.tt
Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi is disappointed with the Government bench for refusing to entertain amendments put forward during the debate on the Children Life Fund Amendment Bill 2025.
In a rare occurrence on Monday, Senate President Wade Mark cast three tie-breaking votes in favour of the Government, enabling the Senate to pass the legislation with amendments - something Al-Rawi yesterday claimed he had not seen over the course of his political career.
“In my 15 years in Parliament, I have never seen a position where an entire 15 versus 15 occurred three times. The bill is seven clauses long. So, of the five clauses, three of them had a deadlock. The first three,” Al-Rawi told members of the media during a briefing hosted by the People’s National Movement (PNM) at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Port-of-Spain yesterday.
Like in the Lower House where the bill was passed, the PNM expressed concern in the Senate over the power given to the Minister of Health, who, under the revised legislation, will be allowed to overrule the decision of the Children Life Fund Authority (CLFA).
“In summary, we pointed out to the Government that whilst we had no problem with the minister having a point of view and even a reconsideration of matters, we felt it in keeping with laws that have happened before that you ought to use a tribunal in between,” Al-Rawi explained.
He said the Independent bench also suggested amendments.
“The medical expert on the independent bench, Dr (Desirée) Murray, was pointing out to the Government, ‘look, you’ve got some things wrong. They listed illnesses as liver transplant patients. How could a patient be an illness?’ There were basic things like that that Dr Murray was pointing out that are significant issues.”
However, he added, “What unfortunately happened is that the Government basically said we’re not going to entertain any amendments, especially from the Opposition, it seemed. And that’s rather unfortunate because in the list of amendments that I circulated and that the independent bench circulated, these really touched to making the law better.”
Al-Rawi said he thought it was prudent to raise this matter because Opposition Leader and PNM leader-elect, Penelope Beckles, said that the party would support good law and pledged to improve laws where necessary.
“I saw the discomfort of public servants pretty much in that debate. It was absolutely clear that both the opposition and the independent bench were making very significant observations and had proposals for amendments, but there was just hell-bent attitude, hard luck,” he lamented.
He said the Government would not even entertain a basic amendment which called for removing a provision in the criteria to qualify for the CLF, which stated that the child (under the age of 18) must be unmarried.
Al-Rawi said the previous administration had already abolished child marriages so that provision is unnecessary.
“Even those most basic amendments, they wouldn’t allow. No, we’re not going to do it. And therefore, that’s why I said yesterday’s vote on the committee stage was rather remarkable,” he said.
Al-Rawi said the new Government must remember that the country is a democracy, and observations made about particular laws are not an attack on their authority but an attempt to put people first.
The legislative changes proposed by the Government to the CLF include expanded eligibility, ministerial review of decisions, potential for an increased grant ceiling and the allowance for foreign medical specialists. The bill was eventually passed.