Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, will serve as the team’s chair during anti-crime negotiations with the opposition, as recommended by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley.
In a letter sent in response to Kamla Persad-Bissessar, leader of the opposition, the prime minister stated that the government was willing to meet to discuss crime “immediately after the budget debate.”
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The letter requested that the head of the United National Congress (UNC) designate four other MPs for the meeting.
According to the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “I write now to propose the Government’s Parliamentary Team and subject list for discussion, to address the safety and security of the population of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.”
In addition to Fitzgerald Hinds, the minister of national security, Stuart Young, Marvin Gonzales, minister of public utilities, and Randall Mitchell, minister of tourism, will be part of the government’s team, the prime minister announced.
Persad-Bissessar was asked to “name your team of four Parliamentarians to join with the Government to enable the work to commence, immediately after the budget debate,” according to the call from the PM.
Rowley provided a list of several topics, “which, I emphasize, is not exhaustive,” that the Government suggested be discussed in order of priority.
The PM listed: Firearms Control Bill 2023, Bail, Interception of Communications, Cybercrime Bill, Administration of Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions), to include amendments to the Supreme Court Act with reference to a Drug Treatment Court, the Sexual Offences Act, the Summary Courts, and the Coroners Act, Amendments to the Evidence Act, to include the Right to Silence, Controlled Operations Bill, 2023, Private Security, Legislation for Polygraph Tests for Law Enforcement Officers, Raising, the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force’s retirement age, which “we are currently looking at this and the implications.”
The letter, which the prime minister “Yours Sincerely” signed, claimed that “The Government proposes that the team will have the option (on a majority vote) to co-opt the input of citizens by way of memoranda and or consultation.”
The Opposition Leader had claimed that the opposition was worried the prime minister was delaying the conversations she had previously requested a month ago.
