- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 19:58

Mark sides with government, breaks three tied votes in Senate

SENATE President Wade Mark was called upon to break three tied votes in the Senate, in favour of the government, before the Senate passed the Children's Life Fund Amendment Bill 2025 with amendments. This happened during the committee stage of the Senate's sitting on June 23 after 7 pm. At one point in the deliberations on the bill, Independent Senator Dr Desiree Murray proposed an amendment to the bill to replace the word "illness" with "condition" in the bill. Opposition Senator Dr Amery Browne observed one schedule associated with the bill referred to illnesses but did not refer to conditions. "How does it advance broadening access?" he asked. Browne suggested this part of the bill be amended to refer to life-limiting conditions. Leader of Government Business Darrell Allahar proposed an amendment which allowed the schedule in question be passed in its current format. He said additional advice could be sought on the contents of this schedule. Social Development Ministry parliamentary secretary Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj, who opened debate on the bill earlier in the sitting, said medical conditions are listed in the schedule. She identified sickle cell anaemia as an example. Allahar hoped this would address Murray's concerns. When Mark asked the committee to approve the amendment proposed by Allahar, the result was a 15-15 tie, with all nine independent senators voting with the six opposition senators to counter the 15 government senators' votes. Mark said because of the equality of votes, he has a casting vote under the Senate's standing orders. "It turned out 15-15. I have a casting vote and I cast my vote in favour of the intention of the status quo. I secure and favour the status quo." Mark added, "So revert and vote in favour of the status quo." Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi asked Mark what his casting vote meant. Mark said, "That means the amendment as proposed by Dr Murray has not carried. (was not approved)" Al-Rawi asked Mark to explain what the status quo meant. Mark said, "So the original provision of the bill remains." A second tied vote happened when government senators disagreed with an amendment proposed by Al-Rawi to change the word "children" in the bill to "beneficiaries." Opposition and independent senators supported the amendment. Mark said, "I have a casting vote because of the equality (of votes). I vote to secure the status quo." The third tied vote happened when the government disagreed with an amendment proposed by Independent Senator Deoroop Teemal for tribunal to deal with certain matters which come before the Children;s Life Fund Authority (CLFA). Independent and opposition senators supported the amendment. Allahar said the establishment of a tribunal to review rejected or delayed applications by the CLFA would be too bureaucratic and slow. He added the health minister is subject to judicial review and to questions in Parliament in respect of intervention in such matters. Allahar said, "There are all of those safeguards." Mark told senators, "Again you have put me in a casting position. The Senate has put me in a casting position." He repeated, "I have to secure the status quo. Therefore this (Teemal's amendment) is not carried." During the meeting, questions were raised by opposition and independent senators about whether the bill denied people the right to seek medical treatment locally. Al-Rawi suggested the bill could inadvertently place an emphasis on sick children only seeking medical treatment abroad. He warned against "legislating out all local medical specialists." Murray said from inception, the CLF was created to help children seek medical treatment abroad once that treatment is not available locally. In her earlier contribution to the debate on the bill, she noted foreign medical care was not always superior to its local counterpart." Murray said should local treatment be available for children, they would no longer be eligible for funding from the CLF. Independent Senator Anthony Vieira, SC, said, "Wherever you can have local specialists treat a child. that is preferable. Allahar said government was prepared to consider all of these views. He added this was not a matter which dealt with constitutionality and equality of treatment. "I don't want to raise it to scare anybody." At one point, Allahar seemed to be frustrated by the number of amendments coming from opposition and independent "I want to make a personal plea for a paper copy of amendments when they are circulated." Allahar said, "I am old man. I like paper and pens." In response to some questions raised by Al-Rawi, Mark said, "You have already interjected." He also had to appeal to government, opposition and independent senators for order when they engaged each other in cross talk. Mark reminded senators there was a time limit for the committee to deliberate on matters. "We can't speak forever." The bill was passed around 9 pm and will return to the House of Representatives for final approval. The House, which sits on June 27 from 1.30 pm, first passed the bill with amendments on June 13. The post Mark sides with government, breaks three tied votes in Senate appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.