Talk of WASA and talk times dominate Senate

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Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales yesterday rubbished queries by UNC senator Wade Mark on whether Cabinet yesterday “decided to privatise” the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA).

In Senate yesterday, Mark had demanded that government confirm or deny whether Cabinet – which met yesterday morning – had decided to privatise Wasa.

A team that had been mandated last year to review WASA’s operations and the overall situation had produced a report which was being studied by the government. A sub-committee was engaged to examine the report.

When asked about Mark’s privatisation queries, Gonzales via What’s App briefly stated, it was “…Nonsense talk….there’s a co-ordinated attempt by the Opposition to stir fear among the population.”

“The report of the Cabinet sub-committee will now be referred to the (WASA) Board of Commissioners and new executive management for implementation.”

On other Opposition queries in the Senate about appeals for water supply which people in various areas are making, Government Senator Franklin Khan said the Public Utilities Ministry is aware of the supply disruptions being experienced especially in specific areas and a short term stabilisation plan to improve supply is being started.

Khan said this includes tapping into new water sources – drilling wells, refurbishing old ones, upgrading plant and equipment including Caroni Water Treatment plant – improving WASA management and expanding where possible truck-borne water supply capacity.

“This is currently being effected,” Khan said adding that as time goes by,” They (the plans) will become more and more effective on alleviating the water situation.”

Govt shoots down Mark’s motion

The government also launched a pre-emptive strike against a motion that Mark had presented, calling for the speaking time of Senators to revert to the original lengths they had been before the speaking time was cut last year due to COVID protocols.

It was cut from 45 minutes for the mover of a motion and 40 minutes for all other speakers to lesser numbers over the last year,

Yesterday prior to Mark’s motion, Senate leader Khan announced an adjustment in the speaking times to 45 minutes for the mover of a motion, 40 for the first responder and 30 for everyone else.

Mark however spoke for his entire 45 minutes accusing government of muzzling senators, of “undemocratic backsliding”, calling for the extra ten minutes for other speakers and saying the other adjustments were “too little too late.”

He said large pieces of proposed legislation required proper discourse by speakers.

Government senator Amery Browne said it was ironic Mark used all of his 45 minutes to press for the 45 minutes – already available for movers of a motion – and echo the same refrain over and over.

He said there was no precedent for this. He said Mark wasted Parliament’s time and could have used the time to speak on something more substantive for the people since Khan assured Mark the matter was being dealt with and speaking time would have been expanded.