More laptop House restrictions coming
Ria Taitt Political Editor
Sunday, December 14th 2008
Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday will return to a more restrictive arrangement, as far as the use of laptops is concerned, when the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament resumes in January.
The House Committee of the House of Representatives has recommended in its Report which was tabled on Friday, that during any point in a debate only two members of the House should be permitted to utilise a laptop- (a) the member who is addressing the Chair (ie delivering a contribution) and (b) the member from the opposite side who is next to speak in the debate. And in both cases the use of the laptop must be related to the business of the House, the Committee advised.
The Report takes the heat off the Speaker, because it is the House Committee which is now setting the parameters via its recommendations to the Speaker. If Panday remains intransigent on his return and uses the laptop without reference to the rules outlined in the Report, he would be breaching the rules, not set by the Speaker, but by the House Committee. And if the Speaker takes action against the Opposition Leader or any member, he would not be acting on his own, but would be enforcing the rules as recommended by the House Committee.
The Report does not address the situation, which often happens, where two members of the same side are speaking consecutively.
Previously there was no restriction on the number of MPs who could use a laptop. All that was required in the previous arrangement was that they had to get the permission of the Speaker before they could use it. And Speaker Barry Sinanan, sources said, never refused any one who asked beforehand. Once the undertaking was given that the utilisation of the laptop related to the business of the House, Sinanan met every request with an affirmative response.
In March of this year, Panday (and Sport Minister Gary Hunt) began to use their laptops during sittings of the Parliament without seeking the Speaker's permission. Sinanan then issued a circular to all MPs, pointing out that the use of laptops was forbidden without his prior approval. After the circular was distributed, Panday continued to use his laptop without requesting the Speaker's permission. He was eventually suspended for the remainder of the session for gross disrespect to the Chair, following the Speaker's ruling in relation to his use of the laptop in the chamber.
The two Opposition MPs on the Committee, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Jack Warner, did not agree with the proviso that the two members who should be allowed to use laptops must be the MP speaking and the one from the opposite side who is next to speak. They also did not agree with the proviso that the use of the laptop by these two MPs must relate to the business of the House. Instead, Maharaj suggested that the Report be amended to state that "one member each of the Government and Opposition be permitted to use their laptop computers during the sitting of the House, provided that they do not disturb the proceedings of the House". But the majority of the Committee did not accept the proposal for a re-draft as suggested by Maharaj.
The Committee however advised the Speaker that hand-held mobile electronic devices or personal digital assistants (PDAs), such as Blackberrys, Palm Pilots and I-phones can be used at any time, provided that they do not disturb the proceedings of the House, ie the audio function is turned off and they are used in an "unobtrusive manner".
The members of the House Committee are Colm Imbert (chairman), Pennelope Beckles, Junia Regrello, Roger Joseph, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Jack Warner.
