By Sue-Ann Wayow and Faith Edwards
PARLIAMENT has resumed.
The First Session of the 13th Parliament opened ceremonially on Friday at the Red House in Port of Spain.
Leading this Parliament are three women, President Christine Kangaloo, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles.
The three women are also originally from south Trinidad.
All three spoke during Friday’s ceremony.
Kangaloo addressed both the Senate and the House of Representatives jointly while Persad-Bissessar and Beckles gave remarks in the House of Representatives.
Officiating over the parliamentary proceedings in the House of Representatives is newly appointed House Speaker Jagdeo Singh. Deputy House Speaker is Dr Aiyna Ali who is also the Member of Parliament for Princes Town.
Persad-Bissessar who is also the Member of Parliament for Siparia leads her other 25 Members of Parliament as well as two Members of Parliament from the Tobago People’s Party (TPP).
They do not form part of her Cabinet.
Beckles, the Member of Parliament of Arima in in charge of 13 Opposition Members of Parliament in the House of Representatives.
Following is the list of all Members of Parliament for Trinidad and Tobago. There are 41 MPs in the Lower House and Speaker Singh, who is not an elected member. In the Senate, there are 16 government, nine independent and six opposition senators. Two of the government senators are Senate Preident Wade Mark and Vice-president Kenya Charles.
In the House of Representatives
On the Government side:
1. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar/MP for Siparia
2. Dr Aiyna Ali – Deputy House Speaker/MP for Princes Town
3. Devesh Maharaj – Minister of Justice, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General/MP for Aranguez/St Joseph
4. Michelle Benjamin – Minister of Culture and Community Development /MP for Moruga/Tableland
5. Dr Narindra Roopnarine – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Community Development/MP for Naparima
6. Wayne Sturge – Minister of Defence/MP for Toco/Sangre Grande.
7. Dr Michael Dowlath – Minister of Education/MP for San Fernando West
8. Dr Roodal Moonilal – Minister of Energy and Energy Industries/MP for Oropouche East
9. Ernesto Kesar – Minister in the Ministry and Energy Industries/MP for Point Fortin
10. Davendranath Tancoo – Minister of Finance and Minister in the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development /MP for Fyzabad
11. Sean Sobers – Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs/MP for Tabaquite
12. Wilfred Nicholas Morris – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign CARICOM Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister/MP for Mayaro
13. Dr Lackram Bodoe – Minister of Health/MP for Oropouche West
14. Dr Rishad Seecheran – Minister in the Ministry of Health/MP for Caroni East
15. Roger Alexander – Minister of Homeland Security/MP for Tunapuna
16. Dr David Lee – Minister of Housing/MP for Caroni Central
17. Saddam Hosein – Minister of Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Land and Fisheries/MP for Barataria San Juan
18. Barry Padarath – Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Utilities/MP for Couva South
19. Vandana Mohit – Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services/MP for Chaguanas East
20. Clyde Elder – Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities/MP for La Brea
21. Shivana Sam – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Public Utilities/MP for Cumuto/Manzanilla
22. Khadijah Ameen – Minister of Rural Development and Local Government/MP for St Augustine
23. Phillip Watts – Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs/MP for La Horquetta/Talparo
24. Hansen Narinesingh – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training/MP for Claxton Bay
25. Dr Colin Neil Gosine – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Investment of Tourism/MP for Chaguanas West
26. Jearlean John – Minister of Works and Infrastructure/ MP for Couva North
From Tobago on the Government side:
1. Joel Sampson – MP for Tobago West
2. David Thomas – MP for Tobago East
On the Opposition side:
1. Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles/MP for Arima
2. Christian Birchwood – MP for Laventille East/Morvant.
3. Symon de Nobriga – MP for Diego Martin Central
4. Hans Des Vignes – MP for Diego Martin West
5. Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly – MP for St Ann’s East
6. Marvin Gonzales – MP for Arouca/Lopinot
7. Colm Imbert – MP for Diego Martin North/East
8. Brian Manning – MP for San Fernando East
9. Kareem Marcelle – MP for Laventille West
10. Camille Robinson-Regis – MP for Trincity/Maloney
11. Dominic Romain – MP for Malabar/Mausica
12. Keith Scotland – MP for Port of Spain South
13. Stuart Young, SC – MP for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West
In the Senate
On the Government’s Side:
1. Wade Mark – President of the Senate
2. Kenya Charles – Vice President of the Senate.
3. John Jeremie, SC – Attorney General
4. Ravi Ratiram – Minister of Agriculture of Land and Fisheries
5. Anil Roberts- Minister in the Ministry of Housing
6. Kennedy Swaratsingh – Minister of Planning and Development Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Finance
7. Eli Zakour -Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation
8. Leroy Baptiste Minister of Labour, Small and Microenterprise Development
9. Dr Natalie Chaitan-Maharaj- Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services
10. Dominic Smith- Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence
11. Prof Prakash Persad- Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training
12. Phillip Edward Alexander -Minister in the Ministry of Housing
13. Satyakama “Kama” Maharaj-Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism
14. Darrell Allahar- Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister
15. David Nakhid -Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs
16. Brian Baig
On the Opposition’s side:
1. Dr Amery Browne
2. Faris Al Rawi
3. Foster Cummings
4. Melanie Roberts-Radgman
5. Vishnu Dhanpaul
6. Janelle John-Bates
The independent senators:
1. Anthony Vieira
2. Deoroop Temal
3. Dr Marlene Attzs
4. Michael Simon Victor de la Bastide
5. Candice Jones-Simmons
6. Francis Lewis
7. Dr Desirée Murray
8. Courtney Arthur McNish
9. Alicia Pauline Lalite-Ettiene.
