RAMJACK trio vote with gov't to pass ambulance bill

Three opposition MPs who are engaged in open political warfare with the leadership of their party say their decision to vote with the government on a bill to improve ambulance services in the country was based on the national good.

They say “political partisan interests” must not take precedence over what's in the best interest of the nation.

A new release from the trio of Jack Warner, Ramesh L. Maharaj and Winston “Gypsy” Peters stated: “As parliamentarians, we have a duty not to fiddle with measures to improve the lives of people.”

The three of them voted in support of the Ambulance Services and Personnel Bill but their other opposition colleagues abstained when the vote was taken although during debate they supported the legislation.

It's the same strategy the opposition members used the week before when Warner gave the government a critical vote to pass a securities bill to deal with white collar crime.

The bill provides better ambulance services to sick people in an emergency and gives them more urgent and better medical attention to save their lives.

Maharaj the measures in the bill were similar to the policy outlined in a bill introduced in the Parliament by the UNC government in 1997 by Health Minister Dr Hamza Rafeeq.

He said Rafeeq him that the opposition would vote “yes” in support of the bill but was .shocked that when Rafeeq left the chamber other members of the Opposition opted to “abstain.”

He said he, Warner and Peters voted in accordance with the official party line outlined by the chief whip “for the betterment of the people of T&T.” He said the rest of the opposition failed the people by not supporting the legislation.