Monday, November 7, 2011

Check the Hansard, PM Kamla tells media. She didn't get it wrong on Julien matter

Government officials had to point out media inaccuracies twice Sunday in briefing the media at Piarco International airport.

National Security Minister John Sandy pointed nine inaccurate statements in a sngle story in the Express newspaper in its reporting on a story that claimed that the state's two newest helicipoter shave been grounded.

And earlier, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had to point reporters to Hansard with respect to a report in the same newspaper about a reference to pre-action protocol against Prof. Ken Julien.

The newspaper had reported a statement from julien chastising the Pm for getting it wrong since he was never a member of the Petrotrin board.

Persad-Bissessar said it was Julian who got it wrong and she invited members of the media to check the Hansard report of October 14 in which she pre-action protocol letters were sent to former board members, "including Prof Kenneth Julien board for negligence, breach of statutory duty."

Persad Bissessar was speaking shortly after returning from her overseas visit to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Australia.

She made it clear that the reference to Julien was in his role as former chairman of eTecK. "The Hansard was very clear. I don't know why someone thought it was otherwise," Persad-Bissessar said.

Reporters also asked about the issue of child marriages and the legal age at which a marriage can be registered in Trinidad & Tobago. That subject is creating debate within the community, especially since some religious marriages are allowed if parents give consent to their children.

In Muslim marriages the age of consent for girls is 12 and for Hindus it is 14. According to the international convention and the laws of Trinidad and Tobago the age of majority is 18.

Persad-Bissessar noted that some delegations raised the issue child marriages and other similar social matters at CHOGM.

She noted that in Trinidad and Tobago laws are constantly changing. However she did not wish tio make a unilateral pronouncement on the matter.

“I do not think it is a condition that can be resolved with a one-off opinion, it has to be one that is made on the basis of consultation,” she stated.

She stated that anyone under the age of 18 is consdiered a "child" in Trinidad and Tobago and while the laws reflect that no similar changes have been made to the respective marriage acts.

Persad-Bissessar said Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Verna St Rose- Greaves is looking into that issue and there will be consultation with the wider population.

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai