Last week, we told you about how the Opposition, PUP, have decided that they will participate as a member of the Senate Select Committee, which will investigate the Auditor General's Reports into the Immigration Department. That's after the UDP Senator, Aldo Salazar, was forced to accept the seat when neither the Labour, Church or Business Senators wanted to lead the committee.
Well, the President of the Senate has confirmed that the Senator who will represent the Opposition is Eamon Courtenay. He posted this comment which says, quote, "I am happy to report that Senator Eamon Courtenay to serve as the Opposition Senator in the Special Select Senate Committee. Welcome. Is the business senator gonna follow?" End quote.
Yesterday, we contacted Courtenay for comment, but he told us that he was out. We do note that he was sceptical after the last Senate Meeting on September 30. Here's what he had to say then:
Eamon Courtenay, PUP Senator
"We tried to get certain amendments to the motion that was put forward by senator Rocke and some of them were not taken. One, being of course the composition, we think that is critical. Second, is the ability of any senator to call for someone to be a witness that was not accepted. We also believe that it's important that the resources be allocated to the committee and that was again not supported. That leaves the motion very deficient and we will have to see how it is operated by the committee. It is going to be very interesting to see who is going to be the chairman of this committee. I think it is very clear to all who listened to today's proceeding that the church senator has completely aligned himself with the government and so we will have to see what is going to happen when that first meeting is called to see whether it is going to be truly independent. The jury is still out on that and we're going to see."
The Senate hearings are scheduled to start on November 9, and they will be televised.
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