Senate (Trinidad and Tobago)

Senate of Trinidad and Tobago
11th Republican Parliament
        Flag         Coat of Arms
Type
Type
Leadership
Nigel de Freitas[a]
since 18 January 2023
Muhammad Yunus Ibrahim, PNM
since 22 March 2022
Leader of Government Business in the Senate
Amery Browne, PNM
since 22 March 2022
Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate
Wade Mark, UNC
since 23 September 2015
Structure
Seats31
Political groups
Government
  •   People's National Movement (16)

Official Opposition

Other

Elections
Appointment by the president on advice of the prime minister (16), at her discretion (9) and opposition leader (6)
Meeting place
The Red House, Abercromby Street, Downtown, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Website
www.ttparliament.org
Constitution
Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago
Politics of Trinidad and Tobago
Government
Parliament
Judiciary
Elections
Local government
Foreign relations
flag Trinidad and Tobago portal

The Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, along with the President and House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate currently sits at the Red House. The Senate has 31 members all appointed by the President: 16 Government Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, 6 Opposition Senators appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and 9 Independent Senators appointed on the discretion of the President from outstanding persons who represent other sectors of civil society. The presiding officer, the President of the Senate, is elected from among the Senators who are not Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries. A senator must be at least 25 years old and a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. The current President of the Senate is Senator Nigel de Freitas. As of 20 April 2021, there are only 13 female senators, or 41.9%[2] and 6 Tobagonian senators or 19.4%.[3][4] The Senate made history on 15 February 2022 by appointing Jowelle de Souza as an acting opposition senator, thus making her the Caribbean's first and only transgender parliamentarian.[5][6][7][8]

Party affiliation

Affiliation Members
  People's National Movement 16
  Independent 9
  United National Congress 6
Total 31

Leadership

Presiding officers

Office Officer Since
President of the Senate Nigel de Freitas 18 January 2023
Vice President of the Senate
Muhammad Yunus Ibrahim 22 March 2022

Majority leadership

Office Officer Since
Leader of Government Business in the Senate Amery Browne 22 March 2022

Minority leadership

Office Officer Since
Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate Wade Mark 23 September 2015

Senators

Member of Parliament Party Date Appointed as a Senator Office
Nigel de Freitas   PNM 23 September 2015 President of the Senate
Reginald Amour   PNM 16 March 2022 Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
Hassell Bacchus   PNM 19 August 2020 Minister of Digital Transformation
Amery Browne   PNM 19 August 2020 Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs

Leader of Government Business in the Senate

Donna Cox   PNM 21 July 2019 Minister of Social Development and Family

Services

Amrita Deonarine   Independent 20 November 2018
Varma Deyalsingh   Independent 19 October 2018
Maria Dillon-Remy   Independent 20 November 2018
Paula Gopee-Scoon   PNM 11 September 2015 Minister of Trade and Industry
Lawrence Hislop   PNM 22 March 2022
Kazim Hosein   PNM 31 October 2016 Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries
Muhammad Yunus Ibrahim   PNM 11 June 2021 Vice President of the Senate
Jearlean John   UNC 28 August 2020
Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing   PNM 28 August 2020
Jayanti Lutchmedial   UNC 28 August 2020
Damian Lyder   UNC 28 August 2020
Wade Mark   UNC 23 September 2015 Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate
Randall Mitchell   PNM 19 August 2020 Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts
David Nakhid   UNC 28 August 2020
Paul Richards   Independent 23 September 2015
Anil Roberts   UNC 28 August 2020
Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal   PNM 19 August 2020 Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs
Charrise Seepersad   Independent 20 November 2018
Rohan Sinanan   PNM 24 November 2015 Minister of Works and Transport
Avinash Singh   PNM 10 December 2013 Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture,

Land and Fisheries

Richie Sookhai   PNM 18 January 2023 Minister in the Ministry of Works and Transport
Deoroop Teemal   Independent 20 November 2018
Hazel Thompson-Ahye   Independent 20 November 2018
Anthony Viera   Independent 2 August 2013
Evans Welch   Independent 28 August 2020
Allyson West   PNM 29 June 2017 Minister of Public Administration

See also

References

  1. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago Parliament".
  2. ^ "Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments". Parline: the IPU’s Open Data Platform. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  3. ^ "Log into Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 2021-04-20. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  4. ^ "Senate to debate THA Bill on March 2". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  5. ^ "De Souza makes history in Senate". Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  6. ^ "Jowelle De Souza makes history as the first trans woman sworn into the Senate". IzzSo - News travels fast !!. 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  7. ^ "History in Senate: Transgender De Souza Appointed Temporary UNC Senator". AZP News. 2022-02-16. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  8. ^ "Jowelle De Souza on Senate appointment: Trinidad and Tobago maturing to accept different people". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 2022-02-16. Retrieved 2022-02-18.

Notes

  1. ^ de Freitas was elected President of the Senate under the nomination of the PNM. However, the position of Senate President is officially one without political affiliation.[1]