Motions

 

 

• By the Leader of Government’s Business

 

RESOLUTION FOR THE PURPOSES OF SECTION 17 (5) OF THE CONSTITUTION

 

WHEREAS there has been a worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and on the 11^th day March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a pandemic;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 22^nd day of March 2020 the Ministry of Health of the Government of Grenada confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the State of Grenada;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 25^th day of March 2020 the Governor-General by Proclamation pursuant to section 17 of the Constitution declared that a state of emergency existed in the State of Grenada, when Parliament was not sitting;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 30^th day of March 2020 the Governor-General, by a second Proclamation pursuant to section 17 of the Constitution, revoked the first Proclamation and declared that a state of emergency existed in the State of Grenada, when Parliament was not sitting, and on the 17^th day of April 2020 that Proclamation was approved by a resolution of both Houses of Parliament;

 

AND WHEREAS after the expiration of six months the declaration of a state of emergency dated the 30^th day of March 2020 lapsed pursuant to section 17 (5) of the Constitution;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 12^th day of December 2020 the Ministry of Health of the Government of Grenada confirmed that a cluster of twenty-six positive cases of COVID-19 was discovered bringing the total number of active cases of COVID-19 in the State of Grenada to forty-four;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 21^st day of December 2020 the Governor-General, by a third Proclamation pursuant to section 17 of the Constitution, declared that a state of emergency exists in the State of Grenada, when Parliament was not sitting;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 11^th day of January 2021 the Governor-General, by a fourth Proclamation pursuant to section 17 of the Constitution, revoked the third proclamation and declared that a state of emergency exists in the State of Grenada when Parliament was not sitting;

 

AND WHEREAS section 17 (2) (b) of the Constitution provides that, where a declaration is made when Parliament is not sitting, a declaration of emergency shall lapse at the expiration of a period of twenty-one days beginning with the date of publication of the declaration unless it has in the meantime been approved by a resolution of both Houses of Parliament;

 

AND WHEREAS section 17 (5) of the Constitution provides that a resolution of a House of Parliament passed for the purposes of section 17 of the Constitution shall remain in force for six months or such shorter period as may be specified therein, Provided that any such resolution may be extended from time to time by a further such resolution, each extension not exceeding six months from the date of the resolution effecting the extension;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 15^th day of January 2021 a majority of the House of Representatives passed a resolution that the declaration of emergency by the Governor-General dated the 11^th day of January 2021 be approved for the period ending on the 14^th day of July 2021;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 27^th day of January 2021 a majority of the Senate passed a resolution that the declaration of emergency by the Governor-General dated the 11^th day of January 2021 be approved for the period ending on the 14^th day of July 2021;

 

AND WHEREAS on the 21^st day of May 2021 a majority of the House of Representatives passed a resolution such that the declaration of emergency by the Governor-General dated the 11^th day of January 2021 is extended for the period ending on the 20^th day of November 2021;

 

AND WHEREAS the Leader of Government’s Business proposes that the Senate make a Resolution to extend the resolution of the Senate dated the 27^th day of January 2021;

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by a majority of all the members of the Senate that the declaration of emergency by the Governor-General dated the 11^th day of January 2021 as set out in the Schedule to this Resolution is extended to the period ending on the 20^th day of November 2021.

 

 

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• By Senator the Honourable Roderick St. Clair:

 

WHEREAS the Caribbean Agro Industries Limited is a Corporation operating in the State of Grenada primarily involved in production of animal feed and flour;

 

AND WHEREAS the Government of Grenada has provided Caribbean Agro Industries Limited with Fiscal Incentives, CAP. 107, of S.R.O. 16 of 1978;

 

AND WHEREAS the Government of Grenada has an agreement with the Investors of the Caribbean Agro Industries Limited that specify several terms and conditions to govern the operations of the both parties;

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Government reviews the existing agreement including the fiscal incentives with the Caribbean Agro Industries Limited such that farmers would be able to get more affordable feed for their livestock.

 

 

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• By Senator the Honourable Roderick St. Clair:

 

WHEREAS it is necessary to provide for the services of the State of Grenada in any budget cycle by means of an Appropriation Act;

 

AND WHEREAS the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Fiscal Year 1^st January to 31^st December, 2021 was approved at the sitting of the Senate in December, 2021;

 

AND WHEREAS the approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure presented the activities and work programme for the various Government Departments and Ministries;

 

AND WHEREAS the activities and work plan of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Fiscal year 1^st January to 31^st December, 2021 so passed, did not provide a timeline of the activities and projects;

 

AND WHEREAS a timeline of activities will contribute to improved delivery of work plan activities, projects and cash flow management;

 

AND WHEREAS monitoring and evaluation is a prudent management process to improve delivery and implementation rates;

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the activities and projects items presented in the now approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Fiscal Year 1^st January to 31^st December, 2021 be presented in a quarterly timeline to improve planning, implementation and monitoring.

 

 

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(c)      By Senator the Honourable André Lewis:

 

MOTION ON THE OWNERSHIP OF THE GRENADA ELECTRICITY SERVICES LIMITED (GRENLEC)

 

WHEREAS accepting that the Government of Grenada has repurchased from WRB the controlling shares in GRENLEC;

 

AND WHEREAS accepting that GRENLEC is now publicly owned;

 

AND WHEREAS Knowing that GRENLEC is one of the nation’s most important assets for economic, security, social, cultural, health and other  developmental activities;

 

AND WHEREAS believing that this prized asset must serve the general good for Grenadians;

 

AND WHEREAS recognizing the need for Grenada to have control over its electricity generation;

 

AND WHEREAS considering that the people of Grenada must to be in a position to begin to reap the benefits from GRENLEC;

 

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

 

1. The Government of Grenada must continue to be the majority shareholder.

 

2. Should any part of the Government of Grenada shares be divested, then local companies, diaspora and nationals must be given the preference to purchase the shares. 

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:

1. If affirmed, this resolution be forwarded by way of message to the House of Representatives.

 

 

 

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 (d)     By Senator the Honourable Roderick St. Clair

 

          ON CROP COMPENSATION SCHEDULE FOR FARMERS WHO SUFFER

 

WHEREAS farmers have been experiencing increased incidents of crop damage from man and livestock;

 

AND WHEREAS the Agriculture Crop (Compensation) Act No. 9 of 1967 and Amended by SRO 32 of 1995,

• makes provision for the amount of compensation payable for damage to agricultural crops and other trees;
• Section 4 gives the Minister the Power to Amend the Schedule by Order if he or she considers it expedient to do so;

AND WHEREAS it is over 25 years since the Crop Compensation Schedule was revised;

 

AND WHEREAS the cost of inputs for the farmer has increased significantly over the past 25 years;

 

AND WHEREAS farmers deserve just compensation reflective of current realities of costs;

 

BE IT RESOLVED THAT that the Minister (for Agriculture) be caused to act immediately in accordance with the powers vested in him under Section 4 of the Agriculture Compensation Act of 1995 to review and update the Crop Compensation Schedule of 1995 so that farmers can be justly compensated when they suffer crop loss or damage.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that section 4 of the act be modified to protect our farmers investments by specifying a time by which the Crop Compensation Schedule shall be amended instead of relying on when the Minister considers it expedient to do so.

 

 

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(f)       Senator the Honourable André Lewis:

WHEREAS we are experiencing a worldwide health pandemic (COVID-19) which has and continue to infect and claim the lives of millions of people across the world;

AND WHEREAS this Pandemic has caused economic and social fallout unknown to man in recent history

AND WHEREAS these fall outs have impacted many working people to the extent of degrading their social status to that of poor and marginalised;

AND WHEREAS to save lives and address the economic and social fallout from the Pandemic the State of Grenada imposed a State of Emergency (SOE)

AND WHEREAS the State of Grenada (Grenada) has been following the protocols set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO);

AND WHEREAS those measures have caused the citizens to so far enjoy protection from the Pandemic;

AND WHEREAS vaccination has been introduced as another measure to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to save lives;

AND WHEREAS the ongoing reopening of the Country’s border will continue to increase the risk of possible Covid-19 infections

AND WHEREAS the Government through the Prime Minister has declared that the State will not make vaccination mandatory;

AND WHEREAS some employers are now openly or surreptitiously making vaccination mandatory as a condition for the continued employment of workers.

AND WHEREAS for existing workers vaccination was never a condition of employment.

AND WHEREAS many workers are opposed to and resisting the concept of mandatory vaccination on principle or as violation of rights or out of sheer health concerns

AND WHEREAS with the impact of social and other media pushing conspiracy and other theories against the taking of the vaccine many people are genuinely confused and could only be enlightened through active and organized public education campaigns

AND WHEREAS in light of the above making the vaccination mandatory may lead ultimately to more industrial disputes and confrontation between employer and employee which would not be in the best interest of the country at this time

NOW THEREFORE, this Parliamentary Sitting of the Senate hereby resolve as follows:

1. That no employer should make vaccination a condition of employment for existing workers.

 

2. That no worker should suffer any loss of benefits (pay etc) for not taking the vaccine.

 

3. That where workers are coerced into taking the vaccine, the employer should be liable where there are adverse reactions associated with vaccination.

 

4. Employers must consider securing adequate health insurance for all workers in the face of the new challenges brought on by Covid-19.

 

5. That there should be at least two brands of vaccines to allow for choices on the part of those wishing to be vaccinated.

 

6. That workers who are not vaccinated ought to be tested periodically and be required and expected to function in accordance strict enforcement of the protocols.

 

7. That the State ought to put measures in place to support a pro-active education campaign throughout Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique to highlight the pros and cons of taking the vaccine.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:

 

1. If affirmed this resolution be forwarded by way of message to the House of Representatives.