Nicholson, left, and Lightbourne
Robert Hart, Staff Reporter
A HEATED debate on three pension Bills forced a divide vote in the Senate yesterday over suggested changes to The Pensions Act for the definition of a spouse to be widened to cover common-law relationships.
But, Government Senators, who outnumbered the Opposition, eventually prevailed and got the Bills approved without the amendment.
During the sitting of the upper chamber of Parliament, what appeared to be a routine procedure descended into heated argument after Opposition Senators Dorothy Lightbourne, Shirley Williams and Anthony Johnson noted their concern with a clause in The Pensions (Amendment) Act, 2003.
The other two Bills under discussion were The Pensions (Parochial Officers) (Amendment) Act, 2003, and The Pensions (Teachers)(Amendment) Act, 2003.
Senator Lightbourne argued that the current definition of a spouse must be re-examined in order to include the common-law beneficiaries of deceased workers'. In the clause, it is currently stated that the widow or widower of a pensioner is the beneficiary, she said.
CONCERNS
Senator Lightbourne's concerns were supported by Senators Williams, Dwight Nelson (also of the Opposition) and Johnson, the Leader of Opposition Business.
But decorum slowly unravelled after Government Senator A.J. Nicholson responded to the concerns.
"It is true that not too long ago we agreed in the legislature, in principle, that this (a change to the definition) should be a consideration for all succeeding legislation, and we agree that this should be so. But we have to have in mind that there are several pension regimes," Senator Nicholson said.
He added: "Even though we took that decision in the legislature, there would be more to it than just the legislature; there would be very serious financial considerations attached to this policy measure."
The Ministry of Finance and Plan-ning, he added, is expected to provide an analysis of those costs.
Agreeing with his colleague, Senator Burchell Whiteman, Leader of Govern-ment Business, noted that an overhaul of the pension programme is "in training."
"It's just a matter of time before all questions are addressed," he said.
POLICY DIRECTION
But Senator Lightbourne complained bitterly that she could not believe Cabinet had failed to take the agreed-upon policy direction into account when it approved the Bills to be taken to Parliament.
"Knowing the general principle, knowing that this is where we are headed, one would have thought that when this was being considered, the financial situation would have been considered and taken into account then," she said.
In the subsequent vote on the contentious clause called for by Senator Johnson, eight Government Senators voted in favour, while from the Opposition side, four voted against and one abstained.
After the vote, Senator Nicholson jeered at Mr. Johnson, the Leader of Opposition business, saying: "You see the divide is over there. Keep it over there."
Senator Nelson, the only member to abstain, had earlier noted that there was acceptance on the Government's side that the definition of spouse ought to be re-examined "in keeping with the socio-cultural reality."
"The Minister (Nicholson) has accepted the principle and he has stated so quite clearly. But I support Senator Lightbourne's position that the record should note her strong and passionate approach," he said.
