THE SENATE on Friday approved several resolutions establishing a number of committees to discuss its business in the new legislative year.
Senate Leader Burchell Whiteman moved the resolutions at the Senate's first sitting since the re-opening of Parliament.
The committees are the Standing Orders, Regulations, and Senate committees, which are to be chaired by Senator Whiteman, and the Privileges Committee, which is to be chaired by Senate President Syringa Marshall-Burnett.
The Senate also approved the setting up of a Private Bills Committee, and four special select committees.
Members of the Standing Orders Committee are senators Marshall-Burnett, A.J. Nicholson, Delano Franklyn from the Government side and Bruce Golding and Dwight Nelson representing the Opposition.
Senators Trevor Munroe and Noel Sloley on the Government side and Dorothy Lightbourne and Dwight Nelson representing the Opposition will sit on the Privileges Committee .
Members of the Regulations Committee are Noel Monteith, Delano Franklyn and Deika Morrison representing the Government and Anthony Johnson and Norman Horne the Opposition.
The Senate Committee comprises senators Floyd Morris, Kern Spencer and Keste Miller Government and Anthony Johnson and Shirley Williams Opposition.
Navel Clarke, Norman Grant Government and Arthur Williams, Opposition, make up the Private Bills Committee, which is to sit jointly with a similar committee appointed by the House of Representatives to consider and report on such bills.
There was also the appointment of a special select committee to sit jointly with a similar one appointed by the House of Representatives to consider and report on a 2001 Green Paper regarding proposals for the introduction of flexible work arrangements. The members are Clarke, Munroe, Miller, Nelson, and Williams.
Approval was also given for the setting up of a special select committee to sit jointly with a similar committee appointed by the Lower House, to consider and report on the report of the National Commission on Ganja, which was laid before the Senate in February 2002.
The Senate also on Friday approved the establishment of a special select committee to report on the bill entitled 'An Act to Amend the Constitution of Jamaica to provide for a Charter of Rights and Freedoms and for Connected Matters'.
- Omar Anderson
