Parliament to meet for the third time in 2023

(CNS): Members of Parliament will be meeting next Tuesday for only the third time in 2023. This will be the first meeting of the 2023/24 session and is not expected to last more than a week. The government is expected to present two amendment bills, two new pieces of legislation, one motion and various reports, while the opposition and government backbenchers have filed nine motions and several questions for the session.

The government will not be presenting any new significant pieces of legislation or any major changes to laws. The bills include the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the Public Lands (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2023; the Plant Protection Bill, 2023; and Terminal Charges (Validation) Bill, 2023.

The Standing Business Committee, which comprises the premier, the opposition leader and four other members, will meet on Thursday to approve the business of the House, which will determine the duration of the meeting.

House Speaker Katherine Ebanks-Wilks said the new session will be an opportunity to display some of the improvements that have been made.

“During this session, we will roll out many enhancements as we step closer towards a more modern parliament,” she said.“Parliament is a vibrant and busy place with important democratic work being conducted in its Chamber. I hope that the public will tune in and connect with their members to share what matters most to them because increased engagement is how the concerns of the public can best be represented in this House.”

The first meeting is scheduled to begin at 10am Tuesday. This and subsequent meetings will be live-streamed on CIGTV, Radio Cayman and across all of the government’s social media platforms.