Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar took aim at the Independent bench in her first speech in the House of Representatives yesterday.

“The Independent Senate bench in the last two parliamentary terms has been among some of the not best ones...I trust that in this dispensation in this 13th Parliament we will get some true independence because that is what holds the balance between Government and Opposition. We need those balanced voices,” she said.

Noting there are seven new members on the nine-member Independent bench, the Prime Minister said: “I welcome them and urge them not to be misled and influenced by biases and behaviour that could redound not to the benefit of T&T but could damage the governance and good living in T&T. Parliament belongs to everyone, not to the ruling party, not the Opposition, and some Independents who pretend to be independent.”