OPPOSITION Chief Whip Marvin Gonzales and Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young disagreed with Leader of Government Business Barry Padarath that a meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on October 21 was abysmal because the opposition was questioning the government about the 2025/2026 budget.

Gonzales made this point at the start of the committee's meeting at the Red House on October 22, to continue its budget deliberations. The committee began its budget deliberations on October 21.

Speaker Jagdeo Singh began the meeting with an admission.