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{
    "id": 724988,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/724988/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 250,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Standing Order No.117 tells us how Bills are introduced in this House; those who introduce them and the process. Standing Order No.145 tells us how Bills can be withdrawn from the Floor of this House. In those Standing Orders, the responsibility for introducing a Bill will lie with an individual Senator, a Chair of a Committee or the Majority or Minority Leader representing whichever side they are, depending on the sponsors of the Bill. Where a Bill is sponsored by a Committee through the Chairperson or by an individual Senator, then the responsibility of withdrawal of that Bill rests squarely with the Senator or the Chairperson of that Committee and nobody else. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am sorry I have not had the benefit to clearly hear the issues canvassed by my distinguished counterpart apart from the last explanations that he gave. If your memory serves you and me right, a Bill similar to this came to this House and was defeated, and then, the Committee embarked on remedying the situation because the former workers of the defunct local authorities and the current workers of the county government who are unionisable and pensionable, do not have proper legal cover currently. I left the Senate Business Committee (SBC) earlier with your permission before this matter was discussed. That notwithstanding, Committees of the House are only agents of plenary. All decisions must be taken by plenary. So, even if the Senate Business Committee or any other Committee for that matter makes a decision, that decision is subject to the authority of the House. That is the fundamental procedure in Parliament. I have heard Sen. Madzayo speak on the Floor and as his Leader in the House; he came and spoke to me and my deputy with a lot of agony. He feels that the Committee work that has been so painstakingly done, broadly consulted with all relevant stakeholders coming in with views, is being undermined on the Floor. It is not being given an opportunity to be prosecuted. I would encourage my distinguished counterpart, in a situation such as this, if we really want to carry a bipartisan process forward, it is a give and take. We let the matter go to First Reading and as usual it would be committed to the Committee as a Bill. Once it goes to the Committee, my counterpart has an opportunity and the right to call in everybody he wants to come and give additional views; whether it is the Attorney General – we all know that at the office of the Attorney- General, we do not know whether it is the Attorney-General or the Solicitor-General because we have many situations where the Solicitor-General is countermanding directions and orders from the Attorney-General. So, we do not even know whether it is the Attorney-General or the Solicitor General but be that as it may, whether it is the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, the CoG, my brother or any other person, they have an opportunity to: One, Appear before the Committee, give their views and improve the Bill and, two; The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}