Shakeel Shabbir

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 21 to 30 of 1945.

• 13 Mar 2024 in National Assembly: Hon. Temporary Speaker, thank you very much. I support the Report in the way the Committee has presented it. However, I have some concerns on the language used in the recommendations. The Constitution is very clear. It says 5 per cent of all employment in all public institutions must be the absolute minimum for persons with disabilities. The Committee carried out an inquiry whose main objective was to assess the ethnic and diversity representation within public institutions, specifically by PWDs. They noted that 2.1 per cent of the institutions they inquired about did not comply, but not all of the ... view
• 13 Mar 2024 in National Assembly: Hon. Temporary Speaker, thank you very much. I support the Report in the way the Committee has presented it. However, I have some concerns on the language used in the recommendations. The Constitution is very clear. It says 5 per cent of all employment in all public institutions must be the absolute minimum for persons with disabilities. The Committee carried out an inquiry whose main objective was to assess the ethnic and diversity representation within public institutions, specifically by PWDs. They noted that 2.1 per cent of the institutions they inquired about did not comply, but not all of the ... view
• 13 Mar 2024 in National Assembly: of work has been put in, but the only point I do not agree with is that this is economic injustice to PWDs. It is an economic injustice if they are not being given their right of a minimum of 5 per cent in employment. This Report must be firmer in its recommendations. Equality and equity are not the same. Equity demands a minimum of 5 per cent; equality has a difference. There is also something else that I have seen. That we do not, as Members of Parliament, give enough support to people with disabilities in our constituencies. Our ... view
• 13 Mar 2024 in National Assembly: of work has been put in, but the only point I do not agree with is that this is economic injustice to PWDs. It is an economic injustice if they are not being given their right of a minimum of 5 per cent in employment. This Report must be firmer in its recommendations. Equality and equity are not the same. Equity demands a minimum of 5 per cent; equality has a difference. There is also something else that I have seen. That we do not, as Members of Parliament, give enough support to people with disabilities in our constituencies. Our ... view
• 6 Dec 2023 in National Assembly: Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. When we get the omnibus statutory Bills, we become concerned. As much as the Chair has gone through all the elements, we sometimes are ambushed by this omnibus Bill. One of the concerns that I have is an attempt to amend the Bill to operationalise or correct an abnormally, generally, what we might call abuse of office. Those are the ones that are in relation to what we might say a lacuna that might allow misuse of funds. As much as we have discussed and spent a lot of time on the notary public and ... view
• 6 Dec 2023 in National Assembly: to relook at these issues. If we are looking at it now and JLAC has given us this undertaking, on that basis I would reluctantly say yes, I support. The only exception to this issue is the fact that this statute has been used in the past to put us back on issues of corruption and leadership and many other issues by way of regulations. The Chair of JLAC has made a declaration that these are only statutory miscellaneous amendments that have no real impact on the spirit and direction of the laws that they are amending and they are ... view
• 29 Nov 2023 in National Assembly: Thank you for indulging me. As you have said, some of these cards are not working. We sit here hoping they are recording, but they are not. I hope the Serjeant-at-Arms and those in charge of this august House will have these machines serviced. I am contributing from a position of knowledge. In my earlier days, we set up a home for the elderly in England. The home worked for about 30 years. My family worked very hard, and the Queen even awarded my sister-in-law for the work she did in the care of the elderly. So, taking care of ... view
• 29 Nov 2023 in National Assembly: Thank you for indulging me. As you have said, some of these cards are not working. We sit here hoping they are recording, but they are not. I hope the Serjeant-at-Arms and those in charge of this august House will have these machines serviced. I am contributing from a position of knowledge. In my earlier days, we set up a home for the elderly in England. The home worked for about 30 years. My family worked very hard, and the Queen even awarded my sister-in-law for the work she did in the care of the elderly. So, taking care of ... view
• 29 Nov 2023 in National Assembly: I also disagree with the title and suggest this as an amendment to the Geriatric Bill. As much as my fellow Member of Parliament came up with that title, it takes away the dignity of the elderly. I do not know why that title. “Geriatric Care” is a medical term; we need to give it a more human touch. The idea of establishing the National Council for the Elderly is good, but a directorate of social development already exists. I do not see why we need a national council for the same. Setting it up will be very costly. For ... view
• 29 Nov 2023 in National Assembly: I also disagree with the title and suggest this as an amendment to the Geriatric Bill. As much as my fellow Member of Parliament came up with that title, it takes away the dignity of the elderly. I do not know why that title. “Geriatric Care” is a medical term; we need to give it a more human touch. The idea of establishing the National Council for the Elderly is good, but a directorate of social development already exists. I do not see why we need a national council for the same. Setting it up will be very costly. For ... view