Acting Speaker interrupts debate on casino Bill, cites time factor

Kaieteur News
January 20, 2007

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Debate on the Bill seeking to implement casino gambling ended at about 22:30hrs last night, with the government side of the House resenting a decision by Acting Speaker Clarissa Riehl to disregard two attempts by Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to proceed with the debate beyond 22:00hrs, the stipulated time for Parliamentary proceedings to close.

Parliament will sit again on Monday to continue the debate.

On the resumption of the sitting, following a one-hour tea recess, Minister Rohee moved a motion seeking to suspend Standing Order 10 (1), which stipulates the time when Parliamentary sittings should be held and concluded.

Using Standing Order 10 (3), Rohee moved the motion to allow the debate to conclude, but did not state any time it should end.

However, the Acting Speaker pointed to the 25 speakers who were listed to speak at the time and said that she could not allow the motion, but asked that the Chief Whips from both sides of the House seek a compromise.

The National Assembly was suspended for ten minutes to allow People's National Congress Reform-One Guyana (PNCR-1G) frontbencher Deborah Backer and Government Chief Whip, Indra Chandarpal, to meet.

Upon resumption, Chandarpal indicated to the Acting Speaker that there could not be a compromise, even though the PPP/C had offered to drop some of its speakers.

At the time of the suspension, the PPP/C had eleven speakers lined up, the PNCR-1G, 17, and the Alliance For Change (AFC) 5. There were some 30 presenters lined up at the start of the debate.

At 22:00hrs, Rohee again moved the motion to extend the debate; this time, he sought to have the debate continue to midnight.

However, the Acting Speaker said that this should have been requested since the first motion was submitted, and disallowed it.

Rohee, who is piloting the Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Bill in the National Assembly, led off the debate.

He pointed to South Africa , where the Howard Commission reported on casino gambling as part of the liberating attitude in a society where people are finding more and more leisure time and where casino gambling has become a popular pastime.

According to Rohee, in the United Kingdom , casino gambling was legalised to protect its citizens who were widely engaged in online gambling.

He said that there are philosophical and practical arguments for and against casino, and that every group must be allowed to press its views.

Rohee stated that in the end it is the government that has to hold the balance of power and make a decision in the best interest of the people.

He noted that in the case of gambling, people have a choice. He argued that the Bill is discriminatory and will allow only a registered guest of a hotel or resort to engage in casino gambling.

Rohee also stated that the gaming authority would also ensure that some of the concerns raised by the religious community were catered for.

He said that national morality could not be legislated and that the government could not subject state decisions to morality.

According to Rohee, the Bill seeks to allow freedom as well as protect those who would want to participate.

He said that the Bill is indeed breaking new ground, but noted that the government has, in the past, been criticised for not thinking outside of the box by adopting innovate ways to generate revenue.

Conscience vote

Opposition Leader Robert Corbin led off the Opposition debate by reciting the prayers of the National Assembly. He also quoted scriptures from the Q'uran.

He stated that his members will be voting according to their consciences, and he called on the government to allow its members to do the same.

Corbin cited the government for disrespecting the Christian community during last week's debate on a motion submitted by AFC MP Sheila Holder.

He said that the government, when it first amended the Gambling Prevention Act, embarked on the first irregularity by refusing to pay over the monies earned from the Guyana Lottery into the Consolidated Fund.

He questioned how was Government going to police casino gambling, which brings with it prostitution.

Corbin shared his experience when he visited a casino premises in the Bahamas .

He said that, while in the Bahamas where locals were by law disallowed from taking part in casino gambling, Bahamians were seen at slot machines.

The Opposition Leader pointed out that he was shown several cameras fixed on the various tables, and was advised by the management, who recognised him as a government functionary.

He related that he was told he could not win, since all of the machines were fixed.

Corbin said that from a personal standpoint, he could not support the Bill, and called on the government to honour its constitutional responsibility and hold consultations with the people.

He pressed that government withdraw the Bill and offer an apology to the religious community.

Corbin pointed to the tourism section of the National Development Strategy, which points out Guyana 's eco-tourism product as an advantage. He said nowhere in the document, does it state that casino gambling would be introduced.

The Opposition Leader stated that Guyana was moving to dangerous grounds.

“What is the haste, if it is not for CWC? If it is not in keeping with a commitment to drug lords since February 2006, hold your hand. Let's have proper consultations,” Corbin urged.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prasad, said that the Bill seeks to protect the poor, since Government could have introduced casino gambling in such a way that slot machines could have been set up at all street corners.

He alluded that the government was following the Bahamian model by making casino gambling highly restrictive.

PNCR-1G frontbencher Volda Lawrence said that the government was gambling with the future of Guyana and urged that the Bill be taken to a referendum.

Alliance For Change MP Raphael Trotman lashed out at the government for what he termed as a paradoxical move to introduce casino gambling by amending an Act that would otherwise seek to prevent it. He said that he is unable to support the Bill.

Trotman pointed to Trinidad and Tobago , where the administration is seeking to outlaw gambling in all forms after a trial and error period.

He said that, in Guyana , there are many arguments for and against, but there is no study to back the varying opinions.

He said that the Bill has opened up deep divisions and has flung open the “proverbial Pandora's box.”

Casino gambling has been cited by the government as one of the major ways of boosting the local tourism industry during Cricket World Cup this year.

This development has, however, caused various factions of society, including the religious community, to publicly condemn the venture's implementation.

The government, out of respect for the religious leaders, had decided to permit the activity to a limited extent where only visitors to Guyana would be eligible to participate.

Government has since rejected opposing debates on the passing of the Bill to legalise the venture before CWC.

One such was a motion by Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian Sheila Holder that sought to have the University of Guyana conduct a study to weigh the pros and cons of introducing casino gambling.

On January 11, Rohee tabled the controversial Gambling Prevention (Amendment) Bill in the National Assembly, despite a petition from the Christian Community for the Bill to be withdrawn.

PNCR-1G frontbencher Volda Lawrence presented the petition from the Christian community. That petition was endorsed by Rev. Raphael Massiah, Rev. Porter and Pastor Lloyd Stewart.

The church leaders stated that Bill Number 30 of 2006 is “disingenuous, opportunistic, and conflicting with the protection of various rights granted to citizens and the Parliament of Guyana in its attempt to institute casino gambling.”