00:00You must be aware that the regulations have been published for the state of emergency, but what has not happened,
00:08you have not had the tribunal appointed for detained persons. In a state of emergency, rights are suspended.
00:19Opposition Senator and former Attorney General Faris al-Rawi speaking during the opposition's media conference about the new state of
00:28emergency which took effect on March 3rd.
00:32We call upon the Honorable Prime Minister to face the media. We call upon the government to get to the
00:38parliament to debate the state of emergency.
00:41We call upon the government to put in place the tribunal so that at least there is due process in
00:49detention.
00:50There was no debate on two motions on the supplemental order paper for last week Friday's sitting of the House
00:57of Representatives concerning the state of emergency, one of which is for an initial three-month extension.
01:03Chief Whip and former National Security Minister Marvin Gonzalez fielded questions from TV6 News.
01:09So yes, in response to your question, we were taken by surprise and we were not formally informed by the
01:19government before the start of the sitting on Friday that the government had decided not to proceed with the debate
01:27on the SOE.
01:29It's still only on the agenda though. I mean, you have a 15-day window, I think.
01:33What is interesting is that I received a call yesterday from the leader of government business and he, yesterday, and
01:43he informed me that there are three matters on the order paper for Friday.
01:47The opposition submits the motions on the SOE should be early in the lower houses proceedings.
01:52So they are planning to debate two bills, the civil division bill, the law review amendment bill, the second bill,
02:03and the SOE will be taken very late in the proceedings and the proclamation by the president.
02:10Last week Friday's lower house proceedings ended at 4.30 p.m. after the government, via its majority understanding order
02:1852, brought a premature end to the debate of an opposition motion.
02:23The opposition walked out in protest. Less than a week later, opposition MP and former finance minister Colm Imbert spoke
02:31about a letter which the opposition subsequently sent to the speaker.
02:35Our letter does not accuse the speaker of bias. We simply disagree with the decision that he made. I want
02:43to make that crystal clear. No one here is accusing the speaker of bias. We're not stupid.
02:50It is left to be seen what shall happen during the next sitting of the House of Representatives.
02:57Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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