Welcome to the Glossary Corner

Aye: An old English word used for voting “yes” in Parliament.

bill: A proposed law submitted to Parliament for its approval. It may originate either with the Government, with a private Member or with a private body and may relate either to public or private interests. bills may be first introduced in either the House or the Senate, but bills for taxation must be introduced in the House of Representatives by a Minister.

budget: The Government’s statement of its fiscal, economic and social policies. It is presented once a year.

Cabinet: The executive of the Government, consisting of those MPs and Senators appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. It is responsible for the administration of the Government and the establishment of its policies.

Caucus: A meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement.

Chamber: The hall in which the House of Representatives or the Senate meets to conduct its business.

Clerk of the House: The chief procedural and administrative adviser to Parliament. This officer works directly with the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives and is the Administrative Head of the office of the Parliament.

Clerk of the Senate: The Deputy to the Clerk of the House, this person is the principal procedural adviser to the President of the Senate and to Senators.

Committee: A body of MPs, or Senators or both, selected to consider such matters, including bills, as the House/s may refer to it or empower it to examine. There are several types of Committees: Sessional, Special and Select Joint Committees as well as Committees of the Whole.

Constitution: The Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago is the supreme or highest law of the land. It must be followed by the President, the Prime Minister, Ministers of Government, the Chief Justice, the judicial arm of the State, all State and public officials and all the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. It sets out the structure and type of government we must follow and what powers they have. It makes sure that your rights are protected and sets up institutions to ensure that the Government and other State officials do not abuse your rights. All other laws in the country must follow the Constitution, but the Constitution does not replace these laws. Instead, it sets out the standards which they must follow. Think of it as the foundation of a house - all other laws are like the doors, walls, windows and roof. When you build a house, what it looks like will depend on what the foundations are. So too, all the other laws in the country depend on what the Constitution says.

Constituency: A defined geographical area of which the electorate is represented by a seat (in a single-member constituency) in the House. The boundaries of a constituency are drawn up by the Elections and boundaries Commission.

Debate: Debates are an opportunity for MPs and Senators to discuss government policy, proposed new laws and current issues. It allows MPs to voice the concerns and interests of their constituents, and Members of the Senate can speak about issues brought to their attention by the public. Debates are designed to assist MPs and Senators to reach an informed decision on a subject. This decision is then often expressed in a vote (called a ‘division’), for or against.

Democracy: Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is given by the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected representative under a free electoral system.