Home Politics Leader of the Opposition’s Office mostly closed – Teixeira complains as $32.5...

Leader of the Opposition’s Office mostly closed – Teixeira complains as $32.5 million approved for 2025

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On Monday, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira raised concerns about the official office of the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, citing that the building—rented at a cost of $400,000 per month—is often closed, creating difficulties, especially when it comes to delivering important mail.

The issue was highlighted during a sitting of the Committee of Supply, which approved a sum of $32.5 million for the Leader of the Opposition’s office in 2025. This amount, which matches the allocation for the office in the previous year, forms part of a larger $2.1 billion approved for the Parliament Office.

Teixeira, who frequently needs to interact with the Leader of the Opposition’s office, expressed frustration over the office being locked.

“Many times, when we need to send or receive mail, the building is closed. As a result, we often have to redirect mail to Congress Place [the headquarters of the Opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)],” she explained.

She questioned the purpose of renting such an office if it cannot be used as intended, noting the monthly cost of $400,000 while the office remains non-functional.

“If you have an office, it should be operational, particularly for those of us who have to engage with the Leader of the Opposition,” she said.

The office in question is located on Regent Street, Georgetown.

In addition to the discussion surrounding the Leader of the Opposition’s office, the 2025 parliamentary budget also allocates $76 million dollars for rental and maintenance costs of various buildings.

This includes the rental of official residences for five parliamentarians at a rate of $300,000 per month, as well as the rental of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) for 20 sittings at a cost of $9 million.

Teixeira was also asked why parliamentary sittings continue to be held at the ACCC, rather than the Parliament Building, despite significant investments in refurbishment and new equipment for the latter.

She explained that the ACCC offers more space, and the decision to use it was partly driven by concerns related to COVID-19.

Teixeira further indicated that she was unaware of any change in policy that would see the sittings held elsewhere indefinitely, and she could not provide a timeline for when Public Buildings might be fully operational again for sittings of the National Assembly.

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