Opposition Senator Chester Hughes has pledged that the opposition's contribution in the new Senate will be grounded in research, policy, and principle — not politics — as he assumed the role of minority leader in the upper house following today's swearing-in ceremony.
According to Antigua.news, Hughes, who previously served as a member of parliament for All Saints East and St. Luke and has prior Senate experience, cautioned the government benches against underestimating the four opposition senators.
In his remarks, Hughes said he had already directed his team to arrive prepared, warning against unprepared positions. "Proper research must be done in order for us to present to this nation what is right and principled for Antigua and Barbuda," he said. "The politics is over. The work begins."
Hughes also addressed the Senate's role in scrutinising legislation, stating that the upper house must be willing to return bills to the House of Representatives when warranted — but to do so with respect and clear reasoning.
"If we have to send a bill back to the Lower House, we must send it back with the respect that we have a challenge with that bill and not that we oppose the bill," he said.
Hughes extended special recognition to fellow Senator Tiffany Strand-Peters, noting that she hails from the Bolans community where he was born. "I know the quality of work that she has done in the south," he said. "I was proud, although I was looking for a senator from the trade union movement on the other side. But I was even more elated when I heard that they've chosen her."
Hughes closed by calling on all senators, regardless of which side of the chamber they sit on, to approach their legislative review responsibilities with the national interest as their guide. "We will not debate bills on politics, but we will debate bills on policies and with principles," he said.
