Attorney Tova Hamilton takes her seat in the Senate

Attorney at law Tova Hamilton on Friday morning took her seat on the Government benches in the Senate after taking her oath of Allegiance in the chamber.
 
Hamilton who will be contesting the Trelawny North constituency in the upcoming General Elections for the Jamaica Labour Party replaces Pearnel Charles Jr who was elected to the House of Representatives in March. 
 
"It is a truth to say that Senator Hamilton will bring her own love for Jamaica, her own sensitivity to our culture; her own work ethic honed over the years and her deliberation to the debates in this House," said Leader of Government Business in the Senate Kamina Johnson Smith.
 
Johnson Smith also said, with Hamilton’s appointment to the Upper House, its composition of women has moved to 29 per cent.
 
“Each time - across administrations - a maximum of three on the Government side and two on the Opposition side and somehow informally that formula has been kept but it has been broken today and it gives extra pleasure to our welcome,” Johnson Smith said.
 
Donna Scott Mottley, the leader of Opposition business in the Senate, also extended welcome to Hamilton.
 
But for another Opposition senator, Sophia Frazer Binns, the moment was extra special because another Westwood High School alumna had joined her in the Senate.
 
The deadlocked Hamilton in response to her welcome thanked Prime Minister Andrew Holness for the appointment but singled out Senate President Tom Tavares Finson for his effort to get her in the Senate. 
 
"This appointment is quite symbolic to me because it represents hope for many but in particular those men and women who may be watching today from Trelawny who can now feel inspired to dream big and to do great things because I stand here as a manifestation as to what is possible for them," Hamilton said.

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