Paim defends ending secret voting in Parliament.

The Senate Agency - Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS) defended in the Plenary, this Friday the 8th, the end of secret parliamentary voting. Author of a proposed constitutional amendment (PEC 50/2006) on the subject, Paim said that if open voting were already in effect, there would have been no doubts about the conduct of the party blocs in the recent election of the Senate leadership.

"If the vote were open, everyone would have the right to vote and explain how they voted," he commented, emphasizing that in this election his party took a position in favor of the ticket formed based on party proportionality.

Paim defended open voting in a speech focused on the need to value parliamentary activity. According to the senator, generic criticisms voiced against congressmen can lead to misunderstandings. Therefore, he said he made a point of using the podium that day to defend his own work.

"I only have the Senate platform, which is our instrument. If I don't speak here, all that remains is the version of those who only know how to criticize and never do anything," he said.

Balance

In his assessment, Paim highlighted his work as a congressman during the drafting of the current Constitution, "in building social and labor rights." According to the senator, his performance since then has earned him credibility with voters to continue in public life, including winning four million votes in the last Senate election.

Paim also mentioned that he is the author of more than a thousand projects, many of which have already become law. He highlighted, among others, the Statute of the Elderly and the Statute of Racial Equality, which he considers a successful proposal but initially pointed out by critics as intended to "divide the country".

He also addressed high-profile projects in which he collaborated as rapporteur, such as the government proposal that defined the current minimum wage policy, which is based on adjusting for past inflation and passing on GDP growth from two years prior. Another contribution was to regulate proportional notice periods.

"I have a side to this story, always listening to the workers, those who are discriminated against, but I have never stopped listening to the business owners as well," he stated.

Regarding his activities in 2012, Paim reported having registered 18 more projects in the Senate. He also recalled that the Human Rights and Participatory Legislation Committee (CDH), under his chairmanship, held 146 public hearings, and that he himself coordinated the activities in more than 90% of them.

"I will continue to come at 9 a.m. to open the session to debate all the topics. This is the National Congress; this is democracy," he commented.

The senator also pointed out what he considers to be priority points for 2013, such as the approval of the Driver's Statute, the effort to overturn the veto that prevented the end of the Social Security Factor, and a policy of above-inflation adjustments for retirees and pensioners who earn more than one minimum wage.