Heat in the House as
Senior Political Reporter
There will be no self-government for Tobago, or the title of premier for Tobago’s Chief Secretary.
Lack of Opposition support yesterday defeated Government’s proposed self-government package for Tobago, which had included Tobagonians’ recommendations to change the title of Tobago’s “Chief Secretary” to “Premier” and to increase Tobago’s territorial waters to 11 miles.
“ … These aren’t new amendments from Government, these suggestions came from the Tobago House of Assembly as their recommendation,” Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley added in Parliament yesterday before the vote on the bill.
However, yesterday’s House of Representatives examination of the Tobago autonomy legislative package ended in no headway, after the required Opposition votes to pass one bill—which needed a three-fourth majority vote for passage —were not forthcoming.
Not even from UNC “dissident” MPs present—Dinesh Rambally, Rushton Paray and Rodney Charles. Their two colleagues, Rai Ragbir and Anita Haynes-Alleyne, were absent.
“With a division of 21 members (Government) for and 16 (Opposition) voting against and no abstentions, the motion for the third reading of the Constitution Amendment Tobago Self-Government Bill 2020 is not approved,” said House Speaker Bridgid Anisette-George to UNC desk-thumping “celebration.”
Parliamentarians met yesterday to conclude the final (Committee) stage of examination of the Constitution Amendment (Tobago Self-Government) 2020 and its companion, Tobago Island Government Bill. These sought to amend the Constitution to confer self-government on Tobago and have a Tobago Executive Council to administrate on matters.
The bills were in committee stage since 2021, when the Opposition called for more consultation with Tobago, but later walked out of Parliament on speaking time issues. Government had pressed on with the autonomy initiative while the committee was suspended, receiving more information from Tobago on the bills. Work was saved over the years and the bills remained on Parliament’s agenda.
But even before yesterday morning’s proceedings started, there was contention: THA Tobago Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, who’d complained about the bills being “rushed,” issued a statement on a memorandum which he was sending to the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader.
In Parliament before examination of the first bill (Tobago Island Government Bill) UNC MP Saddam Hosein told Government the Opposition Leader had received communication from Augustine and an issue was raised on further consultation on the bill and concern on clauses that may violate core principles of THA self-determination.
“We have genuine concerns on the way we’re conducting today’s business,” Hosein said.
“Because the Chief Secretary’s raising serious concerns and asks that they don’t proceed further with this bill because this serves as the companion bill to the Constitution Amendment bill.”
Rowley accuses Farley,
UNC of delay tactics
But Prime Minister Rowley said, “I’m shocked that the MP for Barataria/San Juan could so cavalierly intervene in the parliamentary proceedings to play this game.”
He said the matter had been in the public domain and Parliament for years.
“As I sit here, two minutes ago I saw a WhatsApp message from the Chief Secretary, that’s what the MP is talking about,” he added
Rowley felt the Chief Secretary was now intervening in that matter, “offering eight pages of legal” information “telling the Parliament to stop its proceedings,” as they found another way or other things to be done under the rubric of “consultation.”
Rowley said MPs had gotten to the current point by a series of years of consultations.
“And as I sit here this minute, on my phone I get a WhatsApp!”
Noting T&T’s laws provide a mechanism for the Chief Secretary to communicate with the Office of the Prime Minister on matters for Tobago, he said, “Nothing has come to me from the Chief Secretary in my office. But today in the Parliament, one minute before as we sit to deal with the committee stage of a Joint Select Committee of years ago, this MP comes here facilitating this intervention by a WhatsApp, by amendments being proposed by the THA through the Chief Secretary …this is preposterous! And I’ll have none of it!”
MPs went on to examine the 61 clauses and two sections of the Tobago Island Government bill with Hosein, and MP Roodal Moonilal querying issues.
Voting ended with 20 Government votes for the bill, with Rowley saying, “Absolutely. Yes!” and other PNM MPs saying “Aye” or “Yes.”
PNM MP Brian Manning was absent. So was PNM’s Esmond Forde, who arrived late, but in time for the vote on the second bill.
There were 10 Opposition votes against the first bill. A number of UNC MPs were also late for that vote. When it was announced that the motion on that bill was carried, Government MPs desk-thumped approval.
Premier title proposed
Opposition queries continued in examination of the 21 clauses of the Constitution Amendment (Self-Government) Bill, where Government produced amendments, largely nomenclature.
This included changing the title of “Chief Secretary” to “Premier” and “deputy Chief Secretary” to “deputy Premier.”
House leader Camille Robinson-Regis said when proceedings were in committee stages, one of the issues was changing the term from “Chief Secretary” to “Premier.”
She added, “We had left it as ‘Chief Secretary’ but there was an insistence that we move from ‘Chief Secretary’ to ‘Premier’ and we accepted that …”
Other changes were to delete the words “Other Secretaries selected from among Assembly members” and use “Secretaries selected from among Member of the Assembly.” She said that was to allow councillors to be secretaries akin to senators appointed as minister.
Robinson said Government also heeded Tobagonians’ requests to extend Tobago’s territorial waters position from being six miles out to 11 nautical miles. ( C BELOW )
Both Moonilal and Hosein used the PM’s “preposterous” terms in their criticism of various issues.
After Hosein queried the nautical aspect, Robinson-Regis added, “The persons who sent information to the honourable Prime Minister by WhatsApp, these are some of the concerns they raised, so we’ve taken their concerns on board—including the letter that was sent since 2021. If they are the mouthpieces for the TPP, they should be well aware of what’s before us.”
Rowley added, “I see an attempt to put information in the public domain by suggestion in the House. These amendments that are here now today, which my colleague from Siparia and Barataria are fuming about ‘only just getting’ and ‘Government amendment’ – these aren’t new amendments put here by the Government. These are the amendments that arose from the communication that was put here in the last bit of work.”
He said this was on the last occasion towards end of the debate – and UNC MPs participated in debate.
“At that time, these suggestions came from the Tobago House of Assembly as their recommendation for amendment to the bill that was being debated. So I find it quite strange MPs could be here now pretending these are unknown to them and it’s the Government’s ‘springing some surprise’ on them.”
Rowley added, “These aren’t amendments put by the Government at the last minute. They’re part of a continuation dating back almost 30 months.”
Hosein, saying the Committee stage of the bill was suspended to get new amendments, maintained these were four pages of new amendments to amend the 2021 bill.
Robinson-Regis said that on the last day when committee proceedings were suspended, former chief secretary Hochoy Charles sent a letter to all MPs indicating some concerns they had and Government stopped the committee stage.
“We examined what was necessary and we made the changes…” she said.
With Opposition objection throughout, while there were 21 Government votes for the bill, the required additional UNC votes needed for passage were not given—all 16 UNC MPs present voted against, including Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar declaring, “Absolutely not!”
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