McDonald's colourful life

Marlene McDonald was just 64 when she died on Friday. Her passing brought an end to a surprisingly short but undeniably colourful 13-year political career.

Ms McDonald was first elected to the House of Representatives as Member for Port of Spain South in November 2007 when she was appointed Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs. She would be part of a new cadre of politicians chosen by Patrick Manning who was emerging from a turbulent era in PNM politics.

Mr Manning was revamping the PNM in the late 1980s after the crushing defeat it suffered by the National Alliance for Reconstruction. The party would govern for much of the term it won in 1991, but lost a critical party stalwart in Morris Marshall, a respected representative of Laventille West in March 1994. The PNM would lose the 1995 and 2000 elections but was returned to power in 2001 after President Arthur NR Robinson broke the electoral tie by selecting Mr Manning on "moral and spiritual grounds."

In 2002, the PNM would improve its position in an election that brought 20 out of 36 seats to the party. The PNM emerged from the 2007 election with six additional seats, so it was no surprise for Ms McDonald to take a more robust role in governance after marshalling improved support for the party in its Port of Spain heartland.

When the PNM was returned to Opposition in 2010, she took the parliamentary role of Chief Whip. But it was after the party returned to power in 2015 that Ms McDonald's political career – a foundation in the remaking of the presence of the PNM as political force to be reckoned with – took a turn to the surreal.

In 2016, she was accused of using her influence as Housing Minister to secure state housing for her partner and creating a phantom NGO to access state funds. When a Cabinet reshuffle moved her to the Ministry of Public Utilities, these matters were still being probed by the Integrity Commission. But Ms McDonald's next move would trump those allegations after she arrived at President’s House for her swearing-in ceremony with her partner and Cedric "Burkie" Burke, widely regarded as a community leader, as her plus-twos. The result was a much-memed group photo that included President Carmona, the new Public Utilities Minister and Mr Burke. Twenty-four hours later, the Prime Minister gave the order for her appointment to be revoked. In March 2018, the Prime Minister appointed Ms McDonald a minister in the Ministry of Public Administration family and friends in the media communications. In August 2019, with the announcement of charges against her, this appointment was revoked, along with her status as deputy political leader. She was not screened for the 2020 general election.

She briefly surfaced this year, supporting local government candidates for the Port of Spain City Corporation.

At the time of her passing, Ms McDonald expected to successfully challenge the six counts of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud and misbehaviour the in public office brought before the High Court.

As the PM noted in his tribute, McDonald remained a "dedicated fighter" despite the odds.