UNC: PM legislative agenda will not help population

Opposition MP David Lee has said the Prime Minister’s proposed legislative agenda has not changed for the last nine years. He said the agenda has zero potent measures to address or immediately improve the lives of citizens.

Speaking during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at Whitehall, Dr Rowley said Tobago internal self-governance, campaign finance reform, the Miscellaneous Provisions (Global Forum) Bill 2024, an Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) report, and a Salaries Review Commission (SRC) report were to be addressed during the upcoming parliamentary session.

In a WhatsApp response to questions from Newsday on Thursday, Lee said the proposed agenda totally ignored the day-to-day struggles of TT’s citizens.

“The Tobago bills are not new. Debate was actually completed on them, yet the government left them in abeyance at the committee stage since 2021.

“Campaign finance has been part of the Representation of the People Bill before a JSC (joint select committee) since 2020/2021, when the parliamentary term commenced, and has become a soundbite whenever the Prime Minister wishes to give the impression they are working.”

He said the legislative agenda was supposed to be a tool to secure prosperity, stability and safety for the population.

“What is astounding is the fact that home invasion, extortion and brutal criminality is plaguing our country and the Prime Minister has not seen it fit to be innovative to use the legislative agenda to secure our citizens.

“Even worse, it appears the Government is on autopilot as the country descends into a multi-sector crisis, because instead of using the parliamentary recess to draft legislation that meets the urgent needs of our country to protect the welfare of citizens, the PM has simply ‘dug up whatever remnants of bills they have lying around in committees or have been laid,’ attempting to pass it off as an agenda for the benefit of the nation.”

Lee said debates on the bills would have to take place before the UNC decided whether or not it would support the legislation.

“As far as supporting PNM bills, we have always said we support good legislation that benefits the country and the people.”

The Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill 2020 is intended to amend the Constitution to accord self-government to Tobago, to repeal the Tobago House of Assembly Act, Chap. 25:03 and for related matters.

The bill originated in the first session, was carried over to the second session, then to the third , fourth and fifth sessions of the current Parliament.

It was laid in the House of Representatives on October 14, 2020, by the Prime Minister and was referred to a committee on the same day. The committee report was laid on June 9, 2021, was debated on June 28 and 29 that year and adopted on June 29. On June 30, the House of Representatives agreed with the report of the committee’s progress so far.

The Representation of the People Act (Amendment No Two), which deals with campaign finance reform, was presented in the House of Representatives on November 1, 2023 and in the Senate on November 7, 2023. It was sent to a JSC which was to report by March 29, 2024. One meeting was held on March 11, 2024. An extension was requested, with the final report to be submitted by June 30.

The bill was initially drafted by former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi, and Rowley introduced it in Parliament in May 2020 before it was referred to a JSC for examination. The report of the JSC was presented in Parliament on September 9, 2022.

The Miscellaneous Provisions (Global Forum) Bill 2024 was introduced in the House on July 3, 2024 by Finance Minister Colm Imbert and read for a first time. It seeks to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Anti-Terrorism Act, the National Insurance Act, the Financial Intelligence Unit Act, the Income Tax Act, the Corporation Tax Act, the Petroleum Taxes Act, the Registration of Business Names Act, the Companies Act, the Tax Information Agreements (USA) Act, the Non-Profit Organisation Act, the Tax Information Exchange Agreements Act, the Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters Act, the Miscellaneous Provisions (Trustees, Exchequer and Audit, the Minister of Finance (Incorporation) Act, Income Tax, Companies, Partnerships, Securities, Tax Information Exchange Agreements, the Non-Profit Organisations and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters) Act and the Miscellaneous Provisions (Registrar General, Companies, Registration of Business Names and Non-Profit Organisations Act, 2024.

The report by the Elections and Boundaries Commission on the review and recommendations on establishing constituencies and adjusting boundaries and polling divisions was prepared on March 13, 2024 and laid in Parliament in April. It was never debated. At the time Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis said the report could not be debated because there must be notice.

The report, which can be found on the Parliament website, proposed the adjustment of 21 polling divisions throughout TT.

The government rejected the 117th SRC report on March 6. Rowley said on Wednesday the report lacked “certain components of information,” including the points of view and consultation with the judiciary.

“In fact, it was the position of the judiciary that the commission’s work in some aspect might even have been illegal. And we have sent that back to the commission and with a deadline to report, and we expect that the commission will report in a matter of days.”

The last day of the current parliamentary session will be September 9, and a new session will begin on September 13.

Meanwhile, Newsday asked if the UNC was lagging behind the PNM in preparing for next year's general election. The PNM has screened nominees to be candidates in ten UNC-held seats, selecting five prospective candidates (including senators Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal for St Augustine, Richie Sookhai for Chaguanas East and Muhammad Yunus Ibrahim for Barataria/San Juan).

The PNM recently invited nominations for ten more UNC-held seats: Caroni Central, Chaguanas West, Couva North, Couva South, Naparima, Oropouche East, Oropouche West, Princes Town, Siparia and Tabaquite, to be submitted by September 25.

Asked about this, Lee replied, "This is PNM business and we don’t get involved in that!

"As far as UNC screening, the general secretary of our party is the best person to answer your question on screening!"

Newsday was unable to contact UNC general secretary Peter Kanhai. However, sources close to the party otherwise told Newsday they believed the screening exercise might take place after the budget debate, for which the UNC has been holding regular constituency consultations.