Cummings: UNC motion meant to create chaos

MINISTER of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings said an opposition motion for an acting commissioner of police to be chosen by seniority could cause "chaos, bacchanal and confusion" in the police service, as he vowed not to support such a motion by Naparima MP Rodney Charles.

Cummings said, "I was unable to get from the member what could possibly be the justification for bringing such a motion to this House."

He said if the Government supported Charles' order, they would be sabotaging the leadership of the police service.

"Those on the other side will try to have the population believe the appointment of the current commissioner and deputy commissioner have somehow been tainted in some way.

"It is clear that their claims are ill-founded, unjust and unscrupulous.

"What could possibly be the motivation for an attempt to reverse these decisions? Who would that benefit? What benefit could possibly come from such an action?"

Cummings said the motion casts doubt on the Opposition's sense of responsibility and commitment to TT.

He said the two orders were crucial to the management of the police service and for its accountability to the communities it serves.

"Yet in an attempt to grab headlines as is usually done, we have this absolute and complete waste of parliamentary time." Cummings said the motion was frivolous.

He then asked what had been the UNC's crime plan as part of the People's Partnership (PP) coalition government. He answered his own question, saying state of emergency and the controversial Life Sport programme. Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein challenged his relevance but was overruled Cummings.

Cummings quipped, "You can't play mas and 'fraid powder. If you come into the House and you raise issues, we are going to respond to you."

He said the former PP government had very quickly hounded the then acting CoP James Philbert out of office, only to bring Canadians Dwayne Gibbs and Jack Ewartski, as CoP and deputy commissioner, but they fell out with them soon after. Cummings said the former PP government had then done nothing to appoint a new CoP, but had just continued with one person as acting CoP for three years (Stephen Williams.) Cummings said in contrast, his government had followed due process to appoint a substantive CoP for 2018-2021 (Gary Griffith)

He accused the Opposition of creating chaos and bacchanal and when Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde asked him withdraw the remark, he said, "They do all that they can to make the country ungovernable." Cummings said, "We have, after due process, in place an acting commissioner (and) an acting deputy commissioner, properly appointed by the action of the Police Service Commission, the President and Parliament as is the process.

"We are confident we have in place management for the Police Service for the enforcement of law, crime prevention and the protection of the life and property of our citizens."