On December 6, 2021, politics in Tobago took a surprising and unexpected turn. With a 14-1 majority, the Democratic Progressive Patriots were given the mandate to govern the island’s affairs. This was a clear indication of a desire for change in the way Tobago was governed.
Now, months later, as we near the end of the country’s financial year, we have a public dispute between Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and former Deputy Chief Secretary Watson Duke over how the THA money should be disbursed.
Tobago’s House of Assembly came under fire from Mr Duke after leaving a cultural troupe of 27 Tobagonians, who traveled to Brooklyn to perform and represent the island, stranded in New York. The question then arises: should the Tobago House of Assembly launch a rescue mission because “the people of Tobago were starving and sleeping on the streets of New York”? This was not a situation where there was some natural disaster that required the evacuation of our citizens from a foreign land, but a situation where these individuals decided to go to a foreign land without adequate resources. If the measure proposed by Mr. Duka had been undertaken by the previous leaders of the Assembly, I can guarantee that there would have been a protest from the current assembly members.
The PDP came into government riding an anti-corruption bandwagon. Now such accusations are being raised against them. Are the allegations true? Leadership should never be a game of shape-shifting. We need leaders focused on principles, not leaders who would change their actions accordingly. It poses the question: what principles govern current leaders and what values do they act on?
The people of Tobago are watching the debacle unfold between Messrs. Agustin and Duke, with the threat of legal action against the PDP political leader.
We expect that in every new team, there will be a period of “storming” before “norming”, but is this the example we want to set? That an adversarial approach should be taken in resolving all issues? What about discussing, mediating, settling and resolving their issues in a manner that demonstrates maturity, respect for differing views, and civility? Leader, we missed the mark once again. This is not it!
The PPD showed a great teamwork during the election campaign, when they sought to enter office to “fix the provisions”. Now that they have been given that mandate, we have this huge divide after only nine months. This leaves the rest of the assembly in a “monkey pants”.
They must move forward and continue to lead after the carnage. What will keep them together in the future and will it be possible for them to continue working together as a team? Will the recent events create further divisions among the assemblymen? I wonder if this fiasco has demotivated those in politics in Tobago?
Mr. Chief Secretary, one of the most important laws of teamwork is the “Law of Identity”, which states that “shared values define the team”. Does this team possess shared values that have great weight and depth? With the latest turn of events, I have to admit it doesn’t look good; so much so that I wonder if we’ll see another public spat like this anytime soon.
As leaders sort out whether and how they would work together, Tobago’s Self-Government Bill is coming to light again. On April 30, 2022, I wrote a column titled “Time to Dismantle Tobago’s Self-Government Bill.” I asked the Chief Secretary to take up this issue as a matter of urgency and not allow it to remain silent in the public space; then only to be highlighted again around the time of the next general election. I notice he is once again making it a priority. I am grateful that the head of government business in the room requested that the draft law be brought to the third session of the Assembly to keep it alive.
The bill needs a supermajority in both houses — at least 75 percent of the House of Representatives and 66 percent of the Senate. The approval of the draft law requires the support of the KBB in the Lower House and the Senate, as well as that of independent senators.
Former PNM assemblymen said they support the bill. The PPD in the opposition had problems with the bill and suggested changes. Now, the work must be done by the current leaders of the Assembly – all of them – to ensure that this bill passes.
I thank God for the vision of Mr. Arthur NR Robinson, former Speaker of the Tobago House of Assembly, former Prime Minister and former President. He and his team drafted provisions within the current THA legislation (Act 40 of 1996) on the manner in which a Chief Secretary and Deputy Chief Secretary should be elected. If the current rift between the PPD political leader and the Chief Secretary had occurred in accordance with the legislation governing the election of a Prime Minister, the current Chief Secretary would be out of office today.
I welcome the fact that the Chief Secretary has indicated that he has put together a team to advise on a way forward on the Bill. The team should pay particular attention to clause 141F of the current front of house legislation. It recommends a change to what works in Trinidad and is a departure from the current THA law.
—Author Maria Dillon-Remy is an independent senator and former hospital medical director
