Trinidad and Tobago Government’s Autonomy Bill Faces Opposition

In a move to prevent the government from granting autonomy to Tobago, the opposition United National Congress (UNC) increased its numbers in the Parliament on Monday.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley sought approval for the reading of legislation to amend the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution, but Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George told legislators that the bill required a three-fourths special majority of the 41-member Parliament. The motion was defeated, with 21 government legislators voting in favor and 16 opposition members voting against.

The two Tobago bills had been on the Order Paper since 2021 and had been the subject of a joint committee of Parliament since then. However, Prime Minister Rowley described the opposition’s efforts to prevent the exercise from going forward as “preposterous”.

The opposition’s concerns centered around the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Farley Augustine, who had raised serious concerns about the bill. Opposition legislator Saddam Hosein argued that the bill would not be able to stand on its own without the constitutional grounding provided by the Constitutional Amendment Bill.

However, Prime Minister Rowley dismissed Hosein’s concerns, saying that the matter had been in the public domain for years and that the government had followed the proper procedures. He also received a WhatsApp message from the THA Chief Secretary, offering eight pages of legal arguments against the bill.

Despite the opposition’s efforts, the government moved to amend certain clauses of the bill. In the end, the opposition voted against both the Tobago Island Government Bill 2021 and the Constitutional Amendment Tobago Self Government Bill 2020 in the committee stages.

Conclusion

The government’s efforts to grant autonomy to Tobago were met with opposition from the UNC, which increased its numbers in the Parliament to prevent the bill from being passed. The opposition’s concerns centered around the Chief Secretary of the THA, who had raised serious concerns about the bill.

FAQs

* What was the purpose of the bill?
The bill aimed to grant autonomy to Tobago and amend the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution.
* Why did the opposition vote against the bill?
The opposition voted against the bill due to concerns raised by the Chief Secretary of the THA and the lack of constitutional grounding.
* What was Prime Minister Rowley’s reaction to the opposition’s efforts?
Prime Minister Rowley described the opposition’s efforts as “preposterous” and dismissed their concerns, saying that the matter had been in the public domain for years and that the government had followed the proper procedures.