Unrevised Hansard-8th Sitting (2017-2021)

Papers Laid

TOBAGO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

The House met at 1.30 p.m.

PRAYERS [MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER in the Chair] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Secretary of Finance and the Economy.

PAPERS LAID

(i)

Tobago House of Assembly Monthly Budget Report as at the end of July, 2017. [Secretary of Finance and the Economy (Hon. Joel Jack)].

(ii)

Tobago House of Assembly Monthly Budget Report as at the end of August, 2017. [Secretary of Finance and the Economy (Hon. J. Jack)].

(iii)

Tobago House of Assembly Financial Statement for the Financial Year ended September 30, 2016. [Secretary of Finance and the Economy (Hon. J. Jack)].

2 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Oral Answers to Questions

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Question No. 14 by Minority

Councillor.

TOBAGO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY AND OWNERS/AGENTS OF HABIB

(Rental/Lease arrangement) 14.

COUNCILLOR F. B. YISRAEL asked the Secretary of Health,

Wellness and Family Development the following question: “What is the contractual rental/lease arrangement between the Tobago House of Assembly and owners/agents of the Habib Building (Wilson Road, Scarborough, Tobago) including: (a) (b) (c)

The commencement of the contractual arrangement; The rental/lease monthly rates from start date to present; and The estimated contractual end date?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development.

SECRETARY

OF

HEALTH,

WELLNESS

DEVELOPMENT (Hon. Dr. Agatha Carrington): Presiding Officer.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

AND

FAMILY

Thank you Madam

3 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

The contractual rental arrangement for the provision of office accommodation for the Head Office of the Division of Health and Social Services then, now the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development, through Executive Council Minute of July, 07, 2016, received approval for the rental of the building owned by Richie Habib situated at Highmoor Tobago, for a period of three (3) years with effect from the date of occupancy. The rate per square foot being nine dollars ($9) per square foot, the Division of Health, Wellness and Development in July of 2017 made a variation of that approval on the rental arrangement and that such approval was received in August of 2017 for a variation from nine dollars ($9.00) per square foot to fifteen ($15) dollars ($15.00) per square foot. This new arrangement, now providing a space that is now outfitted, rather than being unfurnished.

Thank you.

SUPPLEMENTAL

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Please provide for the House the total square footage because if we just say nine dollars ($9.00) or fifteen dollars ($15.00) per square foot, I am not sure how I am to calculate that without not knowing the total square footage of the building?

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

Madam Presiding Officer, you asked the question you need to know the space as well.

So let me compute for you. The monthly rental for the

4 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. earlier contract, for the unfurnished space is two hundred and seventeen thousand, nine hundred and thirty dollars and fifty cents ($217,930.50).

That is unfurnished. The new space, the space that is now furnished, the upgraded space, moved from nine dollars ($9.00) to fifteen ($15.00) dollars per square foot in sync with the furnished space rates in Scarborough and environs, it is now three hundred and twenty-two thousand, eight hundred and fifty dollars ($322, 850.00).

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Madam Secretary, when given the initial rates you spoke about the fact that the commencement would be the date of occupancy. Please confirm whether the Tobago House of Assembly has started occupying the space or whether the date of occupancy has actually started and when was that?

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Madam Presiding Officer, that question was not on this Order Paper. However, the date of occupancy has not yet been realized. We have not yet started to occupy.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Question No. 15 by Minority

Councillor.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d)

Post-SEA REMEDIAL PROGRAMME

(Update on its implementation)

5 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

15.

COUNCILLOR F. B. YISRAEL asked the Honourable Chief

Secretary, the following question: “In July 2017 the Chief Secretary and Secretary of Education, Innovation and Energy announced that a Post-SEA Remedial Programme will be implemented to treat with the SEA students who were identified as: underperforming”. Please provide an update on the implementation of that Remedial Programme, including: (a)

The number of remedial teachers specially assigned to treat with those students; and

(b)

The schools they have been assigned to?”

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, INNOVATION AND ENERGY [Hon. Kelvin Charles]: Madam Presiding Officer, the Post-SEA Programme was not labelled a Remedial Programme.

It was termed an Enrichment Programme that was designed to improve the skill levels of students who performed below an acceptable level in “Literacy and Numeracy” based on the results of the Secondary Entrance Assessment Examination 2017.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. CHIEF SECRETARY (Cont’d)

The Programme targeted students who scored under thirty percent (30%) from Primary Schools throughout Tobago. The students were

6 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. identified from data provided by the Schools and from the results of the SEA Examination. The main purpose of the Programme was to improve the “Literacy and Numeracy” skills of students as they transitioned into Secondary Schools. The Programme was conducted for four (4) weeks, from Monday, July 10th to Friday, August 4th, 2017 and offered reinforcement in the two (2) subjects, “Mathematics and Reading”.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont'd) HON. CHIEF SECRETARY (Cont'd)

Sessions were held from 9.00 a.m. to 1.45 p.m. daily.

A Technical

Vocational Component was also incorporated in the following areas:      

Cosmetology; Photography/Videography; Art and Craft; Fashion, including Clothing and Textile; Information and Communication Technology; Music.

Other components included:  Conversational Spanish;  Life skills - conducted by Officers of the Student Support Unit that address such topics as:  Anger Management;  Social Skills and manners;  Organizational Skills; and

7 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Goal setting.

The Programme was facilitated by Teachers from Primary and Secondary Schools as well as student teachers from the UTT (University of Trinidad and Tobago) Bachelor in Education Programme.

It must be noted that these persons volunteered their time during the July/August vacation. The mass volunteers provided tutoring in numeracy after exposure to training at a Singapore Mathematics Workshop and they were further guided by the Numeracy Intervention Coordinator at the Division.

Employees from within the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy provided tutoring in the Literacy Component and in such areas as:  Photography;  Videography; and  Information Technology.

The reading tutors were trained and guided by our Reading Intervention Coordinator who graduated from the University of the West Indies as a Reading Coach.

There were forty-seven (47) volunteers who facilitated this Programme. Classes were conducted at five (5) centres:  Roxborough Secondary School;  Goodwood Secondary School;  Bishop's High School;

8 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Scarborough Secondary School; and  Bethesda Multipurpose Facility.

The Programme initially targeted the one hundred and thirty-seven (137) students who scored under thirty percent (30%) however, approximately ninety (90) of these students attended the session.

At the Achievement Day Function, one hundred and ten (110) certificates were issued, since interestingly, the programme also attracted students who were already at Secondary Schools.

Fifty-five (55) students were referred to write the SEA Examination and the remaining eighty-two (82) students were equally divided and placed in two (2) Secondary Schools:  Roxborough Secondary School; and  Signal Hill Secondary School.

At Signal Hill Secondary, twenty-four (24) teachers are assigned to provide instructions across the curriculum to the students. These teachers are ably supported by the Reading and Mathematics Intervention Coordinators as well as the Curriculum Officers.

Officers of the Curriculum Unit worked with the teachers of both secondary schools and have produced a modified curriculum to engage the students. In addition, tutors from the Tobago Institute of Literacy have been assisting the students to develop their literacy proficiency.

9 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

The Literacy and Numeracy Intervention Coordinators continuously interact with teachers at both schools as they provide support, guidance and training to teachers to address the learning needs of the students.

SUPPLEMENTAL

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL: Mr. Secretary, please just for my edification, explain whether the teachers who are regularly placed in these schools - Roxborough and Signal Hill, whether they are specially trained to deal with these children who acquired less than thirty percent (30%) on the SEA Examination.

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY:

Madam Presiding Officer, the teachers at

both schools are teachers who in the main have been appointed by the Teaching Service Commission. Teachers are required to pursue training in respect of Education at the University of the West Indies - the Bachelor of Education Programme. It is a voluntary Programme and therefore to a large extent it depends on the teacher’s interest in upgrading their sense of professionalism.

But as I did indicate in my response - support is given to the Teachers in respect of numeracy and literacy by those persons in the Division who have the responsibility to supervise and to assist.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No.16, Minority Councillor.

UPDATE ON THE BALANCE ON THE CONSOLIDATED FUND

10 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

16.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL asked the Secretary of

Finance and the Economy the following question: Oral Answers to Questions (Cont'd) COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL (Cont’d)

"Please provide an update on the balance on the Consolidated Fund of the Tobago House of Assembly as at 30th September 2017, compared to the balance as at 30th September 2016?"

DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF FINANCE AND THE ECONOMY: [Hon. Joel Jack]: Madam Presiding Officer, thank you. The Consolidated Fund is the Account into which all Central Government revenues is deposited and from which all Central Government expenditure except borrowing is met.

The Fund consist of all revenue or other monies raised or received by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. These are deposited into the Exchequer Account and this Revenue forms the Consolidated Fund. Any withdrawal from this Fund has to be authorized by an Appropriation Act in accordance with the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, as I perused the Tobago House of Assembly Act we do not have any Consolidated Fund.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Okay.

11 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL:

Madam Presiding Officer, I

admit that I am new at this and I am young and maybe the terms that I am using are incorrect but I understand that there is an emergency Fund of some sort or Contingency Fund within the Tobago House of Assembly that we should have a balance to? That is what you described when you said to the balance to that Fund?

HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, while the Act is clear in terms of the descriptions of all the Funds under the remit of the Tobago House of Assembly and clearly stated in the Act and the question been asked by the Honourable Councillor Dr. Yisrael is a new question so .....

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Okay.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL: Madam Presiding Officer, at the Monthly Budget Reports of the Tobago House of Assembly which is a required presentation in the Tobago House of Assembly. There is a table entitled, "Contingency Expenditure” and as long as we have been here, we have been getting the expenditure and we have not gotten the balance.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Okay, so we need to make sure that your follow-up question is not a statement. It is a question and that it speaks to the question currently on the Order Paper.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL: My error?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: I have not heard the question. I have heard a statement from you.

12 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL:

What is the balance of the

Fund that the Secretary described when he rose and spoke? What is the balance?

HON. J. JACK: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. The Consolidated Fund is under the purview of the Minister of Finance. We do not have a Consolidated Fund under the Tobago House of Assembly.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Alright.

HON. J. JACK:

So it is clearly stated in the Act as to the Funds under the

Tobago House of Assembly.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Okay.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL: Okay. Then, may I place on record, the intent to ask the question pertaining to the Contingency Fund at the next sitting please, so that we can be within the time limit?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: No, you cannot do it here. There is a process of notice so you can give the notice outside of here when that time comes.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Okay, at this time, we are going to

close the session for Question and Answers and move along.

Minority Leader.

13 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

PRIVATE BUSINESS MOTION REQUEST TO PRESENT A NEW BUDGET AT THE NOVEMBER 2017 SITTING

MR. WATSON DUKE [Minority Leader]: Madam Presiding Officer, it is a pleasure to stand here today, in this august House. A House that was established in the 1700s and it is still in existence today; a House where all of Tobago comes on a monthly basis to discuss Tobago’s business.

I wish to begin with the reading of our motion. It says: “WHEREAS the majority of the Tobago House of Assembly’s revenues come from the Central Government of Trinidad and Tobago; AND WHEREAS consistent with Section 41 of the Tobago House of Assembly Act of 1996 the Tobago House of Assembly’s 2018 Fiscal Budget request from the Central Government, which totaled $5.041 billion, was made; AND WHEREAS this represents a budget shortfall of $2.8474 billion Request to present a new Budget at the November 2017 Sitting (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE

(Cont’d)

AND WHEREAS the Central Government in response allocated $2.1936 billion, with a promise to allow the Tobago House of Assembly to borrow;

14 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

BE IT RESOLVED that this House mandate the Executive Council to present a new budget at the end of November 2017 sitting, using the actual Central Government allocations to forecast new recurrent expenditure, capital expenditure, CEPEP and URP expenditure; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Council also present to this House, plans for revenue generation outside of monies allocated from Central Government.”

Madam Presiding Officer, I stand here today feeling like it is deja´vu.

As if we have been here we have done that already and we had no right standing here asking for a more practical budget to be presented. If my memory serves me right, the month was June 2017, when the Finance Secretary would have brought to this House a Budget that was quite unreasonable.

We looked at him with awe, with deep concern for the

national community of Tobago. Here he was dreaming, in broad daylight.

Here he was Madam Presiding Officer, advising the people of Tobago that under this new Executive Council, they are going to get a budget allocation from Trinidad numbering some five point zero four one billion dollars ($5.041b.) something we have never seen since the 1700s. We have never seen that, since the 1700s. Now in a recession, where the country is crying out, where contractors are not being paid; where the public servants are being threatened with extermination if they pay them; where the hospitals are without basic pharmaceuticals; things like sugar and rice in the hospital becomes a scarce commodity; where even the food that is utilize here in this Chamber has reduced to now, cereal. That is what they have done here.

With all that in mind, the Assemblyman for Bacolet/Mt. St. George, the

15 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Secretary of Finance stood in front of us, eyes wide open and presented a Budget that was maliciously misleading.

I want to take time today and I want to quote a Scripture for the Godfearing people among us because some people no longer fear God Madam Presiding Officer. Haggai, Chapter 1: Verse 9: It is an advice that everyone who is preparing a Budget should bear in mind.

It is an advice that says:

“Ye looked for much and lo, it” became little. It said and you “brought it home” and when you bring it home, “I did blow upon it”. You asked why, he said: … Because of mine house” that is laid waste…

The resultant: ….every one of them ran to their own house.”

I do not want to sermonize today, but if I have to pull up that part of me, I would say to them, that five point zero four one billion dollars ($5.041b.) that you all sent to Trinidad requesting, was much. They look for much, but when the Finance Minister read the Budget, lo, it became little – two point one nine billion dollars ($2.19b.) almost two-fifths of what they requested.

The Bible is truth - a book of life. It goes further. It says when they bring home this money (that is our concern now, we are trying to prevent prophesy from fulfilling here, Haggai Chapter 1: Verse 9 (write it down for those of you who has a Bible at home, if you do not have one, purchase one) to Tobago, he said, “I blow upon it”. That is God! He blows upon it. It

16 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. became nothing. Before that money is blown away, just like the last money that was given to Tobago has been blown away, I have some choice advice to my friends on the other side. I wish to say to them that Tobago is in a position where it cannot afford to lose. We are in a catch twenty-two (22) position, a “make or break” position. We have to succeed and with our collective wisdom in this House, we today, must contemplate that serious Motion that the Budget which was done in June for five billion dollars ($5b.) be redone in the month of November.

That reflects a more judicious

approach to budgeting; a more realistic approach to budgeting. That budget that they must redo must amount to what the Government has allocated for Tobago.

So, I wish to pull aside and park a little bit as I remind them Madam Presiding Officer, of some of the dreams they sold us in an effort that those dreams would be corrected in the remaking of a more realistic Budget. I sat here and as the Finance Secretary, the Assemblyman for Bacolet/Mt. St. George spoke, I keep saying in my mind, "Lower your gaze, lower your gaze, you have your eyes set too high. Where yuh going with five billion dollars ($5b.), lower it, lower it." Today, my words for him is the same.

"Lower your gaze."

Under expenditure the Finance Secretary in June proposed some three point two billion dollars ($3.2b.) Whoo! I say, "Whoo!" Three point two billion dollars ($3.2b.)? They did not even receive that last year from Central Government. The Government that is now in charge of Government

17 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. says, they are one and when you talk, they do not answer you. When you call, they do not respond.

Three point two billion dollars ($3.2b.) has been set aside for expenditure this year. What they got from Central Government, one point eight six billion dollars ($1.86b.).

They are talking about a deficit of one point three four billion dollars ($1.34b.).

Now I want the Secretary of Finance to advise the Tobago

community because they are watching today - they are paying attention. Tell us how will you spend that money - that one point eight six billion dollars ($1.86b.) how would you spend it?

How would you utilize it? We are

talking, "Recurrent Expenditure."

Now, had he received the five billion dollars ($5b.) he would have intended to spend it this way: Personal expenditure - and that's where you pay people basically. For those who do not know the big language, they hide people behind Personnel Expenditure - that is salaries. Wish that these Budget would become a little more simple sometimes.

Personnel Expenditure - eight hundred and fifty-eight point three million dollars ($858.3m.) he allocated for that.

In the Budget he did not speak about hiring new people, employing new people. So we are taking for granted it is the same amount of people.

18 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Maybe he has considered upgrading their salaries - paying them more which is a good thing, which is commendable. But eight hundred and fifty-eight point three million dollars ($858.3m.) on Personnel Expenditure?

The

Budget that is almost ninety percent (90%) of what was allocated for Recurrent Expenditure. How will you trim that now is the question? How will you trim that? The national community of Tobago wants to know, how will the Assemblyman for Bacolet/Mt. St. George, Finance Secretary, how will he trim that?

Goods and Services - that was estimated in June to be one point two billion dollars ($1.2b.). The question is asked by the national community, by the Tobagonians we represent, what is the new figure now for Goods and Services. What goods will be left out, what services will be marked off?

We want to ask those questions.

Transfers and Subsidies - one point zero five billion dollars ($1.05b.).

Tobago wants to find out what will you leave out? How will you utilize this money to meet the objectives that you all have in sight for an efficient and effective Tobago?

This Motion has to do with what we call, "Good Governance." I know my good friends on the next side do not understand that. They do not understand that at all. Which reminds me of another scripture and I will allow you to search for it. It says, "Some people are ever learning but never able to come to the truth."

19 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

We are speaking "Good Governance." Good Governance has to deal with good decision-making. We are saying that if you make a Budget of five point zero one four billion dollars ($5.014b.) it is okay, it is alright. But we are asking the question how are you financing that Budget? Where do you expect to get finances from and I will come to that later on. They have never answered the question, nor did the Finance Minister seek to answer the question. No, the question remains unanswered. This is a Budget that affects all of Tobago:        

The Carpenter; The housewife; Taximan; The CEPEP worker; The Nurse; The Doctor; The T&TEC worker; and The Clerk.

Every single body this Budget affects. Therefore, one would expect that when you are making a Budget as this, you will go out in the Highways and the Byways and you will ensure that you have a participatory approach to this thing called, "Democracy." You will engage everybody. You will say, "Come let's have a meeting."

To have a meeting of that nature, you will

want to give effective notices to all and sundry. There were days when governance used to be like that.

20 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, there is talking on the other side. I will not tolerate that today at all. Please protect me from the laughing and the distraction on the other side please.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Members, can we make sure that we give the mover of the Motion some time to speak?

Mr. Minority Leader can you proceed?

MR. W. DUKE: There have to be respect in this House because this House is run by what is called, "A Standing Orders" and all of us are bound by that.

[Crosstalk]

What is going on is it crosstalk?

I am not sure, Madam

Presiding Officer... [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Members, I am asking again, could we show some respect to the Minority Leader? He is on his feet presenting a Motion.

MR. W. DUKE:

Madam Presiding Officer, thank you, your protection is

needed.

Good Governance - we are talking Tobagonians beyond the walls of this Chamber are crying out for good governance. They want to be seen as stakeholders in this thing called, "Tobago."

Organizations

(FBOs)

yes,

all

the

NGOs

All the Faith-Based (Non-Governmental

Organizations). All the football clubs; all the business communities, the little parlours they want to be involved.

All of them are asking the

21 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. questions now that Tobago has gotten so little after they have asked for so much what now? What do we do?

I recall my colleagues on that side would have gone to a place called, "Mason Hall" where a meeting was kept and the attendance was poor. I am challenging them because I am working with you that in this thing called, "Good Governance" you have to encourage participation. Therefore, we will like to see on this side that you go from community to community - there must be a plan where you put up and that plan must be circulated in the public, on the newspapers by these vehicles that walk around - you call them “mike vehicles” with the mike in and let them stay on the highways and the byways, the “nook and cranny” - "Meeting on next week."

Give people

some time to put their house in order. You want to run by this evening and say, "Meeting on 5.00 o'clock this evening." No one is at home listening to them because we have closet communities that empty during the day and full back on a evening time.

Here you have the poor man driving around,

"Meeting this evening." No one is listening. Even the dogs are sleeping.

What they need to do is to put it on the newspapers, put it on the news. Participation in these matters are of crucial importance. Let persons come, listen to them, hear what is important to them. If you have to make hard decisions in the community, involve the community. Remember, governance is a contract between the Executive and the people. It is a social contract. All of us have a role to play. All of us! It is not where you just come and tell us what you want. No! Invite people from the audience to speak. Had that been done,

22 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. then a lot of people would have been happy today, but right now, Tobago outside these walls, is concerned.

We go further; they came up with a Developmental Programme for Tobago in June of this year where the Secretary of Finance would have said to the people of Tobago, that their budget for Development would be one point seven billion dollars (1.7b.). Again, the Minority Council looked and tried to warn him, set your gaze lower, be more realistic. He did not listen.

He had his speech well written out, “Unleashing the Creative and Productive Capacity of Our People”. It is like “Unleashing the Dragon”; it is like a movie for him. He spoke with a theatrical voice, but though he asked for much, it came back little. Scripture being fulfilled here today! What he got?

He asked for one point seven one billion ($1.71b.). What he got? Three hundred and fifteen point six eight three million dollars ($315.683m.). Not even half of what he asked for he got. How does Tobago fare now? What do we do? When what we got is a little piece, or what we are to get is a fraction, a little fraction of what we requested. The money if we had received the one point seven one billion dollars ($1.71b.) they had planned for:     

Pre-investment Productive Sectors Economic Infrastructure Social Infrastructure Multi-sectorial and Other Services

$5m. $20m. $738m. $652m. $294m.

23 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

That is what they planned. Now that they are likely to receive three hundred and fifteen point six eight three million dollars (315.683m.), what the people of Tobago can expect? What will be left out? What will be supported by that figure? This is our question. This is our quest on behalf of the Tobago Community. We are urging you for a good governance; let us make over a new Budget based on the figures given to us by Trinidad. It does not end there.

In the month of June 2017, the Secretary of Finance said this, I quote his words: “To assist our Programme with economic diversification and the development of the private sector on the island, our Development Programme Estimates provides support for the:  Enterprise Development Company of Tobago EIDCOT

$85.4 m.

How much now would EIDCOT receives?  Scarborough Esplanade Phase II

$15m.”

How much now would Scarborough Esplanade receive when what you got was less than half of what you requested?

I would say, it was quarter of

what you requested. Let us see now what project is now a priority, you need to tell us that.  Enterprise Development How much will be Enterprise Development now?

$8 m.

24 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Enterprise Development Grant Programme $9m.

How much will that be now? We need to know these things. Tobago needs to know these things;  Business Incubator Programme

$6m.

How much will that be now, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00)?  Venture Capital Equity Fund Limited

$2m

How much will that be now, twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00)? Tobago needs to know. We are in this House as a reflection of democracy one where one of the highest participants in the process, is the man on the street. They are among the highest participants in the process of democracy.

He went further: “Even as we seek to diversify the Tobago economy; we recognized that the Tourism Sector will remain one (1) of the primary drivers of the economic growth on the island for the next few years. As such, the Developmental Programme caters for: His eyes were quite up there in the sky, five point zero one four billion dollars ($5.014b.),” that was the Budget. For Development, he wanted one point seven one billion dollars ($1.71b.), what he got? One quarter of that.

One quarter! Tobago is asking questions outside. You all have ran to you all own homes as the Scripture said. When people asking what is going on, you all run home locking up under air-condition, six (6) big dogs outside “bow,

25 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. wow”, not talking to nobody. So we had expected from this they had budgeted for:  Phase 3 of Fort King George Heritage Park

$6.1m.

What is that figure going to be now?  Upgrade of Sanctuary Resort (woo, papa) a place that has now become home of “jumbies and gargoyles.”

$50m.

How much will that be now? Sometimes it is better that we leave places until we are ready for them. Do not buy them and watch them run down.  Infrastructural Works at Pigeon Point

$9.1m.

How much will it be now? We need you all to answer us. Answer the people of Tobago.  Upgrade Works at Manta Lodge

$8.3m.

How much will it be now, now that you have gotten quarter of what you have asked for?

How much will you put to Manta Lodge, ten thousand

dollars ($10,000.00)? We want to know. Are you gonna buy five (5) doors and a coat of paint? We want to know. Tobago wants to know.  Construction of a Beach Facility at Englishman’s Bay

$2m.

 Construction of Tobago Cruise Ship Berths

$2m.

What will those figures be now?

26 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

He continues, he told us that “The revitalization of the agricultural sector remains a critical priority of the Assembly.” That is what he said in June of this year. “As such the Development Programme Estimates catered for” and he lists them: Establishment of Farmers Markets at Goldsborough and Black Rock

$3.5m.

Will they still be established, now that you got quarter of what you asked for?

Development of an Agro Park at Friendship Estate

$10m.

Will that Agro Park still be established now that you got quarter of what you asked for?  Improvement to Beaches and Landing Facility

$10m.

Will that still be facilitated at that price?  Improvement of the Roxborough Market and Abbatoir

$10m.

Will that still be pursued now that you got quarter of what you asked for?  Improvement of the Buccoo Reef Marine Park Management and Ecological Monitoring

$2.5 m.

Will that still be on the books to be pursued in 2018 now that you got quarter of what you ask for? Haggai Chapter 1 verse 9: "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little."

27 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, there is no end in sight to what they would have sold us in the month of June. He said, "Support for education in the primary area of focus for the new Administration." I say, the Secretary for Education is here - Assemblyman Kelvin Charles, Member of Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden. He spoke of that. He said: “Support for Education is a primary area of focus for this new Administration. The Development Programme Estimates make provision for the support of educational programmes and the improvement of facilities we have budgeted for.”

I want to ask them because the people of Tobago are asking the question.

They got quarter of what they ask for.

Improvements to Primary School - $26.7m. Will that still be pursued?

How much would you put towards the improvement of Primary Schools?

When I visited the Betsy's Hope Primary School (which falls in my area) I recognized the school is a trap waiting to trap someone. There is an extension cord - a cable that runs from the school to the Guard Booth. There are frequent voltage fluctuations that emergency exits cannot open. Yeah!

When it rains the building leaks. Is there still a School Safety person that goes around? Maybe they should check out those schools. Maybe the Betsy's Hope School along with the Roxborough School and all the schools in Tobago need some serious enhancement - some upgrading. But with this Budget cut by three-quarter it worries me what will they do with the quarter?

28 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

For a long time they spoke about upgrading the Happy Haven School and they put ten million dollars ($10m.) towards that in June of this year.

How much will it be now?

Upgrade to the Roxborough Trade Centre - the thing look dilapidated.

We are asking the question - two million dollars ($2m.) they put for that?

How much will it be now? You got one quarter of what you asked for.

Tobago needs to know, what will you do?

The upgrade of Roxborough Library - $11.5m. That is what you said in June with your big Budget - one point seven one billion dollars ($1.71b.).

But what you got from Trinidad - three hundred and fifty million dollars ($350m.). What will you do with that? We need to find out. The Tobago community they are asking questions.

They are stopping the Minority

Council, they flagging down Dr. Faith, they flagging down Brother Farley.

They say, "Hi, what going on, what going on with this Budget here, we only got that?"

Yet, our Chief Secretary, my Chief Secretary comes out, all

smiles, he is happy, he is content with the Budget. They make the low mark, the four point zero three percent (4.03%) - they make the low mark.

[Applause] Tobago is not happy. Tobago is way behind. Tobago needs more than that. Tobago needs something like six point seven percent (6.7%) of the National Budget if we have to catch up and become a modern country.

Heh, heh - not big for them at all.

As I run down, I want to skip somethings out. The last part of the Budget that Trinidad gave us was a place called, "URP" (Unemployment

29 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Relief Programme). But hear what they put - in the month of June, I tell you, when they cannot take the fire, Madam Presiding Officer, when they cannot take the fire in the kitchen they does run out. They said who cannot stand the kitchen, who cannot stand the heat, Brother Farley what they does do? They have to leave the kitchen.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: That's right.

MR. W. DUKE: When you look for them you cannot see them.

The Finance Minister in his Budget Presentation, he allocated eighteen million dollars ($18m.) for URP (Unemployment Relief Programme). For CEPEP (Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme) zero - zilch, zero!

When the Assemblyman

presented his Budget in June I said, “lower your gaze, keep your gaze low, be realistic.” No, he was looking at the sky. So, his Budget amounted to seventy-seven point two million dollars ($77.2m.) and he placed two entities within that Budget - URP and CEPEP which we call, "Make Work Programmes" - they employ a lot of people within Tobago to do a little work, do a little something. Keep the place clean, do something, build a little wall you know - it is good. All nations around the world that is part of the social contract.

There must be a

minimum living standard by all citizens and we support that. But we were quite concerned when the request ... [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Leader, you have four (4) minutes left.

30 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, thank you.

We were quite concerned that the seventy-seven point two million dollars ($77.2m.) that was requested only came back eighteen million dollars ($18m.) for URP. Nothing for CEPEP. Are these workers going to be going home? I read today in the newspapers that they will be paid from Local Government in Trinidad.

As I wrap up, I want to say to my Colleagues, this is Tobago and all of us are stakeholders. I appeal to you to use your good conscience, not because you have won the election you will operate like "Zarfs."

Involve

the people, give account to the people, be accountable to the people, allow your works to be transparent and that is the only way you are going to bring all of Tobago to support the ideas that you are now looking to put on the table.

Madam Presiding Officer, I want to thank you for this opportunity.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Councillor Kwesi Des Vignes. [Desk thumping] SECRETARY OF INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Hon. Kwesi Des Vignes): Madam Presiding Officer, thank you and thank you for your timely intervention in pointing out the time limit to the Minority Leader. Tedious repetition is probably beyond repetition right now. [Interruption]

31 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Let me ask you to hold a minute and I would like to now propose the Motion moved by the Minority Leader.

Question proposed.

SECRETARY OF INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT: [Hon. Kwesi Des Vignes] [Desk thumping] Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

As I rise to contribute this afternoon, I am indeed intrigued by the fact that the Minority Leader would have started off with a historical reference, speaking about the establishment of this August House as in early as the 1700s.

I find it quite ironic because when I first read this Mootion, when I got notice of this Sitting, I thought to myself 1493, and 1493 for those of you who may not know, was the year that Christopher Columbus returned from his first voyage. In that year, Christopher Columbus when he got back, he anxiously wrote to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to boast of his discoveries. We now know Madam Presiding Officer, as history would have it, Christopher Columbus did not discover anything. It was nothing new.

People were there already, a society was already in motion; people had their customs; their beliefs and it was heartening, society was booming.

Madam Presiding Officer, I got the good fortune of gathering some records from the hansard that are easily accessible to all of the Members here, to show that since 2013, it has been the established practice of this

32 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Assembly, of this PNM Administration to return to this House each and every time after the Draft Estimates as mandated by the Tobago House of Assembly… this very location to ensure that the people of Tobago are informed as to the measures that will be taken to move forward with the budgetary allocation that we were provided with. So, Madam Presiding Officer, it is simple astounding that the Minority Leader would proposed a Motion that practice shows we have done and we have done again and we will continue to do.

As a matter of fact, Madam Presiding Officer, the Chief Secretary has on numerous occasions in the Media. As a matter of fact, there was a Retreat by different Members of the Assembly, the Executive Council, Administrators, Senior Staff and there was a Press Conference afterwards.

One Reporter on the prompting of one (1) of the Members of this House asked the Chief Secretary, will you be returning to the House to present any revised estimate?. Very clear question!

The Chief Secretary gave a very

clear response, “Yes we will be returning to this House”. So the hansard shows that we have been doing it, the Chief Secretary has said it on numerous occasions. As a matter of fact, I have the hansard records as well for when Mr. Jack presented. I am happy that Mr. Duke remember so well in June, Assemblyman Jack also said that we will be returning. So I am wondering why are we here today to discuss a Motion for something that we know is coming in any case? [Desk thumping] I find it far-fetched, especially when from day one they have been blowing their horns and saying that there are more important business for the

33 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. people of Tobago, is more important than pressing matters. Okay, fine!

Today is Private Members Day, where is that urgent and pressing business for the people of Tobago? This is your opportunity. As some of the old people might say, “Brag in a hall and not in ah Chamber.” talk, talk, talk talk, talk and then there is nothing to back it up. There is more pressing business. Fine! Bring it forward. This is your opportunity to add some substance as you see it. One is a linguistic expert, I do not know if it is “Prince Charming” is the other name for him, another is a Doctor in whatever field, another is a Trade Unionist of what type of imports. I think what it is now, I think it is NATUC (National Trade Union Centre), President. Congratulations! But all I see with this Motion is an attempt to score some cheap political points. Speaking of good governance at this time, it seems like the Minority is more concerned with governance by PR. We want to go on Facebook live, and we want to go and post on Facebook about how men should deal with women who are running them down.

MR. W. DUKE: Irrelevant!

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Madam Presiding Officer, please, I would hope that we are not disturbed as we go forward in this debate. This governance

by PR attempt is nothing more than a Trump style of governance. Good governance seems to be the most foreign thing to the Minority.

As a matter of fact, this Motion is as irrelevant as the Minority Council. I have looked far and wide throughout the THA Act, throughout the Standing Orders and I am yet to see a Minority Council. I do not know what that is. Who that is? I keep hearing the Minority referring to it, and I

34 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. am yet to know who or what is this Minority Council. It is clear that there is not much thought that was put into this Motion whatsoever.

It is

intellectually vacant; it is inscrutable; it is pretentious; insensible; uninformed and as the Minority Leader would have said at a previous sitting, “vaccous”.

[Desk thumping] [Laughter]

Madam Presiding Officer, we

could only describe this Motion as being fictitious; artificial; counterfeit; it is make belief; it is fraudulent; it is plain old fake. Fake news! Fake motion!

As a matter of fact Madam Presiding Officer, this Motion endangers the Executive Council from coming before this House to do the very thing that we said we were going to do and we have committed to doing. We cannot debate the same motion twice in the same sitting. Yet, you are coming before us and almost prohibiting us, endangering us from delivering to the people of Tobago, the policy plans moving forward given the allocations that we have been provided. “Maliciously misleading” that is the term I believe that the Minority Leader would have used. What is maliciously misleading, is this attempting today attempting to railroad the process, the established process. “Maliciously misleading” is going up to the Studley Park Quarry and telling them let us protest when in fact the Studley Park Enterprise Limited is an invalid entity. Then afterwards putting it all over on Facebook and then afterwards going back to them quietly and saying, yes, well they have good grounds on which they stand, it is a good thing we need to do it.

Getting them to come down in James Park, the people of Tobago needs aggregate, and you have the workers in James Park parading them up and down, do not privatize the quarry, absolutely no plans to privatize the quarry.

I stood right here and I have said it, there are no plans

35 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. to privatize the Quarry. The andersite material in the quarry, second hardest material in the world is our gold here in Tobago.

I understand that the Minority Leader has an obsession with “stone”.

Whether it is “Black stone or on underside stone”, there is an obsession with stone quite clearly. It is really maliciously misleading to go up to the employees of the Studley Park Quarry, your brother included, to tell them that the Studley Park Enterprise Limited is not a legal entity. That is what you call “Maliciously misleading”.  Maliciously misleading is talking about pulling aside your car and park. I understand that the Minority Leader might be uncomfortable with the Budget because with the increase or with the reduction in the fuel subsidy, it is a lot more money to put gas in the Benz. [Laughter]  I tell you maliciously misleading is trying to tell the Honourable Member for Bacolet/Mt. St. George to “lower your gaze” when you were telling the people in Roxborough that you were going to put an airport in Roxborough. [Desk thumping]  Maliciously misleading is when you go around telling people that we are going to put a golf course at the Studley Park Landfill.  Maliciously misleading is when you say that you are going to hire each and every plumber and carpenter in Tobago to fix every old person home.  Maliciously misleading is when yuh talk about yuh going to put a Deep Water Harbour in Roxborough.

36 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Maliciously misleading is when you go to the people of Tobago and pretend that you driving a Tida when you know your Benz is parked up in the garage under the big house in Moriah. [Desk thumping] That is maliciously misleading.  Maliciously misleading is talking about the gargoyles at Sanctuary when they have statues looking like gargoyles in Moriah by the big mansion.

That is maliciously misleading.

We have to be very careful when we come in this House and beg for Parliamentary Privilege and abuse Parliamentary Privilege. As a matter of fact, we start talking about quoting from the Bible. "Not all who say, Lord, Lord shall enter." [Desk thumping]  The Bible also speaks about false prophets maliciously misleading us, the people of Tobago time and time again.   Maliciously misleading is when you come down on to the compound of the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment to beat pan with some people who did not get their Acting for one month.

That is maliciously misleading.  Maliciously misleading is when you attempt to try to close down a productive Unit of a Division because you claim that somebody was sick from the air quality.  Madam Presiding Officer, maliciously misleading is when my staff at the Division of Infrastructure can present to me a legitimate cheque of the Tobago House of Assembly with a PDP (Peoples Democratic

37 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Patriots) letter head on it.

[Crosstalk] That is maliciously misleading. And that is damning. [Interruption] MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, I rise on a Point of Order. The Councillor Des Vignes is according to the Standing Orders No.45 (5): "No Member shall impute improper motives to any other member."

I take offence to that statement when he speaks of someone using PDP (Peoples Democratic Patriots) Letter head to put a cheque on.

I take offence also that the Councillor according to Section 45 (1) says: "Subject to the provisions of these Standing Orders, debate upon any motion, Bill or Assembly Law or amendment shall be relevant to such motion, Bill, Assembly Law or amendment and a member shall confine his observations to the subject under discussion."

My Colleague on the next side is going all over the place but he is not focusing on the Budget Review that we are speaking. I ask you to caution him. He is irrelevant right now.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Noted. Please proceed.

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Madam Presiding Officer, thank you very much.

I want to quote from a Memorandum here from the Accounts Executive 1 of the Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities now the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment and it is dated February 2017 cancellation of Cheque No:074886.

38 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

"On Tuesday 17th January 2017 the aforementioned cheque was cancelled due to irregular print on its stub. Please see copy of cheque attached. This is the copy of the cheque here [Indicating] with the PDP logo right here." [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Leader of Assembly Business, what is the relevance to the Budget Debate of that document?

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Madam Presiding Officer, I am going to get it right now. Because one of the things that we have to look at, Madam Presiding Officer, is that, and the Chief Secretary said it for Independence Day, the Chief Administrator said it and the Chief Secretary has been saying it, time and time again, that corruption at all levels have to be stamped out and we have continued to do so and this is an example right here of how we are going about ensuring that there are no fraudulent activities within the Assembly as we look at ensuring that we effectively and efficiently utilize the limited resources that we have been allocated. [Desk thumping] So, Madam Presiding Officer, I hope that as we move forward again.

Speaking about the Bible, those five (5) loaves and two (2) fishes that was able to feed the multitudes. The reality is that we are committed as an Assembly, we are committed as an Executive Council to ensuring that whatever we were allocated we take and everyone is able to be a part of it because opportunities have been provided through:

39 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  The Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour;  The Division of Food Production, Fisheries and Forestry;  The Division of Sport and Youth Affairs;  The Division of Education, Innovation and Energy;  Opportunities have been afforded to Tobagonians through the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development because we are serious about the business of Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, we do not take this job lightly.

We

understand that it is not a “fly by night” politics that we are looking for with cheap politics points and Facebook post, we understand that we have a responsibility.

The reality is as we speak about the URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) just before coming here, I was engaged with many Members of the Division including many Members of the URP Programme and we were looking at ways that we can optimize and utilize the URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) Programme more efficiently.

The URP is one of those cornerstone programmes that the Tobago House of Assembly has engaged in for a number of years and there is a clear recognition that we have to get the best use of our resources because we have under the URP Programme some of the best tradesmen in the Furniture Workshop.

We have the Concrete Workshop and we have the Agricultural Programme. Today as we sat around the table I was really pleased to hear

40 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. some of the innovations coming out of some of the Members of Staff including the URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) workers themselves.

Because one person even said, "Well boss if you give me some land, I will take some workers with me and we getting things done for Tobago."

"Tobago" - not "Bego." [Laughter] We recognize that we have a responsibility as the Chief Secretary would have said time and time again, to maintain levels of employment as far as possible because the reality is that our Private Sector is not as robust as we would have want it to have.

Of course, the Division of Finance and the Economy has some stimulus packages that we are going to be rolling out to the new fiscal year to ensure that we continue to develop the Private Sector through the communities as well in partnership with the Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour.

We realize that the

Tobago House of Assembly has a responsibility and we will explain that responsibility.

The day that we just take the advice of some technocrats and send people home or send people packing we are going to damn this economy, because we recognize that we are responsible for a large part in paying wages, salaries to the people of Tobago.

If it is that we start reducing our

labour force, we start cutting down on the amount of disposable income that there is.

Once you start cutting down on that disposable income the

businesses, the small businesses, the parlour, the parlourman, the Mason, the

41 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Carpenter will not be able to get the kind of money that they want to continue the wheels spinning. So we have a responsibility that we take very seriously.

I look forward to the next sitting as we roll out the plans, the policy plans of the Assembly so that the people of Tobago can know because if say for the cowardice of some of the Members on the Minority we would have been able to roll out those said plans in June. But no one seem from the Minority, seem to want to catch the eye of the Presiding Officer. [Laughter] So, Madam Presiding Officer, it is really shameful that I now have to stand here to salvage some dignity of this House almost - this august House and to do that I would like to propose an amendment to the Motion.The preambles will remain the same because they are just as important.

However, Madam Presiding Officer, I would like to propose that we delete, “…this House mandate…”

I also propose that we delete, “…to present a new budget…” and I propose that we delete from, “…using the actual Central Government allocations to forecast new recurrent expenditure, capital expenditure, CEPEP and URP expenditure” and under the main motion of BE IT RESOLVED, I propose that we include:

42 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

“…that, as has been the practice the Executive Council presents to this Honourable House, the policy measures to manage the budgetary shortfall at the November 2017, Sitting of this House.

I also further propose Madam Presiding Officer, that we delete, the second part of the motion completely: “AND WHEREAS consistent with Section 41 of the Tobago House of Assembly Act of 1996 the Tobago House of Assembly’s 2018 Fiscal Budget request from the Central Government, which totaled $5.041 billion, was made;” So just as to ensure that we are clear, my proposal is that the new motion reads: “BE IT RESOLVED that as has been the practice, the Executive Council presents to this Honourable House the policy measures to manage the budgetary shortfall at the November 2017 sitting of this House”.

Madam Presiding Officer, I so move.

Motion seconded reserving the right to speak at a later stage [Hon. J. Jack] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Amendments to the motion noted.

Councillor Dr. F. B. Yisrael.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Good day to the House.

43 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, I thought that what we requested was a very fair request. Let me start by stating that, no, we are not asking you to bring your policy measures. What we are asking is very simple, that you bring and it is very specific that we bring a new Budget. [Desk thumping] It is very disappointing Madam Presiding Officer, that instead of agreeing with it as you said initially we thought that you were going to agree with the process. You said that it is a good motion; you said it was a good idea that you would have simply continued under that vein instead of spending so much time trying to defame character and being ridiculously vague. [Desk thumping] Madam Presiding Officer, this is extremely simple. We asked for:  Three point two billion dollars ($3.2b.) for Recurrent Expenditure and we got one point eight six billion ($1.86b.); that is a shortfall of over forty-one percent (41%);  One point seven billion dollars ($1.7b.) for Capital or Development Expenditure, we got three hundred and fifteen million dollars, ($315m.) that is a shortfall of over eighty-one percent (81%). Yes, I said over eighty-one percent (81%);  Seventy-seven million dollars ($77m.) for Unemployment Relief Programme (URP); we got eighteen million dollars ($18m.);  Fifty-four million dollars (54m.) for Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement (CEPEP), we got nothing.

I said nothing.

44 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

But I listened to a Media Report recently and I understand that there is an eight million dollars ($8m.) for CEPEP for Tobago in the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government somewhere which in itself is a significant problem. It seems like this PNM Administration just handing back Tobago to Trinidad at every single opportunity. [Desk thumping] Can you imagine Madam Presiding Officer, if another Administration was in Central Government in Trinidad and had suggested that, how many you might have heard the word, “Disrespect”; we would have heard the word, “Protocol” and we would have heard the word, “Encroachment”. We would have heard all of those words, but no, silent. But let me get back to the Motion. The fact that we asked for fifty-four million dollars ($54m.) and what we are getting is a measly eight million dollars ($8m.) is in itself a cause for concern and it is grounds for and let me repeat, be very clear, doing a new budget. Madam Presiding Officer, you see if we had asked for five billion dollars ($5b.) and we probably got four point nine billion dollars ($4.9b.) or something around that level then we could have understood, if you would just present some policies that you would put in place to deal with the shortfall. But, no that is not what happened.

It is as if Madam Presiding Officer, we have a family that normally spends about five thousand dollars on monthly expenses and for some reason in one (1) month, we are given two thousand dollars ($2,000.00), any right thinking husband wife family would recognize that you cannot just tweak and twist, but you have to go back to the drawing board, because it will not add up and it will not make sense. That again and let me be very

45 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. clear, is what we are asking for on this side.

We have a history Madam

Presiding Officer, of Tobago being underfunded; and that coupled with extremely bad PNM (People’s National Movement) management has resulted in the THA not meeting many of its development goals over the last sixteen (16) years or so. Allow me to explain, Madam Presiding Officer.

The Call Circular that was sent from the Secretary of Finance instructing the Divisions to prepare Draft Estimates stated that these Divisions should use the: 

Review of the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan for Tobago 2006 to 2010;

 Comprehensive Development Economic Plan 2013 – 2017; and 

CEDP Implementation Plan for 2013 – 2017.

Already we see where this is a problem. If you are telling the Divisions to use a Plan that is going to end in 2017 to make your budget request for 2018, then we are already having issues. We are already not working with a Plan and we are already not doing anything with a long-term vision in mind. But that is because Madam Presiding Officer, that for the last sixteen (16) years, the PNM-led Administration has failed miserably at meeting any of their objectives, any of the goals of the first Comprehensive Economic Development Plan. The one from 2006 to 2010, and this second one from 2013 to 2017. Mind you somehow, forty billion dollars ($40b.) has been spent and we cannot see where that money is.

46 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

As a matter of fact, Madam Presiding Officer, of the one hundred (100) Programme areas that were included in the 2006 to 2010 CEDEP, fifty-four (54) of those were either listed as not implemented or minimally implemented. Let me be clear, of the forty-six (46) that had some level of implementation, none of them were fully implemented. The review of the CEDP outlined several reasons for this lackluster level of success.

(1)

Is the lack of a coordinating body, with the responsibility for publicizing and therefore getting buy-in of the plan, and ultimately bringing the various agencies together;

(2)

Is the little or no involvement of Government and NonGovernmental Stakeholders;

(3)

No monitoring and Evaluation System set up, therefore no real reporting could be done; and Inadequate resourcing to implement the projects.

(4)

Now, this last one is really, really, really, important because it is at the heart of why we are requesting that no, not just “policy measures” be put in place but an entirely, “new Budget” be developed so that we know what are your priority areas. We know what are the projects that you will focus on, so that we know those things.

Madam Presiding Officer, let us fast forward a little bit to the 2013 to 2017 Comprehensive Economic Development Plan. For the benefit of those in the audience who may know about this document and maybe for those in the audience in the viewing gallery.

47 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, for the benefit of those who are in the audience who may not know about the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan (CEDP) please allow me to outline some of the priority areas: (1)

Branding Tobago Clean, Green, Safe and Serene.

And this is for the last one - 2013 - 2017.

(2)

Good Governance and Institutional Reform.

Which speaks about ensuring that there is good governance within the Tobago House of Assembly and it speaks to autonomy of the Tobago House of Assembly.

(3)

Business Development and Entrepreneurship.

Which speaks about ensuring that we develop private sector.

(4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Human Capital Development.

Social Development and Resilience.

Physical Infrastructure and Utilities Development.

Enhancing Safety and Security; and Environmental Sustainability.

Now given those, remember many of these were part of the original plan that were not implemented. I would like to highlight a few of the objectives that we are yet to see. Again, it goes back to if there is a project for example, where you need one hundred dollars ($100.00) to start - if there is something that you need one hundred dollars ($100.00) to start.

There are some

48 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. projects where even if you have eighty dollars ($80.00), even if you have ninety dollars ($90.00) it is not going to work because you need one hundred dollars ($100.00) to start. That is why we are saying you need to come back and do an entirely new Budget and not just tweak what you have been doing before.

Under Branding Tobago we were supposed to establish, "A Tobago Sustainable Development Committee" during the first year to oversee the implementation of that Plan. I do not know that that has been done. Maybe those who are speaking after can let me know.

We should have implemented a sustained Marketing Programme for Tobago. I understand that a “Tobago Logo” was actually created a couple years ago. But, there was a nice competition, people submitted logos and so forth.

I do not know that anybody has actually seen any material coming

from Tobago with that Logo.

Under Good Governance - we should have developed an Anticorruption strategy for the THA (Tobago House of Assembly) and we all know that that has not been done. In fact, the level of corruption within this PNM-led THA over the years seems to be increasing.

We should have developed - and let me say this one a little slower - a Tobago Freedom of Information Policy to allow the public even greater access to THA (Tobago House of Assembly) related information. This has not happened and instead, we have been trying and trying and trying to hide

49 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. as much information as possible.

As you can see today, that is still been

done, instead of just giving the information, you try your best to hide it.

We are supposed to create a think tank and encourage Tobagonians living outside of Tobago to return, instead, we do everything in our power to drive the best and the brightest of Tobagonians out of this island.

Under Entrepreneurial Development - we were supposed to develop a Tobago Eco-foods Brand with a unique certification Programme. This was in the first CEDP, it was in the second CEDP that is suppose to end in 2017.

So you would forgive me if I do not believe that that is something that will happen anytime soon. Even if my dear friend outlines that as one of the things that the agri-revitalization team is supposed to do.

It has been

sixteen (16) years - still waiting.

Under Human Capital Development - we were supposed to revise the School Curriculum to better reflect Tobago's history and culture in the classroom.

We were supposed to align Scholarship Progammes with our

Business Development goals and our labour market goals. Instead, well, I do not know what we are doing instead.

Under Social Development - we were supposed to expand the health service to meet the needs of all of our citizens but we continually hear however, about very poor service within our health facilities. Ranging from not having machines to do simple things to not having air-condition in an

50 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. entire ward for what seems to be months and months probably year by now, going on and going on.

Madam Presiding Officer, I understand that even a process that should have been one that prevents corruption seems to be going astray where one of the Directors for example, of the TRHA (Tobago Regional Health Authority) Board was appointed as the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the TRHA where we were supposed to have a system where the police is policing those under. So we now have a system where there is that overlap and that reeks up potential for corruption.

We were supposed to routinely measure the living standards of the poor and vulnerable to ensure that their social support networks are stable so that we can meet their needs if necessary.

Instead, we seem to have

forgotten completely that there is a Department of Social Services within that Division.

The failures under Infrastructural Development are so many that I do not have time to go through the entire list. We are all waiting for the Integrated Transportation Plan.

Tobagonians cannot even benefit from the tax breaks that was supposed to be associated with the use of CNG cars because we do not have a CNG station in Tobago. It has been in the Budget for the longest while but it has not been implemented.

51 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, the Minister in his - the Minister of Finance did something that I thought was probably one of the most backward steps that we have seen in a very long time where he reintroduced the taxes associated with high grade cars for those vehicles that are over the 1600 CC engine size. I do not know what that means. But I understand that even my little high grade car is considered being over that limit, which means that the average Tobagonian who may have wanted to purchase a high grade vehicle because it was the environmentally, secure responsible thing to do, now does not have that incentive to do it. If you all see the little car I talking about, I honestly did not believe that when the Minister was talking about these big luxury vehicles he was actually including my car in that list.

Under Improving Security - we were supposed to establish a Tobago Police Force, yes, a Tobago Police Force and like what was said by the Speaker before me when they outlined many of PDP (Peoples Democratic Patriot) proposals during the election and you call them, "Pie in the sky promises." When in fact this is what Tobagonians were telling us that they needed us to do.

In the CEDP there is a Tobago Police Force. That was your proposal and it was one of the things that were listed as, Pie in the Sky when the PDP was talking about a Tobago Municipality system. But I was surprised when I went back and I saw it in the CEDP. [Crosstalk] Are you requesting that I yield Sir? [Crosstalk] [Interruption]

52 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Excuse me, can we allow those who are presenting the time and the space to complete their presentations!

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Madam Presiding Officer, thank you.

My point by outlining all of those is the fact that for very long we have gotten many, many, many, many, many promises and we have gotten many, many, many, goals but because of underfunding and bad management we have not been able to achieve those goals. What we are asking is something that is very, very, very, simple. You asked for five billion dollars ($5b.) obviously it does not matter how much you scrunch and scrunch and do whatever, the two billion dollars ($2b.) is not going to do what the five billion dollars ($5b.) was supposed to do. So pick sense, use common sense and redo the entire Budget because that may actually be easier and work towards your benefit better.

By the way, let me just read something that was in the review of the first CEDP. On page 66 of that document, it said very clearly: “That there has been a number of areas of tension (and I am reading verbatim) over the last two (2) years as a new Administration in the Central Government sort to define its roles and responsibilities in respect of Tobago.

These have been in respect of and I am going to quote only two (2) that were listed there.  Resources for the URP and CEPEP Programme; and

53 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Naming of the reopened Government Owned Hotel in Tobago without any involvement of the Tobago House of Assembly.

So, Madam Presiding Officer in 2012, you had a problem with the Central Government not giving you enough money for Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement (CEPEP).

Yet this year, we are silent and we are

comfortable with no money or money being placed in a Ministry in Trinidad.

Madam Presiding Officer, in 2012 you had a problem with the very Central Government simply renaming a hotel without Tobago’s involvement.

However, you are happy and you are comfortable with the Central Government making all negotiations for a hotel that is supposed to be placed on the island of Tobago that is supposed to be in one of our prime environmentally protected spaces and you do not have a problem with that.

As you see Madam Presiding Officer, there have been many failures as it relates to the goals and objectives of the plans as outlined over the last sixteen (16) years or so, and many of those are as a result of budget shortfalls.

Let me just quickly add though, because one of the things that

we do is to speak with people on the ground.

Yesterday, I met a young man and he came up to me, he was very, very adamant, that we need to be very careful since the Tobago House of Assembly is responsible for up to sixty-five percent (65%) of the workforce in Tobago that those people who are working are really, really, really, concerned about what will happen to them. They need to hear very, very, clear, very clear guidelines, clear policies, very clear plans about how they

54 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. are going to be affected. He also said to me, that there are current things that are happening in the Tobago House of Assembly, or happening in Tobago that is actually moving towards breaking up families. He highlighted the fact, that his wife is a nurse and she has graduated quite some time now, but is forced to take up employment in Trinidad because we are not employing the newly graduating nurses in Tobago. Now, this is important, because the workforce of Tobago… [Interruption] MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, on a Point of Order. Section 49B, it says: Rules for Members not Speaking “Maintain silence while another member is speaking and shall not interrupt, except in accordance with those Standing Orders”.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Councillor, this time I really did not hear any interruptions. Okay. Please proceed.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Madam Presiding Officer, because the Tobago population is very small, about sixty thousand (60,000) of us or so, and many economist and many business people tells us that the Tobago economy that the population is actually too small to really an economy and make it profitable. We need to ensure that our plans, our policies as it relates to population control in Tobago is one that encourages people to stay on the island. And not have people our best minds, leaving because they did not have employment opportunities here on the island. We cannot break up families like that because we had not thought the process through.

55 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, I would like to wrap up really quickly by paying attention to particularly the last part of the Motion that we presented.

That is important. We speak specifically, about our ability in Tobago to generate revenue.

We continually go “cap in hand” begging Central

Government for money and we do not include revenue generation in our thought processes. We have to begin thinking as big men and big women.

We cannot just continue going begging cap in hand. That is why we were very clear when we said we needed that component because a Budget include” “Income and Expenditure”. A Budget is not just Expenditure because you are getting a Grant from somewhere else. We need to think like grown men and women in this Tobago House of Assembly.

One of the things that we can do quickly, or we can do relatively easily, even with limited funds, is really start collecting the taxes that are due in Tobago that are payable to the Tobago House of Assembly now because it is already a part of the law. For those who might not be familiar Madam Presiding Officer, Section 49 (2) of the Tobago House of Assembly Act says: “…any company, financial institutions or a person operating a business in Tobago shall pay in Tobago all taxes, fees, duties, levies and other imposts in respect of its operations in Tobago” In the presentation in June or July, the Secretary highlighted there was about two hundred and twenty-five million dollars ($225m.) collected in tax, in Tobago in the previous year. If you look at the numbers with a rough estimate of a thirty percent (30%) tax rate, the THA has the potential to collect in Tobago up to five hundred and fifty eight million dollars ($558m.) in taxes.

That is the potential that we currently have that is allowed

56 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. according to the laws of Trinidad and Tobago. In fact, what we have been doing by not doing that, is allowing up to sixty percent (60%) of those monies to go to Trinidad, so that when we ask for money, they quickly say to us, you all seem to just begging, and you all are not contributing to this.

Madam Presiding Officer, the Tobago House of Assembly Act also states clearly that if and when we get to the point where the Tobago House of Assembly actually collects more taxes in Tobago, I am not talking about adding any other additional tax but simply collecting the ones that are already on the books, if we actually get to the point because we have such business flourishing and so forth here, we collect more taxes than what is needed for the running of the Tobago House of Assembly. The THA Act currently says that that surplus, what we do with that surplus is divide it in half, we would keep half of it and send the other half to Trinidad. Now, that is a potential for us to make additional money to do some of the capital expenses, to do some of the development spending that we so desperately need here in Tobago. This is critical because we cannot simply keep going, Madam Presiding Officer, cap in hand, begging for money when we have the opportunity and we have the legal framework currently to collect that money here.

Madam Presiding Officer, this is simple. I did not think that we had requested anything unfair, I did not think that we had requested anything that was so outlandish, I did not think that we requested anything that was out of this world. We were simply requesting, Madam Presiding Officer, that we think about this like grown men and grown women and recognize that it is

57 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. very, very, very difficult and you think about it and you be honest with yourself. It is difficult to have an original Budget of five billion dollars ($5b.) and try to crunch that into two billion dollars ($2b.) without doing a lot of going back to the drawing board. That is all we are requesting, that is all that we are asking for. We are simply asking, we are simply requesting that good sense prevails and that we do what is best for Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, let me just close by saying, that there are many people on the outside of these four walls that continue to look at our behaviour within these four (4) walls and Tobago is watching.

Thank you.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Assemblyman Marslyn Melville-Jack.

[Desk thumping] SECRETARY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR (Hon. Marslyn Melville-Jack): Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

Madam Presiding Officer, Members of this noble House, Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I feel particularly honoured to be addressing you at this the Eighth (8th) Sitting of the Assembly on Private Members’ Day. A day in which Members of the Minority have the liberty of presenting a Motion and leading the debate on any topic which they consider to be of vital national importance.

58 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

But, Madam Presiding Officer, after reading through the Motion as stated by the Minority Leader, Assemblyman for Roxborough/Delaford I felt that he had wasted this opportunity by presenting a rhetorical request for debate. I really believe that they are missing the point that we are trying to make very clear. The request is rhetorical because this is what we intend to do in any case. It does not mean that what you are hoping to hear from us would not happen. It just means that it would happen in November. So the point of using a Motion to present something like this is what is rhetorical. I therefore, concluded that this would be the shortest, most elementary sitting of the House to date. [Desk thumping] Since the only reasonable response to what was required to the original Motion was the reply. This is usually done - see you in November. [Desk thumping] [Laughter] Madam Presiding Officer, it is public knowledge that the Tobago House of Assembly has received less funding than the amount requested from Central Government for its Recurrent and Development Programmes in this year's Budget.

As a result, I have chosen to title my discourse this

afternoon “Doing More with Less.� [Desk thumping] But before I get into my discourse I just need the Members of the Minority to know that we are forward thinking on this side of the Honourable House in that, the things that you are asking us to do we have already done. [Desk thumping] Our esteemed Chief Secretary would have instructed us as Assemblymen to come up with scenarios which would effectively deal with any shortfall in our budgetary allocations. So these things were already done

59 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. and the things that you would want to hear as you said this afternoon, you would hear at our next sitting in November.

Members of this noble House, the majority of us grew up in a time when discipline, hard work and sacrifice were the order of the day. And the rewards for pursuing these virtues were outstanding achievements and great success. We were also taught the value of using what you have to get what you need and to “cut and contrive” in times of scarcity.

Madam Presiding Officer, I am reminded of the heritage presentations over the last few years in which you were intimately involved and I do believe that the themes of these productions may have been divinely inspired. I am reminded of, "One, one Cocoa does full basket." "Cut and contrive" and "Lend hand."

This reminded us of ways in which we as

Tobagonians overcame challenges in the past and I am convinced that we can do so again.

Madam Presiding Officer, I am firmly of the view that in spite of our decreased allocation, with the visionary leadership of our Chief Secretary and the release of the productive capacity of our people we can accomplish great returns on our limited investments – “doing more with less.”

The demands by the citizenry for increased Government services has grown exponentially while the resources available to fund these services continue to decline.

This is a challenge that is not only present in Trinidad and Tobago but worldwide. Everyone, everywhere is being challenged to do more with less.

60 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

As an Administration and may I say, as a PNM Administration and as a Tobago people we must develop creative ways to deal with the challenging times ahead. Our current situation provides a greater opportunity for us to become proactive, innovative, strategic and more productive.

Madam Presiding Officer, all of Tobago is required to get on board to nurture our hidden talents, overcome any fear of investment and begin to look at our businesses from a global perspective. These challenging times also necessitates that we work together in partnerships, as our brothers keepers, developing strong families, communities and economies.

Madam Presiding Officer, we cannot over-empathize the critical importance of working together as a team to ensure that we get value for the money expended and this way we can achieve more with less.

The Divisions within the Tobago House of Assembly have already began

partnerships

arrangements

among

workers

within

similar

programmes. This arrangement ensures that there are fewer instances of duplication of programmes, under-utilization of human resources, low productivity and wasted financial and material resources.

Madam Presiding Officer, these arrangements will result in tremendous savings that can be effectively utilized in other critical underfunded areas.

The Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour, is charged with the important task of developing sustainable

61 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. communities, through human capital development, so greater focus is now placed on communities as a basis for social and economic growth. This mandate we hope to accomplish by providing increased opportunities for capacity building, through training in targeted skilled areas and an Improved Funding

Programme

which

provides

seed

capital

for

dedicated

entrepreneurs.

Madam Presiding Officer, our Division is committed to provide an enabling environment for the growth and economic well-being of a robust private sector. Permit me at this time to highlight two (2) of our Division’s initiatives which are targeted at promoting local entrepreneurship and which are carded to take place within the next two (2) months. So I do appreciate this opportunity to advertise. [Laughter]  On Thursday November, 02, 2017, a large Road Market will be hosted by the Department of Community Development at the Garden side Car Park in Scarborough from 2.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.  In the month of December, 2017, a Festive Village will be hosted by the Business Development Unit of this Division on the grounds of the Scarborough Esplanade.

Now, these Expositions are aimed at showcasing local businesses, with local products and encouraging our people to buy local, appreciate what we produce and eat what we grow. So the public is invited to support our enterprising business persons and to enjoy the entertainment that will be provided at both events.

62 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, with declining Oil and Natural Gas prices and the depletion of our natural resources, the calls are now becoming more consistent for diversification of the economy. I agree that diversification of the economy is necessary. However this process should not solely be the responsibility of the Government of the day.

I am of the firm belief that the

private sector must be integrally involved in the process of diversification.

Please permit me to share an article from the Trinidad Guardian that was written by Mr. Andre Warrell. This article quotes the Chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Board, Mr. Terrence Farrell who was the keynote Speaker at an event at the University of the West Indies, Augustine Campus. This event was entitled “How to diversify Trinidad and Tobago”.

The article reads: “Chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Board Mr. Terrence Farrell, believes that the private sector must lead efforts to diversify the Trinidad and Tobago economy. I am advocating strongly that it is our local private sector businessmen and women who must lead the diversification effort across a broad front.

My argument for the private sector is pragmatic. The local private sector has better management capabilities; stronger marketing skills; superior discernment of business opportunities; and they have access to some amount of capital.

Government should stay out of the business of picking winners but have a role to play in creating an environment that is conducive to supporting the efforts of the private sector.

Madam Presiding Officer, this article also touched on the role of government in the process of diversification.

63 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Mr. Farrell pointed out that government must get the macroeconomic balance right. It has to apply the right incentives and disincentives in order to shape private sector behaviour. It has to regulate markets efficiently and fairly and in limited areas of strategic significance, it should be investor or co-investor in certain business opportunities.

Now, Mr. Farrell also highlighted past attempts of diversification that had failed because of a lack of committed effort based on the notions that declines in hydrocarbon revenues were temporary. He continued: The current level of oil and gas prices is certainly not propitious for us, but to some extent however, in many Trinidadian hearts … and I need to say Tobagonians as well; …there is the hope that oil and gas prices will rebound, that the oil and gas revenues will flow again, and that the fete will resume. This hope has diluted commitment to the

diversification agenda, our

efforts are half-hearted, indecisive and slow”.

So as a PNM Administration, we will create the environment for diversification.

However, the private sector must lead the charge in these

efforts. [Desk thumping] The time has come for us to look again at other revenue streams such as:  Tourism;  Agriculture; and  The manufacturing sector.

64 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, Mr. Farrell is just one of many voices that are calling for the private sector to lead the diversification efforts.

As I wind up my contribution, let me take this time to personally invite, the members of the Minority, who all have interest in Tobago’s East, to the next edition of, “One on One” which will be held at the Argyle Community Centre on a date to be fixed next November. This will give you the opportunity to join the conversation with the rest of the people of Tobago East, as the Members of this Executive Council outlined their practical postbudget agendas and invite participation and contributions from stakeholders.

Madam Presiding Officer, members of this Honourable House, as I conclude this brief overview because the meat of the matter would be heard in November, I wish to invite all of Tobago to tune in to the Ninth Sitting of the Assembly in the month of November when you will be afforded the opportunity to listen to each Division’s detailed presentation of its specific; measureable; achievable; realistic; time-bound Programmes and Projects for Fiscal 2018.

This Executive Council stands ready and willing to overcome any challenge we may face, as we remain committed to unleashing the creative and productive potential of our people.

Madam Presiding Officer, Members of this Honourable House, I thank you. [Desk thumping]

65 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Assemblyman Farley Augustine.

MR. FARLEY AUGUSTINE [Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside]: Madam Presiding Officer, there is an expression that we use colloquially.

The expression goes like this “Playing smart with stupidness”. Some of what we have heard preceding is a reflection of that expression. Let me tell you why.

The Leader of Government Business, stood in this House and propose amendments to the Motion as written. He scratched out the word, “budget” then he replaced that by saying “policy measures to manage the budget shortfall”. I do not know that if he is unaware, but a Budget is inherently a policy measure, and so, I cannot understand the aversion to the word, “budget” being placed in the Motion on its own.

Also, he proceeded to ask for the amendment that we should completely scratch out the request in the first resolution “to forecast new recurrent expenditure” and I do not know why he is afraid of being that specific. He scratched out Capital Expenditure, CEPEP (Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme), and URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) Expenditure.

The reason why the

Leader of Government Business did that, is because what the Secretary of Finance will traditionally do does not reflect in its fullest form what he will do prior to the National Budget in terms of his budgeting.

66 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

In November, I am sure we are not going to get a new one of these [Indicating] Draft Estimates of Revenue because the Leader of Government Business said we will take out the second resolution.

We do not want to

talk about plans for revenue generation outside of monies allocated from the Central Government.

I find that strange because if you are confident that

this new Company that you turn the Studley Park Quarry into will work you should be able to stand there and forecast reasonably how much you plan to earn and your revenue goals within the first year.

Madam Presiding Officer, I understand his fear and the fear of those opposite because this is the same Political Organization that gave us the Cassava Company but we cannot get ten (10) pounds of Cassava and we cannot know how much they making.

They gave us Capital of Paradise, we doh know where the boat is and we doh know how much they making.

Members stood here and skirt around and avoided talking about how much is in that fund and I would talk about that later on. That is because people do not want to be accountable.

If, as the Members opposite are

arguing that this is what we are accustomed to doing that there is nothing new here, all yuh waste weh time and bring a Motion based on something we accustom doing, then the easiest thing to have done was to let us all say, "Aye" and move on, and in November we get what we ask for but the fact that they must amend the Motion as written means that this is not inherently what they are accustom doing – “Playing smart with stupidness.” That is what it is.

67 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, you see, whenever we have a new Executive Council especially one as new as the one we have, where we have just one returning Secretary (we have a few other Members who are returning, some as Secretaries for the first time) one expect that we have an opportunity to press the reset button.

To be honest, Tobagonians have buyers remorse now. They wish they could press the "rewind button." Not just a "reset button" but a "rewind button." Notwithstanding, the expectations are that we would do things differently to engender better governance.

This current Chief Secretary said that it will not be business as usual, it will be business unusual. But given the posturing it is the same old khaki pants, same behaviour. In fact, same script, different cast, nothing has changed and so, if this Motion is what you are accustomed doing as everybody has been arguing then let us all say, "Aye" to the original Motion and we come November as mandated in this Motion and we will get brand new Draft Estimates of Revenues.

We would also look at promised expenditures for the new fiscal year and we will ensure we talk about CEPEP (Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme) and URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) that seems to be lingering in thin air. The fact that they cannot do that, Madam Presiding Officer, speaks to the fact that this is inherently not what they are accustomed to:

“Playing smart with stupidness.”

68 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

But the Leader of Government Business went into the hansard and I also did some hansard digging because it is just what we do - read. On Thursday February 15th, 2001, we had a similar situation. We had a new Chief Secretary and at that very first sitting that new Chief Secretary, our former Chief Secretary, Mr. London, stood in the House and made the most grand of speeches that swell all of our heads. We had high hopes, we thought things would be different. He spoke then about massive telephone bills, people running up telephone bills to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).

We see that they ran up telephone bills way beyond that now. He spoke about people abusing the privileges as Public Servants - we see that happening now. But I want to quote an excerpt from his speech and I am quoting verbatim - Thursday February 15th, 2001. This is what Mr. London said then. I am going to itemize things done by his regime and then show to you, Madam Presiding Officer, why we need to come again with a new Budget and to do things differently because this Executive Council must be saved from PNM's pattern of behaviour. Mr. London said: "No motive can be so noble as to excuse the shortcomings and recklessness that this Administration has since uncovered. Indeed, all Tobagonians should mourn the loss of our financial innocence. This attack on our good sense of morality, our sense of frugality and the capacity to live within our means as taught by our foreparents to the extent to which the finances of Tobago have been mismanaged, has been unparalleled of the history of Trinidad and Tobago. And, while this Administration has always suspected that there were some problems, we could not in our wildest dreams believe that those entrusted with the guardianship and management of the finances of Tobago would have behaved in such a manner that today, the very

69 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. financial integrity of the Tobago House of Assembly has been compromised."

Madam Presiding Officer, if I had just stood in this House and read this speech you would believe it was coming from this side. Because that is something opposition politicians are now saying of the very Mr. London who said this on Thursday February 1st, 2015. Now we are saying, why we must redo the budgeting exercise? We must redo it because since February 15th, 2001, what we have witnessed is a criminal assault on the finances of the Tobago House of Assembly.

What we have witnessed is that in the 2003 Auditor General’s Report, we could not account for over three hundred and fifty million dollars ($350m.). The same man who talked about managing well.

2004 - the Auditor General again, reported that the Orville London Administration could not account for hundreds of millions of our money.

That Report also highlighted THA monies were used to settle a loan guarantee for a private company in the amount of eight hundred and forty thousand, two hundred and fourteen dollars and sixty-three cents ($840,214.63). It is the Auditor General saying that. That is why we must redo the Budget in a sensible way.

Additionally, ... [Interruption] HON. J. JACK:

Madam Presiding Officer, I rise on Standing Orders 45

(5) in terms of "imputing improper motives." Because he is reading, he has not quoted it and he has not reference and he is claiming that from a

70 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. previous PNM Administration was culpable in terms of malfeasance. So again, I would guide the Member accordingly please.

Thank you.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Thank you. Noted. Please note ...

MR. F. AUGUSTINE:

Madam Presiding Officer, maybe he did not hear

when I said that that was from the 2004 Auditor General's Report. I quoted first from the 2003 Report then I quoted from the 2004 Report.

2005 Report - Auditor General Report twenty-nine point two million ($29.2m.) unaccounted for. Same Administration led by the same Chief Secretary who came to this same House and spoke nice and glowing things because as far as he was concerned the era of Ring Bang and Adda had come to an end.

But instead, we got Ring bang times a hundred, Adda times a

million under his regime.

In fact, if we go to page 45 of that Hansard Report - same speech.

Mr. London said: "Game theory teaches us and our forefathers also know that a gambler never wins."

That is one major takeaway point for me, a gambler never wins. The day will come when those on the opposite side will not be there, and all the truth will be revealed. When that day comes, I hope and pray that we have steady hands and steady feet and that the Health Care System will work well because most of Tobago will drop down from heart attack when that day comes.

71 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

I have gone into the Auditor General’s Report and I am saying this is why we need to redo the Budget. If we redo the budget, we can start from scratch, start from fresh, we now know how much money we actually have and so we can budget properly what we actually have and avoid these mistakes. I am calling them mistakes now, because I do not want the goodly Member for Bacolet/Mt. St. George [Laughter] to stand and assume that I am accusing him. But when I looked at the September 30, 2015 Auditor General’s Report, (and I believe the Member for Bacolet/Mt. St. George was and still is the Secretary of Finance), Madam Presiding Officer,

I want to

quote four parts of that report.

The first part 7.1 to 7.3. It says: “The Bank Account balances presented at Note 7, to the Financial Statement are the actual balances on the Bank Statements. In most instances the differences between (this is important) the Cash Books and the respective Bank Statements were significant and range from one point seven one point million dollars ($1.719m.) to twenty-point two million dollars ($20.62) million dollars.

Not me! Auditor General’s Report saying that there is disparity between Cash Books, and actual Bank Statements. In other words, Bank Statements and our Cash Book were not lining up.

It continues:  Cash Books;  Cheque Lists;  Bank Statements;  Bank with Reconciliation Statements;

72 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Listing of unpaid cheques; and  Supporting documentary evidence for adjustments relating to twenty-four (24) Bank Accounts were not produced for audit.

So in other words, we have a practice of not producing, Bank Accounts for audits. The balances for these bank accounts were therefore not verified. It also says:  The sum of two point four seven five million dollars ($2.475m.) held in a Bank Account of the Assembly was not disclosed.

So we are hiding some bank accounts apparently. Not me! Auditor General says this, 2015. I continue. In another part it says:  The surplus from Parliamentary appropriations at the end of the year 2014 as stated at Page 3 to the Financial Statement amounted (ready for this) one hundred and fifty two million, two hundred and ninety-eight thousand, nine hundred and eighty-five dollars ($152,298,985).

However, the figure stated at Page 4 as Unspent Balances brought forward in financial year 2015, and shown under receipts from other sources is one hundred and thirty-one million, four hundred and ninety-seven thousand, two hundred and twenty dollars ($1, 31,497,220.00). The accounting for the difference of twenty million, eight hundred and one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-five dollars ($20,801,765.00) was not ascertained”.

So the Auditor General could not ascertain or could not find (let me put in layman’s term) twenty point eight million dollars ($20.8m). People are saying that we are okay with business as usual. I thought the Chief Secretary said that, “business unusual” but it is “business as usual”. We

73 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. have the same Secretary of Finance, so it is quite possible that business will continue as usual and more Auditor General Reports will reflect this same pattern of behaviour.

But the Auditor General ended with an adverse

opinion, and this adverse opinion has been on almost every Auditor General’s Report for the Tobago House of Assembly since PNM took office and perhaps it preceded that too… [Interruption] HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, again the Member is attempting to mislead the House. The Auditors General adverse Reports predated this Administration when we took up office in 2001. So please Sir, get your facts correctly. I cannot sit and allow this to happen… [Interruption] [Crosstalk] MR. F. AUGUSTINE: But if you… [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: You have already given way, let him complete please.

HON. J. JACK: Again, he is imputing improper motives against the Administration. Some of those reports predate our coming into office. So please. If you are giving an accurate assessment, please, I would expect better of you. Thank you.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Madam Presiding Officer, again this is from 2015, year 2015 and in 2015 there was one political party in power and that was

74 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. the PNM. Also, I indicated that this pattern of behaviour perhaps predated…

[Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Please clarify for me you said…

[Interruption] MR. F. AUGUSTINE: I am quoting from the… [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: I am asking you, the 2015 Report, is it the 2015 Auditor General’s Report… [Interruption] MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Yes it is… [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: or a report that was audited in 2015.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Report for the Auditor General Report of Trinidad and Tobago and the Financial Statement of the Tobago House of Assembly for the year ended September 30, 2015. That is the report that I am reading from. Madam Presiding Officer, he would be speaking afterwards…

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: I am asking that you give way for clarification.

HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, the Member for Parlatuvier said that these adverse reports started when the PNM came into Office. I am saying, it is misleading and incorrect statement. If he is giving account for

75 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

2015, I can agree with that, but just from that point it is misleading statement. So, I expect better of you. Thank you.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE:

I am happy to clarify then.

That despite the

glorious speech of then Secretary, Mr. Orville London, who spoke to the incursions of his predecessor, and the preceding Administration, his Administration made the same mistakes.

So in other words, what the

Secretary of Finance wants me to say, is that all of them do the same thing, me nuh the first to do it. At which point are we going to be the first not to do it? At which point. Well we hope is this point because it has been happening up to 2015.

But then again, the Chief Secretary did speak

gloriously about, “business unusual” and so far has been “business very as usual”. But the adverse report says and I quote, “In my opinion because of the significance of the matters in the basis for adverse opinion of paragraph 6.1 to 13 above, the Financial Statement does not present fairly the Receipts and Payments of the Tobago House of Assembly for the year ended September, 30 2015, in accordance with international public sector accounting standards, financial reporting under the cash basis accounting.

The auditor also says: There were breaches of the Financial Regulations… (and I am not surprised that you did not get an answer today, Councillor Faith, we should have expected no response on that question). …The Financial Instructions 1965 and directives from the Ministry of Finance in the area of official overseas travel; maintenance of a

76 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. register of contracts; vote controls; maintenance of pay roll records; and the maintenance of source documents”.

I do not know of anybody who will be proud of that report Madam Presiding Officer, and that speaks to the issue of why we have to make accountability paramount. We have to understand that corruption is a real thing and people stood opposite and accentuate all sort of stuff, and did not even mention some of the “malicious misdeeds” of his own party prior to him. People believe Tobagonians were asleep all the time and we just wake and realize that there is a Party in charged. Tobagonians are smart people and they understand that they have kept the same Party in charge for all these years.

You see, nobody on this side is asking for the Executive Council to come in November, and to announce that they will fire people, and that they will end CEPEP and URP because they does not have enough money. What this side was simply asking for and again, I am saying, Madam Presiding Officer, if it is, this Motion is repetitive or is redundant (you know they like to use these words) then they should be no problem in saying "Aye" to the Motion as is. What is the fear of the specifics held in the resolutions in this Motion?

The speaker before me spoke about the private sector and I am glad that the Member for Scarborough/Calder Hall did so.

She quoted from

Farrell and she said that Government should stay out of the business of picking winners. Quoting from Farrell when we all know the practice has been to pick a few favoured PNM sons and daughters and enrich them by

77 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. millions.

Hopefully that will change and that can change with proper

budgeting.

We heard that all we practice on this side is PR (Public Relations) Politics. Well, that is a strange notion because Public Relations Politics that is almost oxymoronic in terms of nature. Politics is inherently about Public Relations. If you are not about Public Relations in politics then I do not know what you are doing.

This Minority Council, all we have at our disposal because in a West Minster system it is a winner takes all system. In the West Minster System the Executive has all the power.

In one done as we practice it here in

Tobago, we know that once the election is done the dice is cast, those in the Executive ignore the complaints and the pleas of those opposite. We know that.

So, what we have at our disposal is community service which I did

before coming here this morning - had to cook for a Senior Citizens’ function in Charlotteville tonight - cook before coming here - community service.

What we have at our disposal is perhaps grant funding - applying for grant funding because we know we would not get anything out of the Executive Council.

I mean, they came in this House and talk about an

office for the Minority Councillor has been selected and so on. Perhaps, "Casper the Friendly Ghost" built that office.

78 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Of course, we do have Social Media and we will continue to use it liberally.

Because we understand Madam Presiding Officer, the power of

the "P" and the "P" I am talking about is people. I know some of the men opposite are acutely afraid of the other "P" but I am talking about the power of the people and Social Media is the place by which we can connect with people instantly and even speak to some of their issues even falsefully, even crudely, even crassly if you want to say that because the formalities of this House does not exist rather on that platform.

Madam Presiding Officer, so I am saying, given the history of a PNM/ THA (People’s National Movement/Tobago House of Assembly) (and you cannot run from history, it will always run you down), given that we have had consecutive reports from the Auditor General not giving us clean bills of financial health, given that in the past not just with the PNM/THA but the proceeding NAR (National Alliance for Reconstruction) THA, we have had some of these same problems and issues. Given all of that, are we going to continue to do business the same old way?

We make a Budget, we receive far less than we needed from the Central Government, we return two (2) months after, somebody stands and gives some broad-based statement but no real re-budgeting is done. How do we expect to manage people's expectations without doing that?

You told us do not be afraid for CEPEP and URP but Madam Presiding Officer, I am afraid of their “mouth water”, I might catch blight. I am afraid of the things they say because their promises ... [Interruption]

79 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: left.

The Member has three (3) minutes

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: ... don't always materialize. So, I am saying, let us sit down in November and we are happy that we are saying, "Yes" to November. We are displeased that they do not want the specifics in the Motion, specifics such as ensuring a new Recurrent Expenditure is drawn up new Capital Expenditure, CEPEP and URP expenditure projections and also a discussion on revenue generation outside of monies allocated from Central Government. Those are things we expect, those are things Tobagonians want and we know that they are smart and we know that they can see when people are “playing smart with stupidness.”

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Assemblyman Joel Jack.

[Desk

thumping] DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF FINANCE AND THE ECONOMY (Hon. Joel Jack): Madam Presiding Officer, I want to thank you, thank you sincerely for allowing me the opportunity to join this Motion.

When I got the e-mail with respect to the Motion of the day, I was prepared to come to this House and to be magnanimous and to believe you know, based on my good nature and my good character that the Members opposite had good intentions, that they came with some substance to this

80 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

House for us to debate. But what we have seen thus far, is theatrics, petty politics and I am not going to use the word that the Member opposite used but I would want to urge them that this House over the past four (4) years we have conducted business in a particular standard. Madam Presiding Officer, that standard has really fallen down to the ground with this “cheap and petty politics.”

The Members opposite, it is their Private Motion Members’ day and in the past, they failed to support every Motion that we brought to this House on substantial issues. To deal with the environment, to deal with a Code of Conduct, on all matters pertaining to Tobago they have either refused to vote, abstained, walked out and did not support any Motion. So when I saw the e-mail I was optimistic, I was hopeful but on the day, I was on a long drive and that guiding voice said to me, "Please, it will just be another show, it will just be another forty-five (45) and thirty-five (35) minutes of casting aspersions at persons and lowering the stature of this House."

Madam Presiding Officer, what was the real rationale of this Motion?

Because during the 2010 - 2015 period when this country, when the Budget numbers exceeded what we have today, when the PP (Peoples Partnership) Government was approving Budgets of sixty (60) and sixty-five billion dollars ($65b.) I did not hear the Member opposite, the Minority Leader clamouring and making noise for an increase in allocation to Tobago. I did not hear him coming on Tobago side to stand in defense of Tobago and that Mr. Howai should increase the THA's allocation. There was a deafening silence. I did not hear the Minority Councillor, I did not hear Mr. Farley

81 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Augustine. There was a deafening silence. You never came to the support in defense of Tobago, but now hear you are coming when this country is facing one of its darkest moments, when the Minister has outlined the challenges that we are facing with declining oil and gas revenues that you are coming now, saying that we should be clamoring and telling them about disrespect for Tobago. But the disrespect has been shown in the past when and you know as you spoke about disrespect but why is that anything surprising when the Member opposite was appointed a Senator under the PP Government to support all their plans against us in Tobago?

Madam Presiding Officer, we are seeing a similar pattern when I listened to the Minority Leader's presentation because when I heard him speak, and then I heard Councillor Yisrael speak and I want to urge her that when you are quoting from someone that you need to please acknowledge them.

I remembered stating in my maiden Budget Presentation that the people of Tobago are watching the behaviour of those opposite. You seem to be picking up my words and repeating them and reissuing them again. I want to say it again for probably the third or fourth time. The people of Tobago are looking at the theatrics of Members opposite. When you took an oath in this Honourable House to represent all of Tobago without “fear or favour or ill will� it was an oath of responsibility to provide effective representation to the people of Tobago. I would urge you Sir, you and your team - this is serious business. Stop the theatrics, stop the cheap politicking, and let us join hands together. We are putting out an olive branch this

82 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. evening, let us work hand-in-hand and stop the theatrics. This is serious business! Tobago’s people’s business is serious business.

Madam Presiding Officer, and Councillor F.B Yisrael made a statement that she is new to this. I would ask her again, similar to the disingenuous behaviour of her colleagues, that when they are quoting documents, do not pull out part and use part for your own politicking, but be magnanimous and be objective and be comprehensive in your discourse.

The review of the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan (CEDP) highlighted the constraints of funding for us to achieve all the plans and the proposals. The CEDP also outlines that the plans were audacious and they required beyond funding through the usual channels of subvention from Central Government for us to explore alternative financing mechanisms.

But here again, in typical disingenuous manner, you “cherry-pick” a few points when you missed and you completely ignored the major point for your political gain. But as I said to your colleague a little while ago, I expected better of you.

I dare say again that the people of Tobago are watching and as I said before everything rest and falls on, “Leadership”. Because with the limited resources given to Tobago since 2001 to now and what we have achieved by any indicators, any decent self-respecting person, Tobagonian persons from abroad, who are coming back to Tobago, when you listen to them, they echoed the sentiments and achievements of this PNM Administration that we have done well with the limited resources.

83 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, because we have done well thus far, we did so amidst various challenges. You know when persons (and probably this is my good natured behaviour, my good nature thinking) are claiming to be intellectual and claiming to be so bright, and we could fix everything, and to claim that we have done everything wrong and we have not done everything right. Again, I want to make this statement, Tobagonians are watching.

Madam Presiding Officer, it really pains me to having to contribute to this Motion brought by the other side, mandating the Executive Council to present a new Budget for Fiscal 2018, outlining plans for Revenue and Expenditure. I have to ask the question Madam Presiding Officer, and I have asked the question again. In previous Motions, it had to be that they were living somewhere else, but not in Tobago. It had to be that all we have done over the past four (4) years that they have missed the point completely.

This Motion is not only irrelevant and unnecessary, it is ill-conceived.

I

believe our afternoon could have been spent in a more productive manner, discussing urgent developmental issues that are confronting Tobago at this time.

Madam Presiding Officer, when we came in 2013 we had no Opposition voice, but the PNM Administration as we have done since coming into office in 2001, we decided to come back to the people following the National Budget presentation as we have done in previous time in accordance with Section 41 of the Tobago House of Assembly Act (1) which says that

84 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

“The Secretary shall in each financial year… and I am quoting the Act Madam Presiding Officer, with your leave, …submit to the Assembly for its approval, Draft Estimates for Revenue and Expenditure respecting all functions of the Assembly for the next financial year. The Assembly shall approve the Draft Estimates submitted in accordance with Subsection 1, and it says: In Item 3: the Chief Secretary shall transmit for consideration and approval for Cabinet the Draft Estimates approved by the Assembly in accordance with subsection 2”.

Madam Presiding Officer, we went beyond the requirements of the Act and in 2013, as we have done so and recognizing a need to deepen the conversation, to keep Tobago more informed of how we proposed to utilize the funding allotted to us following the presentation of the National Budget.

This PNM Administration introduced a new Motion where we recalibrated the Tobago House of Assembly expenditure detailing the prioritization of Tobago House of Assembly’s project. What we are mandated to do in June, is to present our plans of revenue and expenditure and submit it and we fulfill our requirements under the Act. But traditionally, Madam Presiding Officer, we have not received one hundred percent (100%) of the request that we have received. Why is that so? When you compare the Tobago House of Assembly’s Budget with what is presented nationally, our major source of income, comes from our allocation from Central Government. The Tobago House of Assembly collects taxes on its own, last year it totalled approximately forty-five million dollars ($45m.).

But that is our main

source. But when you mirror Central Government, the Central Government

85 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. has at its disposal options to borrow via directly on the open market or through other state agencies. Madam Presiding Officer, when you have a Budget, part of your revenue stream it is how you finance the budget and we are well aware of the constraints under the Tobago House of Assembly Act. That is why if the Members on the opposite side were magnanimous and if they were true to their Tobago nature, during the period 2010 – 2015 they would have been joining their voices with the Tobago House of Assembly in support when we said that we needed access to borrow, we needed more money but they did so in the good times. They sat quietly and supported their friends in Trinidad, while in terms of access to borrowing where we were not given beyond the barest minimum four point zero three percent (4.03%), we were given any increase in allocation… [Interruption] MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, on a Point of Order, Standing Order No.45 Subsection (5): "No member shall impute improper motives to any other member."

During the period 2010 - 2015, no Member of the Minority Council form any part of the Tobago House of Assembly, we were totally absent from the THA. As a matter of fact, there was no Minority Council during that period. So he is imputing improper motives by saying that persons were there and they kept silent.

Please have him correct that. Withdraw it from the hansard please.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Assemblyman, please continue.

86 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

HON. J. JACK: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. Madam Presiding Officer, may I crave your indulgence for some injury time after that long winded discourse. Thank you.

So we introduced coming back and reporting to the people without any support from persons who were in Port-of-Spain, supporting Members of the Government on the opposite side and those persons who would have been sworn in and received senatorial positions in Trinidad during the 2010 to 2015, there was a deafening silence from them. That is a matter on record. What we did, was that we reviewed the budgetary allocation to the Tobago House of Assembly and we came to this House and we reported to the people.

Madam Presiding Officer, as Councillor Yisrael indicated that she is new so let me just reiterate. So since 2013, I tabled a Motion in this House on behalf of the Administration and the date for that Motion was Thursday 24th October, 2013.  In 2014, the Motion was presented on the 30th October.  In 2015 the Motion was presented on Thursday 26th November.  In 2016 the Motion was presented on Thursday 27th.

All of these Motions, they were presented no later than two (2) months following the Budget.

So, Madam Presiding Officer, what these Motions on the re-allocation of THA's expenditure typically detailed, they allowed us to re-prioritize the Assembly's development projects for the upcoming fiscal year.

87 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

They allowed us to look at the various financing mechanisms and strategies to fund the Assembly's priority projects within our limited capacity of the Tobago House of Assembly Act. We also reviewed measures for enhanced efficiency and productivity of the Assembly's expenditures and they allowed us to implement measures to enhance and supplement our revenues.

Madam Presiding Officer, what we did in fact, was establish a policy mechanism to come back to this Honourable House, outline what our measures, what they are, what they will be for the next fiscal year and continue reporting to the people.

Madam Presiding Officer, we did not have to do this but we chose to do it because there was no Opposition. Sometimes you wondering that that needs to continue because we do not really have an Opposition. [Laughter] We do not have an Opposition voice and that is why, and I, it really pains me this afternoon, Madam Presiding Officer. The Chief Secretary might be wondering how come I am struggling for words but it really pains me this afternoon.

But in the interest of transparency, we decided to come and

explain to the people of Tobago how we propose to utilize our limited resources.

Madam Presiding Officer, we establish policy in 2013 and held ourselves bound and accountable to the people of Tobago since 2013 and we have done so. So to come now, Madam Presiding Officer, with this highly

88 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. irrelevant Motion, I think again, is an attempt to mislead the people of Tobago to tell them in somehow, in some way, some magical way, (like if the people in Tobago would have been sleeping since 2013) that they are now responsible for mandating us to come back to the House in November to recalibrate and to present our plans and our proposals for fiscal 2018.

But, Madam Presiding Officer, I am glad to say, that as I have quoted in this House on many occasions that everything rises and falls on leadership and you so elated, you happy, you comfortable when you had a strong Leader in the 2013 to 2017 term.

On the heels of our former Leader we have a new Chief Secretary that did not sit down and wait and say, let us see what is happening, let us just put our heads in the sand and waste time but he signal early before, right after the June Budget Statement that we were getting into planning mood, that it will be business as unusual. We started planning, we started scenario planning, we started meeting, we started deliberating and outlining what our plans were, ahead of the National Budget Presentation.

Madam Presiding Officer, our Chief Secretary should be commended for leading this PNM Administration in this challenging economic time ahead of the challenges which now confront us.

Unlike coming and

attempting to mamaguy the people of Tobago, Madam Presiding Officer, he has shown strength in leadership and is leading this Executive Council and is leading Tobago on course as we navigate these challenging economic waters. [Desk thumping]

89 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

So, Madam Presiding Officer, once the Budget is approved, we are coming to this House and we report to the people of Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, let me say, thank the Chief Secretary again for his proactive leadership and that we have started the planning process, looking at various scenarios. Each Division of the Assembly was mandated to make the necessary adjustments and to get into scenario planning. All this was done in a proactive measure ahead of the Budget to assess the likely implications for any reduction in the allocation to the Tobago House of Assembly and for us to come up with strategies to mitigate and to treat with the shortfall.

Madam Presiding Officer, when I heard the Member opposite I was concerned because this ... [Interruption] PROCEDURAL MOTION LEADER

OF

ASSEMBLY

BUSINESS

AND

SECRETARY

OF

INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Hon. Kwesi

Des Vignes):

Madam Presiding Officer, I beg to move that we suspend

Standing Order No.16 (2) to allow for the continuation of the Sitting until all matters on the Order Paper have been disposed of.

Question put and agreed to.

90 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

HON. J. JACK: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. I want to thank the Minority side for the first time that you have supported us in our Motion. So thank you for that. [Laughter] Madam Presiding Officer, our budgetary planning did not end there.

Following the presentation of the National Budget the Honourable Chief Secretary and the Executive Council, we hosted a two-day post Budget Retreat and together with the Members of the Executive Council, Senior Management and Technical staff of various Divisions of the Assembly, we met, we sat down and we deliberated.

We did not unilaterally impose or come up with a mandate. We brought in all the technocrats from all the Divisions, all the Senior Managers as we planned and we came to a consensus as we attempted to navigate the road ahead.

We look for a clear perspective of the allocation for Tobago and the

implication of the budgetary cuts on the Tobago economy. We brainstorm to devise creative strategies and initiatives to operate effectively across all Divisions with how we can operate in the best way possible with less resources.

What we discussed at the retreat included:  A review of the Budgetary Estimates with specific plans for expenditure control;  Key Development Programme ;  Project Identification;

91 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.  Productivity Improvements Plan;  Option analysis as well as the role of critical sectors in the Tobago economy such as:  Tourism;  Agriculture;  Agro processing; and  Specialized services How can we engage the private sector to be the driving force in the Tobago economy?

Madam Presiding Officer, when I look back at my Budget Statement in June, and listening to the Members opposite, I got the feeling that it is only now that they have really read and digested the Budget Statement that was presented in June. So it took them (all of July, August, September, we are now in the latter part of October, 2017) them nearly four (4) months to read through it and started quoted it. I do not want to seem that I am bias or blowing my own trumpet, but it was a very well-crafted document. I want to thank the Chief Secretary and the Colleagues around the table for their contributions. [Desk thumping] Madam Presiding Officer, that Budget Statement also included a participatory approach as we engaged in budget consultations with all the sectors across Tobago. I think you owe me an apology Sir, in terms of one statement that you made during your presentation, Minority Leader to say

92 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. that we did not consult with the people. It is an erroneous statement and a statement of misinformation. Please Sir, I hope that you are magnanimous enough to retract the statement. Then the question would have to be asked, when the letter came for Public Services Association (PSA) to be part of those deliberations and discourse, the PSA flatly refused. Again Sir, I would urge you as President of National Trade Union Centre (NATUC), congratulations on your appointment, but I think “the sting is in the tail”, they will know how soon they need to make that adjustment, but congratulations nonetheless.

Madam Presiding Officer, during those deliberations, during the budget consultation exercise, again because this is how we operate in terms of having prior consultations. I gave a commitment to all the stakeholders that we would meet before this November sittings to present the figures to them and some of our plans moving forward for the Tobago economy. The President of NATUC; President of PSA, I think elections are coming up, so I know your time might be short, so I will be writing to you again to invite you to attend the budget consultation. [Desk thumping] [Laughter] Hopefully your time does not run out before you get the letter. [Laughter] So again, we will be meeting, and we will be having serious discussions with:  All stakeholders;  The Chamber;  The Tourism Sector;  Agriculture …[Interruption]

93 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Member you have three (3) minutes left.

HON. J. JACK: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

Madam Presiding Officer, I just want to touch on two (2) things, as it relates to some misinformation about the Auditor General’s Report and a point raised by Assemblyman Farley Augustine and a bit of misinformation that was placed in the Upper House during the Budget debate.

We would put out a Press Release tomorrow indicating that the Tobago House of Assembly, we have fulfilled our responsibility as outlined in the Tobago House of Assembly Act; we have submitted all of our Financial Statements up to the financial year ending September, 30 th 2016.

The responsibility of auditing those statements does not rest with the Tobago House of Assembly, but they rest with the Auditor General’s Department.

Again, I am hearing Assemblyman Farley quoting and from the Auditor General’s Report and castigating and making aspersions across to persons on the other side. We have never hid the fact and the challenges that we have experienced and that we have worked with the Auditor General’s Department in terms of treating with some of the issues. Again, I ask the question, that they may not have been in Tobago at the time, so let me reiterate.

Coming out of my Budget Statement in June, over the previous years some of the issues that we have outlined in terms of treating with it. Our

94 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. transition to the International Public Sector Accounting Standards would have been one of them, and we outlined in detailed some of those measures.

So to come and to castigate this Administration by only quoting Auditor General’s Report, I think it is really mischievous.

Madam Presiding Officer, as I said, I anticipated a little bit more from my colleague on the other side. My time is up Madam Presiding Officer?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

You have twenty (20) seconds.

[Laughter] EXTENSION OF SPEAKING TIME

Motion made: That the Hon. Members’ speaking time be extended by ten (10) minutes. [Hon. Kwesi Des Vignes] Question put and agreed to.

HON. J. JACK: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

So Madam Presiding Officer, we have done a lot and some of the issues and challenges faced by the Assembly in terms of some of those adverse reports predated our term in office, we have been working diligently and all those measures are outlined in my previous Budget Statement. So we are not hiding anything, and we are not the ones responsible for saying handling those accounts. So, please in terms of casting aspersions and making those statements and imputing improper motives, I would urge Members opposite, please and when you make some of these reckless statements, persons internationally are looking at us, and we have a

95 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. responsibility. This is not cheap politics, playing with lives of Tobagonians and the lives of our children and the lives of our children’s children.

Madam Presiding Officer, in anticipation of getting the support of this PNM Administration in the Central Government, to not only increase the allocation to the Tobago House of Assembly from the four point zero three percent (4.03%), but also to allow us to have access to borrow. This is something that we have been working on over the years.

Again, we met with Moody’s, and again we met with the Rating Agency and we were afforded a rating similar to the sovereign. It is not something new; it is not something novel, it is something that Moody’s and other rating agencies are engaged in. Let me placed on record in the House, we are also exploring the possibilities of having another rating so that the Assembly will not have only one rating Sir, but two (2) ratings from two (2) different rating agencies. So, when it comes to opening our books for scrutiny, and opening the operations of the Assembly for transparency, we have nothing to hide.

So, please beware of that.

Further to that, Madam Presiding Officer, in terms of supplementing our allocations from the Central Government in addition to borrowing, we have been working with the multi-lateral agencies for their support.

You might remember in my Budget Statement Sir, where we spoke about the fact that for the first time that we are getting five (5) Early Childhood Educational Centres built in Tobago with the support of the

96 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

IADB (Inter-American Development Bank). [Desk thumping] That was blocked under the previous PP (People’s Partnership) Government - a Government Sir where you were appointed as Senator. So you could have come, stood up in defense ... [Interruption] MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, I need to stand on this one. In accordance with Standing Orders 45 Subsection (5): "No member shall impute improper motives to any other member."

I was never appointed a Senator under the PP Government. I ask you to ask him to retract that statement from that side now because it is wrong.

[Crosstalk] HON. J. JACK: Minority Leader do not point at the Presiding Officer please. [Laughter] But Sir, I withdraw the statement. He was not appointed but he was seeking appointment. You were on record as seeking appointment. [Laughter] [Desk thumping] [Crosstalk] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: please wrap up.

Please, gentlemen, it is late can you

Assemblyman Jack could you please proceed with

wrapping up.

HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, thank you very much. Again, we have received the support of the multi-laterals in terms of accelerating our PPP (Public/Private Partnership) initiative and I would talk a lot more of that in terms of the ...

97 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Madam Presiding Officer, five (5) minutes or three (3) minutes, eight (8) minutes?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: You have six (6) minutes.

HON. J. JACK: sufficient.

Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer, more than

As I close, let me put the National Budget and the THA Allocation in context. Because while we were allocated two point one nine four billion dollars for Fiscal 2018 of which one point eight six billion ($1.86b.) was for Recurrent Expenditure.

Three hundred and fifteen point six ($315.6) was for Capital Expenditure and eighteen million dollars ($18m.) was for Unemployment.

The Allocation to the Tobago House of Assembly represents just roughly four point three four percent (4.34%) of the National Budget.

Madam Presiding Officer, we are well aware that this fall short of our request but we are confident that with prudent management that we can mitigate against any harmful effect of the reduction on the THA's Allocation.

Again, let me commend the Minister of Finance for doing an excellent job in terms of the constraints.

Madam Presiding Officer, as I wrap up, you know when you look at in previous years as I have stated before, in terms of the previous budgets.

98 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

In 2012 the National Budget was fifty-four billion dollars ($54b.).

In 2014, the Budget increased to sixty-one point four billion dollars ($61.4b.).

In 2015, we had a Budget of close to sixty-five billion dollars ($65b.).

Today, the National Budget is somewhere close to the 2012 level and given the fact that they have had a severe reduction in resources. Madam Presiding Officer, we have to share in the adjustments and we have to work together to join hand-in-hand, to find novel ways of advancing and accelerating Tobago's development.

I want to underscore this point that it is important for us to embrace and to play a critical role in assisting our country to navigate the current economic challenges.

I really thought that the Members opposite were coming to be magnanimous and for us to chart a course to advance Tobago's development.

But I have said previously, I will say it now as I take my seat Madam Presiding Officer, the people of Tobago are watching, the people of Tobago are smart people and they will not reset or rewind, they will remove and in due course, your time is coming.

I thank you very much. [Desk thumping]

99 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Leader.

MR. W. DUKE:

Madam Presiding Officer, I have never felt so

embarrassed before the House as today. [Laughter] What I am seeing here Madam Presiding Officer, is a type of display that is unfitting for this House.

[Crosstalk] The men who continue to laugh and betray their weakness for intellectual reasoning. [Desk thumping] The entire debate was thrown as an attack against the Minority Council when all we are trying to do is to act on Tobago's behalf and say to those opposite us the Executive Council, look, you have a social responsibility to the people of Tobago to come back to them and say to them we have asked for five billion dollars ($5b.) what we got is two fifths of that.

Beg them, reason with them. You carry their hopes high and now you are laying their hopes abase but your last lines were very instructive to me.

"The people of Tobago are smart, the people of Tobago are watching, the people of Tobago will not reset nor rewind but they will remove." [Desk thumping] The day is coming when the Tobago man/woman and those above seventeen (17) will exercise their franchise as afforded them by adult suffrage and remove my colleagues from interfering with their daily lives. I say that because I heard my brother spoke about, my friend spoke about Moody’s Report. I ask myself what does the Finance Secretary know about Moody's Report? He is saying that they gave us the same grade as Trinidad.

It is one Report, one Report.

100 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

So while they say that the Tobago House of Assembly rating is this, it is not based on any financials that they have received from us, it is based on the financials from Trinidad. It is based on that and that is recorded in Moody's Report. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of the revenue that comes to the Tobago House of Assembly comes from Central Government.

You can grand charge all you want across there. The facts are the facts. This is not any grand charging moment.

Madam Presiding Officer, through you, I will ask the brother to remain silent while I am speaking in keeping with the Standing Orders 49.

They do not know how to conduct themselves. I now understand why the Chief Secretary, your boss wants a Code of Conduct to control you, unseemly, un-tamed, wild, without boundaries that is their behaviour on that side. [Desk thumping] [Laughter] [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Leader, please get back on track with wrapping up.

MR. W. DUKE: I am on track. It is out limits. You are overdoing it now.

He is engaging me, you see that Madam Presiding Officer? You should speak to him. He should not engage me. The Standing Orders are clear "Be silent as a lamb." You should know that song. [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Gentlemen could we please proceed with the wrapping up?

101 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

MR. W. DUKE: Standard and pause. I intend to use my full thirty (30) minutes Madam Presiding Officer, just for those who might be hungry. I intend to use my full thirty (30) minutes. Stand and pause… [Interruption] [Crosstalk] Am I being interrupted by the one-time Presiding Officer, who still thinks he is a Presiding Officer? People need to grow up and act their part. He is engaging Madam Presiding Officer. That is what this House comes down to. Maybe is the recklessness of lack of food. But let me say this… [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Members, I am please asking all of you, that we focus on wrapping up this debate at this hour. We had the tea break suspended, we could do this in a timely manner, and I am asking all of you to cooperate with the objective.

MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, Moody gave a report that would have seen the island, Tobago be downgraded with its neighbour or its sister Trinidad, I will give you some information because the Secretary of Finance lacks information. He knows all kind of yanga tang and old talk he does not know financial information.

In 2016, they downgraded Trinidad and

Tobago, but I am speaking Tobago now, from a BAA2 to a BAA3. These are the facts. Check Moody’s Investors Report. Check it out!

In April, I

gave you the month. Do you want the date? The 24 of April, 2017. I do not have to read that. These are what I read in my spare time, financial books.

[Illustrating] Not folly! Madam Presiding he engaged me, if he continues to engage me, I am not able to carry my winding up. No one engaged them

102 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. you know, but they knows how to violate the Standing Orders. I seek your protection against them Madam Presiding Officer. Would you please talk to them?

I will be asking for stoppage time because of foul. Thank you.

Moody downgraded Tobago from a BAA2 to a BAA3 then it moved that was 2016; in 2017 April, it moved to a BA1. Now both BAA2 and BAA3 speaks to the fact that they can borrow money, was a downgrade, but still we were in a position where borrowing was medium term.

It was okay.

However, Madam Presiding Officer, I am hearing talking on that side. I want silent. I plead your protection. This is a serious House. The next time I hear talking I will sit completely and allow the Presiding Officer to deal with the disrespect of the House. We will have none of it. Now, we have a rating BA1. BA1 is not among the prime ratings for the average person who is looking at this through the YouTube, through the Facebook whatever. All these are ratings from these international organizations, that lending agencies will look at, when looking to lend money. The lower the grade, is the greater the risk involved. There is a relationship between “risk and interest”. The greater the risk, the greater the interest. You pay it. So when they are talking follies like they could borrow money to supplement the Budget, at whose expense. Tobago needs to find out these questions. Gone are the days when you borrow big money and tie up the generations. This generation is reading now. They are abreast. So you have been downgraded from BAA3 to a BA1. That is speculative. Though they say that Trinidad has a stable outlook, it is based on our foreign reserves. They would not tell you that. They would not say that in this House to the people, this is how deceptive they are on that side. They will not tell the people the truth. The

103 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. stable outlook is not the risk level you know speculative but when they study about the foreign reserves we have the billions we have in foreign reserve, when you look at the Consolidated Fund, the money that they save up from different things and have it there, when they look at that what they are simply saying, is that we are in a position where we do not have to borrow from outside, we can borrow from the Heritage and Stabilization Fund, we can borrow from the US Account. That is what they are saying. But which Lending Agency will lend us at a decent rate when we are so low down the ladder?

We are not even ranked among the prime risk, we are very low

class area. We call it “speculative”.

I move on quickly.

I took great homage that though things change, they

remain the same, with my colleagues on the other side.

I did a quick review of the Budget Statement for 2017, the Budget Statement last year, which was done by the current Secretary, and I recognized he has difficulty in learning, he is challenged when coming to learning.

Last year he would have given a budget, for five point three

billion dollars, ($5.3b.) what he got from Trinidad two fifths again – 2.3 billion dollars ($2.3b.) they got. But he did not learn. He come again this year, put a budget again for five billion dollars ($5b.) What you got again?

Two-fifths. I want Tobago to listen to me, he is a bad Finance Secretary and should be removed, but your Chief Secretary is not ready to replace you or downgrade you as Moody downgrade the country, but the recording will prove that. How is it that we are doing nothing to boost our revenues in Tobago, we depend totally and woely on the revenues of Trinidad. Energy

104 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. prices are declining; the non-energy sector seem to be styling so far as development is concerned, and here you are making five billion budgets year after year, after year, and there the Central Government continue to give, 2/5, 2/5, 2/5. Lesson not learned. You could not have gone to Roxborough Secondary School at all, they might have put you in the cocoa. You could not have gone in that school. I ask myself, I say “ah”… [Interruption] MADAM PRESDIING OFFICER: Assemblyman Jack.

MR. W. DUKE: I understand the facial attraction my brothers have on that side, for this side. But I say to them, in 2021, we will be able to go across on that side. Brother Farley in 2021, they will come across on this side.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Yes sir!

MR. W. DUKE: They love this side, we will come across on that side in 2021. [Laughter] We are quite concerned about the people in Tobago who wants to see a well thought out strategic plan that is relevant; realistic and ready to implement. We want to see a plan that will take them at this very moment at our point of need, to a place of self-reliance in the year 2030.

Trinidad is talking about 2030. What are we talking about? What are we talking about here? Trinidad is talking about 2030, my friend, my brother.

Here we are thinking about Jazz. This money is too tight to spend on frolicking in the Jazz Festival. I say now in this House, that Jazz Festival should be struck off the agenda for next year. No Jazz! No Jazz whatsoever.

105 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Strike it off. This money should be spent on acquiring decent sea bridge and air Bridge for Tobago. I do not have to swim again. [Desk thumping] We do not have to swim again. Right now there are people who are frustrated with coming from Trinidad to Tobago, both on the sea bridge and the air bridge.

Put aside some of that money and purchase a decent boat.

Put aside some of that money and boost the airbridge so people can travel well. We do not want to see the same plans that they would have put out last year. Those plans failed. Persons were receiving pay late every single month and so they continue to receive pay late. Just last month the monthly paid workers of the Tobago House of Assembly/TRHA got paid late. What did the Assemblyman say - "There is some ‘glitch’ in the system." They love that word, "glitch".

He stood here in the month of June and said to the people of Tobago, we have a ACH (Automatic Clearing House) now, no late paying again.

Payment on time. Tell that to the Forestry Workers, they have not been paid properly and they are still owed about three (3) forthnights - tell it to them.

He spoke about ACH as if it was some kind of magic wand you just wave it and thing happen. I said, "No brother no."

ACH (Automatic

Clearing House) is simply a computerized system of paying people where you pay them from your bank account into their account - wire transfer.

People are not paid on time. [Crosstalk] I am watching my clock there, I have about a good fourteen (14) minutes again.

I am using all of it.

[Laughter] I know that you are disturbed by the truth but I say to you, my

106 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. brother Jack the truth shall set you free. [Crosstalk] Right now you are tied up. I do not know why you are speaking when I am speaking you know, you had your chance to speak.

I want to advise the Tobago House of Assembly that we must seek a more collaborative approach. We are talking about working together but no, they are not doing it.

We in the Trade Union Movement [Laughter]

[Crosstalk] we would like to see ... You see, nobody respects the Standing Orders again. It is a laughter, a jesting, I could hardly hear myself across here though I have the microphone.

Madam Presiding Officer, I thank you. Sometimes you need not say anything just look at them and they get the message. That is what I do to my children at home just look at them and they know the look.

That is what

they need.

We are saying that there must be an approach towards sustainable jobs and sustainable employment.

So we are talking job security and job

sustainability. We need to sit and talk about that. In these guava season you cannot say that because I got two million dollars ($2m.) less than I got for URP last year I am going to send home people, no! Talk to the Unions whatever Unions there is, talk to the Unions. Let us see how we could make work sustainable with the future in mind. They need to put out a strategic plan. So, as we sit to talk about the future of jobs in the Tobago House of Assembly, persons must be able to look and say, "Here is where we are

107 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. today but tomorrow that is where we seek to go."

There must be clear

mapping but they are not doing that.

I want to correct my brother who has found his correct place by now.

I want to correct the Assemblyman rather for Bacolet/Mt. St. George, the Secretary of Finance who has taken his rightful place out of the Chamber.

I was never, ever, ever and I repeat, ever appointed a Senator nor did I ever seek the appointment as a Senator under any political organization in this country. I want the records to show that this evening. The truth must be corrected. They speak their truth and it is incorrect.

He spoke about between the years of 2010 - 2015 we were here and we stayed silent when they were receiving pressure from Trinidad. But he referred to these days in Tobago as "dark days." Who made them dark? Not the PDP (Peoples Democratic Patriots). Who made them dark?

Darkness is when the Hospital monthly paid workers cannot be paid.

Madam Presiding Officer, darkness is when the Secretary for Health gives the go ahead to have the Deputy Chairman of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) to appoint herself as CEO (Chief Executive Officer). That is incestuous, that is wrong. We have the letter to show it.

That is dark days! These are the dark days.

108 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

I read the letter (this is Tobago business we are talking about, Tobago business) someone who is the Deputy Chairman of the Tobago Regional Health Authority. [Interruption] HON. J. JACK:

Madam Presiding Officer, the Member is imputing

improper motives. What he is doing here is wrong.

MR. W. DUKE: I am reading a letter.

HON. J. JACK: On what basis does it contravene with law or on what basis. So, instead of casting aspersions quote from a specific section of the Companies Act of Performance Public Service Manual. I will be so guided accordingly.

Thank you very much.

MR. W. DUKE: I want to correct the Assemblyman for Bacolet/Mt. St. George, you are very wrong Sir, I never said what she did was wrong, I simply said that it is an incestuous ‌ [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Please address comments through the Chair. Thank you.

MR. W. DUKE: Yes, yes, yes.

Madam Presiding Officer, through you, I wish the Assemblyman for Bacolet/Mt. St. George, the Secretary of Finance would take a pad and take notes while I am speaking. [Interruption]

109 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, I rise on the same Point of Order.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Mr. Assemblyman Jack, please let him finish his statement.

MR. W. DUKE: I am giving you the stare - control yourself.

Madam Presiding Officer, I said, "Dark days" the Assemblyman spoke about Dark days, we are now in dark days and when things were good we were silent and these days are now dark. I simply said to him, yes, these days are dark when people in the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) cannot collect their pay on time these are dark days.

These are dark days when the Deputy Chairman of the Tobago Regional Health Authority writes a letter and appoint herself as CEO (Chief Executive Officer), saying that the Secretary of Health gave approval for that. It is written in a letter. There is no mix up about that, there is a letter to that.

It is public knowledge, it is published throughout the TRHA

(Tobago Regional Health Authority). Those are dark days.

It is dark days when people are dying in Tobago and they have to wait on a Pathologist to come from Trinidad who is taking weeks. Those are dark days!

Those are dark days when there is so much education on that side yet so little commonsense. Dark days I say, “dark days.”

110 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

So, I challenge my brothers, sisters, Assemblymen on the Executive Council to please take heart and understand Tobago belong to all of us. We are challenging you on that side to ensure that there is a fresh Budget Statement with all the attendant books.

The revenue estimates, the

expenditure estimates and developmental plans for Tobago. You need to redo those plans. Do not come up with some policy. That is what Standard and poors says, “We are in this problem because of failed policies.” We need to have some policies that work and the only policies that work are those where the people of Tobago are involved. We need to practice good governance, good decision-making, you involve the people, build consensus, let us have equity and fairness among the people. Everyone should be allowed to speak, everyone should be invited, give them proper notice, give them an agenda, let them come out. Let us make decisions, let us manage this country.

We need to put some effort into making things better. That is why we are here, to speak on behalf of those persons who are outside these walls. That is the only reason why we are here. We know we represent the minority, but I can say to you now, the Minority is fast growing to become a Majority.

[Desk thumping] It is growing.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Mr. Jack.

MR. W. DUKE: As I traverse Tobago in execution of my duties, people are saying “ah, they cannot wait for 2021”. I will end by saying, “they say we

111 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m. are smart, we are watching, we will not reset, nor will we rewind, we will remove”. [Desk thumping] I beg to move.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Members, the original question as proposed had recommended to it, amendments. At this point, I would like to put the amendments to the Members. We will vote on the amendments and then we will vote on the amended question. According to the amendments the first paragraph remains: “WHEREAS the majority of the Tobago House of Assembly’s revenues comes from the Central Government of Trinidad and Tobago; That second paragraph remains: AND WHEREAS consistent with Section 41 of the Tobago House of Assembly Act of 1996 the Tobago House of Assembly’s 2018 Fiscal Budget request from the Central Government, which totalled $5.041 billion, was made; The third paragraph remains AND WHEREAS this represents a budget shortfall of $2.8474 billion; The fourth paragraph remains: AND WHEREAS the Central Government in response allocated $2.1936 billion, with a promise to allow the Tobago House of Assembly to borrow;

112 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

The fifth paragraph, delete: …this House mandate … to present a new budget … using the actual Central Government allocation to forecast new recurrent expenditure, capital expenditure, CEPEP and URP expenditure; Insert the following:…as has been the practice of … present to this Honourable House the policy measures to manage the budgetary shortfall … of this Honourable House; Delete the last paragraph AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Council, also present to this House, plans for revenue generation outside of monies allocated from the Central Government.”

Amendments put and agreed to.

I will therefore read the amended motion to the House: WHEREAS the majority of the Tobago House of Assembly’s revenues come from the Central Government of Trinidad and Tobago; AND WHEREAS consistent with Section 41 of the Tobago House of Assembly Act of 1996 the Tobago House of Assembly’s 2018 Fiscal Budget request from the Central Government, which totalled $5.041 billion, was made; AND WHEREAS this represents a budget shortfall $2.8474 billion;

113 2017.10.26 ES 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

AND WHEREAS the Central Government in response allocated $2.1936 billion, with a promise to allow the Tobago House of Assembly to borrow; BE IT RESOLVED that has been the practice the Executive Council presents to this Honourable House the policy measures to manage the budgetary shortfall at the November 2017 sitting of this honourable House.

Amended motion put and agreed to.

The amended Motion is now carried.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion made: That this House now stand adjourned to a date to be fixed [Hon. K. Des Vignes] Question put and agreed to.

House adjournment accordingly.

Adjourned at 5.16 p.m.