Unrevised Hansard 21st Plenary Sitting (2017 – 2021)

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Unrevised Hansard 21st Plenary Sitting Tobago House of Assembly 2017 – 2021 Thursday, January 24, 2019

1 Announcements TOBAGO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Thursday, January 24, 2019 The House met at 1.35 p.m.

PRAYERS [MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER in the Chair]

ANNOUNCEMENTS REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST YEAR MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Honourable Members, today, January 24th 2019 marks the second anniversary of the installation ceremony for the 2017-2021 Session.

Over the past two (2) years, the decorum of the House has been reasonably preserved. Thanks to all of you on both sides. There were some passionate moments as you debated in the interest of the people of Tobago but those moments were tempered and certainly paled in comparison to the many public displays worldwide of the challenges Parliaments’ face. I hope that until the end of our mandate we will continue to conduct ourselves in a manner of mutual respect and uphold the highest principles of democracy expected by the people both in the House and outside.

INSTALLATION OF NEW EQUIPMENT AT THE ASSEMBLY CHAMBER Before I close, I am pleased to announce that after years of technical difficulties with the recording machines, a new system has been satisfactorily installed; beginning with the cameras last year and

2 Announcements (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

completed recently by the microphones and control platforms. While the manufacture boast of being user-friendly, I seek patience and understanding from our visitors and viewers as we are using it for the first time in this sitting.

WELCOME CEREMONY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO The second time will hopefully be seamless, as we gather next Thursday 31st January at the Welcome Ceremony of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes ORTT. WELCOME OF VISITORS I take this opportunity to acknowledge and welcome the visitors at the public gallery and especially the students from the tertiary institutions on the island – COSTAATT (College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago), Cipriani, THTI (Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute) and UWI (University of the West Indies) 6th Form - welcome to the 22nd Sitting of the House.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE I take this opportunity also to announce the absence and approval of the request for leave from the Assemblyman and Area Representative for Plymouth Golden Lane, Assemblyman Marisha Osmond.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Assemblyman Joel Jack.

Papers PAPERS LAID (i) (ii)

Tobago House of Assembly Monthly Budget Report as at the end of October, 2018; [Secretary of Finance and the Economy (Hon. Joel Jack)].

Tobago House of Assembly Monthly Budget Report as at the end of November 2018; [Hon. J. Jack]

3 (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

Supplemental Monthly Budget Report of the Tobago House of Assembly as at the end of December 2018; [Hon. J. Jack] Tobago House of Assembly Financial Statement for the year ended September 30th 2017; [Hon. J. Jack] Supplemental Monthly Budget Report of the Tobago House of Assembly for the year ended November 30th 2017; [Hon. J. Jack] Tobago House of Assembly Financial Statement for the year ended of September 30th 2018; [Hon. J. Jack] ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 63 to Minority Councillor Dr. F. B.Yisrael.

CRUISE SHIP AND VISITORS SCHEDULED TO VISIT TOBAGO – COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS YEARS The following questions stood on the Order Paper in the name of Councillor Dr. Faith B.Yisrael (deferred from September 27th 2018).

63.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B.YISRAEL asked the Secretary of Tourism,

Culture and Transportation the following question:“Please provide the number of cruise ships scheduled to make Tobago a Port of Call during the 2018 cruise ship season, and the total estimated number of visitors as a result of those calls. In an effort to compare, please provide for each year, the number of cruise ships (and the total number of visitors) that docked in Tobago in the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 cruise ship seasons.”

MADAM

PRESIDING

OFFICER:

Secretary

of

Tourism,

Culture

and

Transportation.

SECRETARY OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND TRANSPORTATION [Hon. Nadine Stewart-Phillips]: Madam Presiding Officer, the cruise ship season begins in the month of November each year and ends in April of the following year. The number of cruise calls to destination Tobago during the season 2014 to 2017 are as follows:-

4   

2014 to 2015: 45 cruise calls, a total number of fifty-six thousand, two hundred and twenty-two (56,222) visitors; 2015 to 2016: 52 cruise calls, a total of seventy-two thousand, five hundred and forty-one (72,5641) visitors; 2016 to 2017: 29 cruise calls, a total of twenty-three thousand, eight hundred and twenty-one (23,821) visitors;

Oral Answers to Question (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

 

2017 to 2018: 56 cruise calls, eighty thousand and twenty-nine (80,029) visitors; 2018 to 2019: Approximately 35 cruise calls, with a projected total of forty-five thousand (45,000) visitors are expected.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 64 by the Minority Councillor.

DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

STROKE AND DIABETES, FOOT AND ANKLE CENTRE (Details of its Operation) The following question stood on the Order Paper in the name of Dr. Faith B. YIsrael Minority Councillor (deferred from March 27th 2018): 64.

COUNCILLOR F. B.YISRAEL asked the Secretary of Health Wellness and

Family Development the following question: “In August 2018 the “Stroke and Diabetes, Foot and Ankle Centre” was commissioned in Tobago. (a)

Please provide an explanation/description of how this service links with services already provided within the health centres and the Scarborough General Hospital. In other words, what is the referral system (if needed)? What are the criteria for receiving care at this facility?

5 (b)

What are the names and positions of the members of staff assigned to this facility?”

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) DR. F. B. YISRAEL (Cont’d)

(c)

What are the current operating hours?

(d)

What are the monthly operating costs for this centre?

(e)

How many patients have been admitted into the service since its commissioning?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family

Development.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH, WELLNESS AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT [Hon. Dr. Agatha Carrington]: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer. (a)

The Stroke and Diabetes Centre and Foot and Ankle Centre commissioned in Tobago, fully serviced in 2018, conceptualized by the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development.

As a response to the number of Strokes in our population and the remedial efficiencies in primary care, this has become necessary.

Staff at hospital spends considerable time with large numbers of patients. The Stroke and Diabetic Clinic seeks to enhance better delivery to improve delivery, the sense of independence and in addition to the Internal Physiotherapy Care received through their hospitalization period.

The criteria for admission to the centre, we utilized a Film Score. “Film Score” means, “Functional Independence Measure”. This core measure, the severity for patient’s Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

disability or the patients change in status in response to rehabilitation. These criteria include: 

Patients must be between eighteen (18) – sixty (60) years;

6



Should have appropriate cognition;



Should be medically judged to be able to tolerate at least three (3) hours of therapy session on any therapy day;



Sign Attendance Policy which in the case of patients commitment to regular attendance to their appointments;



Established that they have sustainable transportation to the facility for the duration of therapy;



Must be referred by a Physician or Physiotherapist. This referral should be between two (2) or three (3) working days post discharged from the Ward;



The patient will ideally be required to at least two (2) different type of therapeudalities to qualify for intervention referral to the centre.



Patient must have a potential to improve significantly within a short period of time ideally approximately three (3) months.

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

The Executive Council agreed to a Public Private Partnership for the service and so names and positions of staff are not

associated

delivery of with

this

model. The Private Partners are: 

Stroke and Diabetes Trinidad Limited of which the Principal is Mr. Gerard Antoine;



Caribbean Foot and Ankle Institute of which the head is Dr. Emerson Boodoo;

The Public Partner is: 

The Division of Health Wellness, and Family Development and the Tobago Regional Health Authority which assigns Registered Nurses and ENAs, one (1) House and Clerical Officer; to provide support.

7 (b)

The categories of staff that provides services. These include:    

A Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Specialist; An Occupational Specialist;, A Speech Therapist; A Physical Therapist;

In terms of Foot and Ankle:  

An Orthopedic Consultant; and House Officer;

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d) The current opening hours for Stroke and Diabetes and Foot and Ankle  (c)

One (1) day per week on Wednesdays and Fridays respectively;

The monthly operating cost for Foot and Ankle, Stroke and Diabetes

(d)



Sixteen thousand, one hundred and four dollars ($16,104.00);



Foot and Ankle twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) ;

The number of patients that were admitted to this Service since commissioning: 

The number is twenty-six (26) patients; six (6) have already been discharged;

and for: 

Stroke and Diabetes four (4) in 2019

Thank you very much.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Supplemental.

SUPPLEMENTAL DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Even if we are unable to provide the names and positions, are you able to quantify the number as in how many members of

8 Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) staff are assigned to this facility, differentiating those at the outside and those within our TRHA System?

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON:

Madam Presiding Officer, that is a different

question and could that be tabled at another time?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 65 by the Minority Councillor.

DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

TOBAGO JAZZ EXPERIENCE- 2018 The following question stood on the Order Paper in the name of Dr. Faith B. YIsrael Minority Councillor (deferred from September 27th 2018): 65.

COUNCILLOR F. B.YISRAEL asked the Secretary of Tourism, Culture and

Transportation the following question: “In April 2018, the Tobago Festivals Commission and the Tobago House of Assembly announced that it was hiring Dr. Ralph Henry to conduct a Comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment of the Tobago Jazz Experience (TJE) over the past ten (10) years. Please indicate whether this assessment was commissioned, and whether it was completed. If it is not completed, please provide an estimated completion date. If it is completed, please provide a summary of the findings to the House and indicate when and where the complete report will be available to the public.”

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d)

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Secretary of Tourism, Culture and

Transportation.

SECRETARY OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND TRANSPORTATION [Hon. Nadine Stewart-Phillips] Madam Presiding Officer, Dr. Ralph Henry of CARIRI (Caribbean

Industrial

commissioned

Research

Institute)

Consultant

by the Division of Finance and the

Limited

was

jointly

Economy and the Tobago

9 Festival’s Commission to do a Comprehensive Economic Assessment of the Tobago’s Jazz Experience 2018 and not over the past ten (10) years.

Madam Presiding Officer, the Report is completed and is currently being reviewed. After review, it will be tabled at the Executive Council for consideration.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Supplemental.

SUPPLEMENTAL COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Yes! The question asked about when it would be available to the public for their review?

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS:

Madam Presiding Officer, after its current

viewing it would be tabled at the Executive Council. Only then, I could be able to say when it would made a public document.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question 66, Minority Councillor.

WOMEN’S ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT CENTRE (Request for Information) The following question stood on the Order Paper in the name of Dr. Faith B. YIsrael Minority Councillor (deferred from February 22nd 2018): 66.

COUNCILLOR F. B.YISRAEL asked the Health Wellness, and Family

Development the following question: “The Women’s Economic and Technological Empowerment Centre (WETEC) was established to provide housing and practical skills and support to women and families dealing with Domestic Violence. Please provide the following information about WETEC; (a)

Is the Centre currently functional and open to members of society who need support after experiencing Domestic Violence?

10 (b)

Indicate how many are residents and how many are non-residents who are currently being served at the centre? How many were residents and non-residents who have utilized the service for the January to December 2018 period?

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

(c)

Please indicate the position and number of individuals currently employed in each position assigned to WETEC.

(d)

What is the current monthly operating cost of WETEC?

(e)

How much money was requested, and how much was allocated to WETEC for the 2018/2019 fiscal year?”

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d)

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

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Madam Presiding Officer: (a)

Women’s Economic and Technological Empowerment Centre (WETEC) is currently functional and open to members of society who need support after domestic violence.

(b)

There are no residents or non-residents who are currently being served at the Centre. The building exterior was recently cleaned and painted and the interior cleaned as a result of moulding. The number of residents and non-residents who have utilized the service from January to December 2018 – in terms of residents from January to December 2018, the number of women and children who were provided with shelter at WETEC included thirteen (13) persons comprising five (5) women and four (4) children. Additionally, four (4) children from the Family First Foundation was also housed at

11 WETEC for eight (8) months of that period. In terms of non-residents, three hundred and forty-seven (347) persons benefited through our Community Outreach Programmes comprised of:  

Educational Groups; Churches;

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d)

  (c)

Community Groups; and Women’s Organizations.

In terms of the positions and number of individuals currently employed in each positon assigned to WETEC – the positons are as follows:

Intake Officer – retired;



Centre Manager is in Office;



Cleaner is reassigned as I said earlier, the place is being cleaned;



Social Services Officer is still assigned;



The House Ward and Cook are not at the Centre now because the space is being cleaned.

(d)

The current monthly operating cost for WETEC is forty-seven thousand and fifty-seven dollars ($47,057.00).

(e)

The amount of money requested and what was allocated to WETEC for the 2018/2019 fiscal period – five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) requested and no funds have been allocated.

Thank you.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Supplemental.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) SUPPLEMENTAL

12

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Madam Secretary, you indicated that the Facility is currently being cleaned and so forth. Can you indicate how long that has been the position or how long has it not been used because it is being cleaned or whatever is happening to it right now?

HON. DR. A. CARRINGON: Again, could these mattes be raised as a separate question?

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Madam Presiding Officer, this is a related question, this not a separate question.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Please, do you have the answer to the question?

We will take the question.

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Because I will have to assess that, I cannot say when it will be finished. This is civil works and therefore that requires somebody with that expertise.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: What we can do is we can accept in writing within the next week the answer to the question and the Clerk will distribute it.

Because she indicated that she will have to get the exact details for you.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL: As a point of clarification, I asked Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

how long it has been in operational. I will also willingly accept at what point it will be ready.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: She stated that she will have to get the exact details for you.

Question No.67 by the Minority Councillor.

TOBAGO REHABILITATION AND EMPOWERMENT CENTRE

13 (Operation of) 67.

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

and Family Development the following question:“The Tobago Rehabilitation and Empowerment Centre (TREC) was established to provide treatment, rehabilitation and empowerment to individuals dealing with substance abuse.

Please provide the following

information about TREC:(a)

Is the Centre currently functional and open to members of society who need treatment, rehabilitation and empowerment dealing with substance use/abuse?

(b)

Indicate how many are residents and how many are nonresidents currently being served at the Centre? How many were residents and non-residents who have utilized the service for the January to December 2018 period?

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

(c)

Please indicate the position and number of individuals currently employed in each positon assigned to TREC.

(d)

What is the current monthly operating cost of TREC?

(e)

How much money was requested, and how much was allocated to TREC for the 2018/2019 fiscal year?”

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

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. (a)

The Treatment Rehabilitation and Empowerment Centre is functional and open to members who require that service.

(b)

Presently, persons utilizing this service – there are no in-house, there are no clients in-house and there are no residents at present.

The Facility can accommodate ten (10) long stay

14 clients. Persons requiring support utlize our extended services provided at the Centre on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.

The number of residents and non-residents that were served last year from January to December 2018; these Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

are included so we have eight (8) persons attending our extended services. These are not in-house. Of those persons, two (2) of them are past residents while the remaining six (6) are non-residents.

Twenty-five (25) persons utilized the services between January and December 2018. Eighteen (18) were residents and seven (7) were non-residents. (c)

The Positions and numbers of professionals employed in each position: 

In the Manager’s position the person is now deceased and that position has been advertised;

(c)



Therapeutic Councillor remains on staff;



Intake Officer;



Registered Mental Health Nurse; and



Cleaner

The current monthly operating cost for TREC is seventy-eight thousand, one hundred and fifty-three dollars and seventy-eight cents ($78,153.78).

(d)

The money requested for TREC – 2018/2019 fiscal year

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

15

– two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). One hundred and thirty thousand dollars was allocated.

Thank you.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Okay, we would move on.

Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation.

STATEMENT Update of the Work Done by the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited and the Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportaton HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS: [Desk thumping] Madam Presiding Officer, when this Honourable Kelvin Charles administration took office in 2017, it was with a clear vision that tourism among other sectors, including agriculture, light manufacturing and other specialized services will be the main economic driver for the island of Tobago. In order to achieve this Madam Presiding Officer, we understood that we could not afford to do things the same way and expect different results. Madam Presiding Officer to this end, within a few weeks of taking office the Executive Council approved the formation of the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited. The Special Purpose Company would have assumed the responsibility of developing and marketing the Tobago product.

This was a ground-breaking move as this

administration clearly understood that the tourism industry is

Statement (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

16 one which is fast-paced and dynamic with stakeholders at all levels having high expectation.

Madam Presiding Officer, through the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited as Priority No.1, we engaged the industry stakeholders on the island as we developed a destination roadmap for growth. Through this, we set out to re-brand destination Tobago, increase the destination’s digital footprint, improve room stock quality, renegotiate with our partners in the transportation sector and recapture our place in our traditional market while penetrating new markets.

Madam Presiding Officer, as Secretary responsible for Tourism, Culture and Transportation, I am pleased to place on record in this august House that we are moving apace in achieving our milestones as set out in the road map.

Madam Presiding Officer, we have already witnessed our record number of cruise passenger arrivals in the last cruise season coupled with an incremental increase of international stay over arrivals. This has an immediate response of a new go-to-market strategy which includes the rebranding of ‘Destination Tobago’ as ‘Beyond Ordinary’.

Madam Presiding Officer, our increased use of virtual platforms aimed at accelerating our brand exposure has yielded staggering results as our destination profile continues to grow with high exposure features such as:

Statement (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)



Marie Clay Magazines;

17 

Forbes Magazines and other well-known international magazines as testament.

Madam Presiding Officer, an increased destination profile raises investor confidence and this was especially the case when the destination welcomed Sunwing Airlines out of the Canadian Market.

Madam Presiding Officer, despite the herculean efforts of this Assembly to increase brand awareness, improve products quality and fashion quality experiences for our visitors, Tobago is still disadvantaged by the absence of a reputable international brand. A major Brand name like Sandals was not seen as game changer just because of its envision size but also the improved negotiating power it afforded us as a destination as well.

Statement (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

Madam Presiding Officer, attracting airlift has always been a major challenge our destination faced. Airlines want to know with certainty, that there are enough quality rooms on the island to assure high load factors particularly at the front of the plane.

The reputation of Sandals would mean that Airlines would feel comfortable flying in hundreds of first-class passengers to our destination knowledge that there are sufficient five (5) Star Rooms to accommodate them.

Madam Presiding Officer, with first class passengers going off into Five Star hotels rooms, the remaining passengers who now fly because of improved airlift, are free to stay in Castara; Buccoo or Charlotteville and as such everyone would benefit.

Madam Presiding Officer, to demonstrate the negotiating power a Sandals branded hotel affords a destination, there is a popular North American Airline that now flies to Grenada. In our discussions they were straight forward in saying and I quote: “We will come once Sandals breaks ground”. Developing the Tourism Sector on the island is not only about increasing arrival figures and improving the overall visitor experience Madam Presiding Officer. It is about creating opportunities for

18 locals to generate revenues, not only through direct or indirect employment, but also through: Statement (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d) 

Agro Tourism;



Community Tourism; and even



Purport Tourism.

Madam Presiding Officer, I indicated earlier that Tourism as well as Agriculture have been identified as key economic drivers for the Tobago economy by this Administration.

I must commend my Colleague in the Division of Food

Production, Forestry and Fisheries for the accelerated efforts to improved accessibility to farm lands through the Agricultural Access Roads Programme.

Undoubtedly

Madam Presiding Officer, our farmers are now better positioned to not only provide food for locals but our visitors in hotels.

Madam Presiding Officer, in 2005, Sandals in St. Lucia required over one hundred and fourteen thousand (114,000) pounds of honey dew and almost two hundred thousand (200,000) pounds of tomatoes per year among many other crops.

Over two-thirds of this produce was purchased by local farmers. Madam Presiding Officer, please note we have not even discussed eggs; chicken or beef.

The

opportunities would have been endless. Whilst Sandals has withdrawn its interest and some persons beat their chest feeling proud to have chased Sandals, the rest of us right minded true Tobagonians are left to lament the lost of genuine opportunities for us here on the island.

Statement (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

I thank you. [Desk thumping]

19

PRIVATE BUSINESS MOTION ESTABLISHMENT OF A UNIVERSITY OF TOBAGO MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Motion moved by the Minority Councillor.

The Motion reads: “Whereas there is a need for indigenous Tobago tertiary education institutions that focus on resolving Tobago specific developmental issues, while offering the innovations to the world; And Whereas the Tobago House of Assembly is responsible for education including curriculum development, via the 5th Schedule of the THA Act; And Whereas Education Tourism is a credible option for strengthening of the Tobago economy;

diversification and

And Whereas neighbouring Caribbean territories are actively International Universities to set up campuses that meet the needs of simultaneously bringing hundreds of foreign students;

seeking local while

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

Be It Resolved that this House move post-haste to develop an internationally recognized and accredited “University of Tobago” to include Faculties in: (1)

Food Production, Marine and Environmental Studies;

(2)

Innovation and Business Development;

(3)

The Arts, Culture and Tourism; and

(4)

Public, Applied and Alternative Health

Be It Further Resolved that this “University of Tobago” partners with reputable international universities to provide globally recognized programmes on the island of Tobago while facilitating an influx of international students to the island.”

20 COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL: [Desk Thumping] Good afternoon Madam Presiding Officer; good afternoon to my Colleagues

in the Tobago House of

Assembly, and a special afternoon greeting to those visiting us within the viewing gallery.

Madam Presiding Officer, today is a good day. It is with great pleasure that I stand at this 22nd Sitting of the Assembly to raise my first Motion, (my maiden motion) since being inaugurated into the Tobago House of Assembly in January, 2017, just about two (2) ago.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) Madam Presiding Officer, as you rightly said, today is the 24 th day of January, a day that has been designated as International Day of Education by the United Nations just last month, December, 2018. So it is fitting that we are discussing creating a Tobago specific product, that marries both Tertiary Education and Tourism, which we believe would assist in diversifying the economy of Trinidad and Tobago.

We also think that it will provide the needed foreign exchange, it will assist in the research and development that is needed for this island; and it will enhance our tourism product. Madam Presiding Officer, let me be clear. What we are proposing, is a University of Tobago, developed in Tobago that focuses on Tobago specific developmental issues as part of its work, but aimed at attracting both local and foreign students to fill its classrooms. We envisioned having community specific campuses, spread throughout the island and not just a single concentrated campus in one area.

We envisioned building on what it is already established in Tobago by partnering with internationally recognized tertiary institutions to ensure that we do not start from scratch, but, to ensure that

we utilize international

expertise to

assist in that

development.

As written in the Motion, we envision that the University of Tobago having at least four (4) faculties. Namely:

21 Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)



The faculty of Food Production Marine and Environmental Studies;



The faculty of Innovation and Business Development;



Faculty of the Arts; Culture and Tourism; and



The faculty of Public Applied and Alternative Health.

Madam Presiding Officer, I will use this time to discuss in details each of the tenets of the Motion; while the wrap up session will be used to answer any lingering questions that may have been raised by the Members of the Executive Council who would speak. It is my sincere hope, that the Members of the Executive Council sees the merit of this Motion and acts in the best interest of the people that they represent.

May I also encourage the Members opposite to use this time to really engage in meaningful debate about the substance of the Motion? Please resist the urge through Madam Presiding Officer, to descend into personal attacks, or commentary that is not relating to the issue at hand.

This is 2019 and we should all resolve to be

better stewards of the responsibility bestowed upon us by the public.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) Madam Presiding Officer, allow me to quickly add that after Dr. Winston Murray’s death in January, 2017, we as in the Tobago House of Assembly promised to

22 memorialize him in a way that was fitting to his contributions to Tobago. We believe, that the development of the University of Tobago, a name that he registered and fought to develop, would be the most fitting monument celebrating his life. Madam Presiding Officer, so let me start by looking at the policy framework for this proposal.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has agreed, that the development of this country will be guided by the document known as, “Vision 2030”. Unfortunately, there is no similar document for the Tobago House of Assembly, since our Comprehensive Economic Development Plan time frame ended in 2017.

We

understand that there are commitments to redevelop a Development Plan for Tobago, but in the interim we will then focus on, “Vision 2030”. One of the thematic areas of “Vision 2030” is: I quote: “Building globally, competitive businesses by fostering… and I quote: …an improved environment which promotes innovation. It also aims to ensure that non energy sectors are enhanced.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

This University of Tobago Madam Presiding Officer, will assist the Government in realizing these two (2) goals. As outlined in the Motion, one of the proposed faculties is the “Innovation and Business Development Faculty.”

23 It is our vision that this University of Tobago, will and I quote: “Foster a vibrant Integrated Innovation System, that promotes the generation of new ideas; products; and processes that comes from our National Innovation Policy.

The entire university of Tobago will be in essence a “Think Tank” to assist in developing innovative ways to solve Tobago’s and there I say, Trinidad and Tobago’s problems.

Madam Presiding Officer, in 2014, Dr. Michael Crow who is the President of Arizona State University, a recognized Global Leader in University Design, he designs Universities wrote the blog entitled: “What is the role of Universities in Global Development?

He did this for the World Bank.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) Two of those critical roles include: (1)

To enhance their cultural socio-economic and physical setting;

(2)

To become effective partners for global development.

Madam Presiding Officer, in other words, universities are vested with the responsibility of ensuring that they work within their communities to help solve the problems of their communities. That is one of the main goals for both the student and the faculty. This means that a university of Tobago if designed correctly, would in fact be an indigenous Tobago tertiary education institution that focuses on resolving Tobago’s specific developmental issues while offering those innovations to the world.

It will serve this goal even if it includes partnering with international universities.

Madam Presiding Officer, please allow me to give a practical example:-

24 

The cocrico is one of our national birds found primarily in Tobago. If you speak with any farmer though, they would quickly tell you that the cocrico is a pest.

Madam Presiding Officer, imagine having students within the university of Tobago vested with the responsibility of looking at securing our crops while preserving our national bird. They could do that by studying the physiology by checking the feeding patterns by studying the migration patterns of the Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

cocrico. We may develop a quote and quote pest control method right here in Tobago that can be patented and marketed to the rest of the world. The prohlem solving possibilities of the University of Tobago are endless.

The other Vision 2030 goal is to enhance the non-energy sector to ensure that the economy of Trinidad and Tobago is indeed diversified away from oil and gas to other service sectors. Madam Presiding Officer, one of those service sectors is the manufacturing sector. However, industry expert will quickly note that it will be difficult for Tobago to compete with Trinidad or even the world as it relates to manufacturing, we simply will not be able to do that.

The other part of the service sector includes tourism, the creative industries and to what is known within Vision 2030 as the information technology enabled services.

Madam Presiding Officer, I am making an argument that the University of Tobago can actively be involved in those other service related sectors.

Madam Presiding Officer, let us look at the local productivity benefits of having a high level tertiary education system in Tobago.

My Colleague,

Assemblyman Farley Augustine will delve a little deeper into this issue but allow me to give a quick overview. A careful review of our national date provided from the Central Statistical Office (C.S.O) to the United Nation shows that for every one percent (1%) growth in the service sector Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

25

particularly within the education component of the service sector there is a three percent (3%) growth in productivity of the country. What does that mean, Madam Presiding Officer, when we spend money education health professionals our health care system improves.

When we spend money educating our engineers our

construction system improves; when we spend money on educating those who are our tourism service provider our tourism product improves.

As I previously indicated, though our locals will be encouraged to attend this University of Tobago it will be developed with the aim of having significant portions of foreign students. This does several things Madam Presiding Officer. The first is that it will give us access much needed foreign exchange because these students would be required to pay tuition. The spin-offs would also be significant as these students will also have their families and their friends having to visit Tobago and that will inflate the population size year-round for this island, and we know about the importance of economics of scale and the fact that sixty thousand (60,000) just is not enough for our economy to really work effectively. The Minority Leader will also speak about this; but the increased population size will have direct benefits to the communities where these campuses are placed, since the students and their visiting friends and family will need to:  

rent apartments; eat food;

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

   

provide drinks; be clothed; have recreational opportunities; to partake in our community living;

given the community to which they are situated an opportunity to grow economically.

Madam Presiding Officer, one thing I will like to make clear is that this vision for the University is not one where the various faculties will be developed in the communities that are best suited for them. For example:

26



Aspect of the faculty of Food Production, Marine and Environmental Studies may be housed in Goldsborough where there are our large volume of farming community farmers who are already there who can benefit from this.



The Marine and Environmental aspects of that faculty may be housed in Speyside where we have access to our marine space easily.



Aspect of the faculty that deals with Arts, Culture and Tourism may be housed in Mt. St. George where the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute is situated.



Aspect of the faculty that relates to Innovation and Business

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

may be housed in Signal Hill where the Tobago Information Technology Limited and our Innovation Centre (where I understand we just spent seven point seven million dollars ($7.7m) creating is situated.

Madam Presiding Officer, while I speak about Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute and TITL (Tobago Information Technology Limited) let me state clearly that the intention is to develop this university of Tobago; the intention of developing this university of Tobago does not include us ‘re-inventing the wheel’.

They are current indigenous Tobago institutions that have been developing in their respective fields like Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute like TITL and the aim of this motion is to exponentially enhance what these institutions provide and this part is a critical and market them to attract international students, as well as provide a credible space for our locals to study. For example:

We can market the offerings at TITL and our innovative Centre as a space where students can learn from our own Black Panther Animator Tobago born Sekani Solomon. We are also very proud of him;

27 so imagine using him and ah wih country boi Winston to be the

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

Ambassadors for the Animation School that maybe housed within the Innovation Centre.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) I know, that students around the globe would be ready and willing to come to our shores. Madam Presiding Officer, let me get back to the potential economic benefits of the University of Tobago.

Australia currently exports, about twenty-eight billion dollars ($28b.) in education, but we can come a little closer to home.

Barbados which has been an exporter of what we consider, “Primary Tourism” meaning, “Sand; Sea and Sun”, the things that are already there, the things that are within our nature, and Barbados is known for their Health Tourism. We all know that Barbados is the place to go if there are fertility issues in the Caribbean.

However, their real growth rate has been only about zero point eight percent (0.8%).

When Prime Minister Mia Mottley came into power, they then approached the IMF (International Monetary Fund) but they also quickly started focusing on exporting education, by capitalizing on opening the Ross University School of Medicine. Yes, there is a University of the West Indies in Barbados. But if you pay very close attention to the model that is used at the University of the West Indies (U.W.I), it is not really focuses on getting international students. It focuses on educating the communities within which it is.

28 Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) Jamaica, another island that focuses primarily on “Primary Tourism” and of course is the home of our all-inclusive hotels and is the backbone of Sandals, has seen a real growth of about zero point seven percent (0.7%) in 2017; the real growth for Bahamas is one point four percent (1.4%), and trending downwards. The real growth for St. Lucia is about one point six percent also trending downwards.

However,

Madam Presiding Officer, the best comparative data, showing that Education Tourism is indeed the way to go, is what we see in Grenada, where they export…

[Interruption] [Crosstalk] HON. J. JACK: I said on a Point of order Madam Presiding Officer.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Yes, but you have to wait on me to rule. Okay.

So, please have a seat. You can get up and request again.

HON. J. JACK: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer. The Member is quoting statistics without providing the necessary reference for our appreciation and as well as our scrutiny.

Thank you very much.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Member, produce your sources.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Madam Presiding Officer, the United Nations does economic reports of every country and those can be look if you just search United Nations Economic Report, put in the country name and all of these are available.

[Interruption] [Crosstalk] May I continue Madam Presiding Officer?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Do you want to give us the number of the Standing Order that you are referring to?

29 HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, 42 (6)….. [Pause] [Crosstalk] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: 42 (6)? [Crosstalk] Minority Leader please!

HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer, this is her first contribution, I give way, but please as an experience… [Crosstalk] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: You know, I started out with an introductory statement, referring to a decorum in the House and it really saddens me that we are getting into this level of crosstalk. There is a procedure, if you want to talk, that you make a request. Okay! So I would really appreciate if we all adhere to that. We have new equipment, so I can hear you clearly; the buttons do not stick anymore. So I will appreciate if you all utilize them and follow the process.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

Minority Councillor.

DR. F. B.YISRAEL: [Desk thumping] Madam Presiding Officer, for my knowledge, will I be given back the time that was spent having that crosstalk?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Yes. DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Thank you.

My Colleague Assemblyman Farley Augustine, would delve into the specifics of the St. Georges University which is what we are saying is what is responsible for Grenada’s economic boom. It is important to note, that the real growth in Grenada is two point five percent (2.5%) and that compares to the zero point eight (0.8%) and one point four (1.4%) and so forth of the other country. So it is significantly greater than those other countries where we focused on primarily, “Sand Sea and Sun”.

Grenada’s population has been trending upwards for several years particularly since the return of St. Georges to their shores in the mid 1980s.

30 Madam Presiding Officer, personally, there are several individuals who I went to undergraduate with and they have since attended and have since graduated from St. Georges Medical School in Grenada. It is one of Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) the largest Medical Schools outside of the United States of America where even Americans tend to attend.

Madam Presiding Officer, it is also important to note, that one of the Industries that withstands the fluctuation of economic waves is, “Tertiary Education”

When

there is an economic decline, individuals are willing to spend a little money, the little money that they have on retraining to ensure that they are at the top of the employment tool.

When there is an economic boom, persons actively seeking

additional educational opportunities because they have the money to do so. Madam Presiding Officer, therefore, Tobago will certainly benefit from having a “World Class Tertiary Education Institution” that is internationally recognized and encapsulated within our amazing, “Sand, Sea and Sun”. We will be giving tourist a reason to come to Tobago; a reason to journey all the way to the end of the Caribbean and we will be giving them a credible option for educating themselves within the comfort of our, “Sand, Sea and Sun”.

Madam Presiding Officer, imagine, marketing our Environmental Studies Programme to foreign students by letting them know that Tobago is the home of the, “Main Ridge Reserve”, the oldest Forest Reserve in this hemisphere. Imagine these students being allowed to go in and to study the plants and the animals within that Main Ridge Forest with the aim of understanding their unique properties. possible; the same way we

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

It is

31 discovered a brand new species of snake within the last couple years that we can discover the cure for, “Cancer” right there in our Main Ridge.

Madam Presiding Officer, it is important to reiterate that the focus of the University of Tobago will be to encourage foreign students. Though that is the focus, there will be significant benefit to the local students who also attends this university.

We all know that a critical component of Comprehensive Tertiary Education is the opportunity to interact with professionals and others who have experiences that are different to ours.

Therefore, the Tobago students will have the opportunity to share ideas and to brainstorm to even have Foreign Exchange Programmes with those Universities that maybe have their home in other countries and have that direct link. Madam Presiding Officer, it would be a win win situation.

The facilities at the University of Tobago also have the potential to be top-ofthe-line facilities. So for example, we continually hear our local food processors say that it is difficult for them to break in into the international market because they are unable to prove that their products are meeting international standards. This problem could be easily solved by having one of our facilities provide the Laboratory Services that is needed to give those Certifications to our locals for export.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

Madam Presiding Officer, one question that continues to surface when we discussed this proposal, is how we are going to pay for this venture.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

32 This venture will present a perfect opportunity for foreign investment. Part of the motion speaks about opening up the opportunity for foreign universities to come in and set up campuses here.

This model is used in Qatar in the Middle East and if you search for their education city you would recognize that Qatar has some of the top United States (US) and United States – search www.Qatareducation.city.com. They have some of the best United States and United Kingdom universities. Some of these include:

Weill Cornell Medical



Carnegie Modern University; and



HEC Paris.

This model involves a partnership between those migrating universities and the host nation.

Madam Presiding Officer, in fact, while I was a student in Pittsburgh, which is why I keep saying University of Pittsburg [Laughter] I actually worked with Carnegie Melon University to assist them in creating their student health programme for their Qatar Campus because they needed to ensure that it was culturally appropriate for a community that had significant Muslim students. What we are proposing is that the same kind of arrangement happen here. In our case the government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Tobago House of Assembly would have to invest in laying a

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

platform to encourage that kind of foreign investment. This means several things: It means that our legislative framework needs to be encouraging for foreign investment.

It also means that our ease of doing business needs to be improved because that can prevent others from wanting to come in. That requires though, some investment at the local level and the government of Trinidad and Tobago currently led by our Tobago born Dr. Keith Rowley has acknowledged that the government is willing to spend billions of dollars investing in our tourism product. In his presentation to the nation recently, while hinting about the Sandals deal falling, in fact falling apart, the Prime Minister lamented that he did not know what the Tobago tourism product would look

33 like now. Madam Presiding Officer, this is a perfect opportunity for his People’s National Movement (PNM) Colleagues here in Tobago to have a critical discussion with him and his Cabinet in Trinidad to have them continue the vision of spending that three (3) or five (5) or seven billion dollars ($7b.) that they were willing to spend on the Sandal’s project, on this project Madam Presiding Officer because it will fit squarely within the nation’s goals that are outlined within Vision 2030.

In fact, the lion share of Trinidad and Tobago’s development funding since we have gotten independence has been spent in Trinidad. It is fair time that Tobago gets a proportional piece of that pie that is deserving because we are indeed playing catchup and that needs to be understood. The two hundred million dollars ($200m) or the three hundred million

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

dollars ($300m) that we have been getting for development funding for the last couple years is simple not enough and it will not cut it. We deserve more and we are hoping that the PNM Colleagues in Tobago will express that need while chatting with to their PNM Colleagues in Trinidad.

Madam Presiding Officer, while chatting with members of the Tobago community, and some industry professionals an important issue was highlighted because of those discussion, I would like to take this opportunity to propose an amendment to the motion that was tabled. We discussed the fact that four (4) faculties were suggested. However, we would like to suggest that the motion be slightly reworded to include:“To begin the process post-haste by having a working group of local and international industry professionals sit and review the current offerings in Tobago, the current offerings in Trinidad, in the region and internationally with the aim of developing a Tobago specific model that takes all of this information into account. When this working group has done its business, it can then cost this project – because the costing of it will be based on the model that is decided upon.

Madam Presiding Officer, I therefore move that the motion be amended to include these two (2) specific pieces:

34

In the first resolution, that after the word include, we add, “but not limited to” and then the motion continues.

After the first resolution but before the second resolution we ask that this be included: Be It Further Resolved that to facilitate the development of this university of Tobago, a working group of local and international industry professionals be convened to craft the design of this university of Tobago include its offerings and costing” MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Are you standing on a point of order?

LEADER

OF

ASSEMBLY

BUSINESS

AND

SECRETARY

OF

INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT [Hon. Kwesi Des Vignes ]: Yes, Madam Presiding Officer. Thank you. While I understand that the Minority Councillor may be nervous as this is here first motion that she is moving, I must stand to point attention to 41(3) of the Standing Orders.

The motion can only be amended after the question has been put by the Presiding Officer. As such, it is a bit presumptuous and early to attempt to amend your own motion.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

35 MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: What we would do is that we are going to take that into consideration and therefore after the question has been proposed we can then have the amendment.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. As I have said, I was simply speaking to the issues that I will like to raise.

Given

everything that has been discussed here Madam Presiding Officer, I move that the motion that was originally placed before the House be debated within the Tobago House of Assembly.

Thank you. [Desk thumping] Question proposed.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Councillor COUNCILLOR DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. As I indicated, I am therefore requesting that a motion be moved to have the original motion amended as follows:

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

To add within the first Resolution, after the word, “include, “… but not limited to”, and to include after the first Resolution, a Resolution that says: “Be It Further Resolved that to facilitate the development of this University of Tobago, a working group of local and internationals industry professionals be convened to craft the design of this University of Tobago including its offerings and costings.”

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Do we have a seconder?

Amendment seconded reserving the right to speak at a later stage. [Mr. Farley Augustine].

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer. I wish to propose an amendment to the Motion as presented… [Interruption]

36 MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Can I first perhaps put this question and then we can move to…

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Okay Madam Presiding Officer.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Just so that it becomes clear for the record takers. Okay!

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

So, Honourable Members, an amendment has been proposed by the Minority Councillor and in effect it changes the first, Be It Resolved” to add, “but not limited to”… Therefore that section should read if amended: Be It Resolved that this House move post-haste to develop an internationally recognized and accredited “University of Tobago”, to include, but not limited to Faculties in: (1)

Food Production, Marine and Environmental Studies;

(2)

Innovation and Business Development;

(3)

The Arts, Culture and Tourism; and

(4)

Public Applied and Alternative Health

The further addition is the next paragraph to be: Be it Further Resolved that to facilitate the development of this University of Tobago, a working group of local and international Industry professionals be convened to craft the design of this University of Tobago including its offerings and costings.

Leader of Assembly Business are you still requesting to speak or are you going with the Speaker?

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Yes Madam Presiding Officer, the amendment.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

37 HON. K. DES VIGNES (Cont’d)

Madam Presiding Officer, I wish to propose the following amendment. That in the first part of the Resolution, we delete “move post-haste”, and we go on to further delete “to include faculties in and all that comes afterwards, that is 1, 2, 3 and 4” and we insert, “supports the ongoing initiatives of the Executive Council”.

So that the first Resolution would now read “Be it Resolved … [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Have you by chance submitted this to the Clerk so that it is easier for me to read?

HON. K. DES VIGNES: I will submit it shortly Madam Presiding Officer.

Be it Resolved that this House supports the ongoing initiatives of the Executive Council to develop an internationally recognized and accredited University of Tobago; and in the second part of the Resolution Madam Presiding Officer, I wish to move that we delete, “University of Tobago partners”; we also delete, “… with reputable international universities to provide globally recognized programmes on the island of Tobago while facilitating an influx of students to the island” and we now insert…

[Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Can I make a request? Please allow me! I am on my feet. You are reading a number of changes that I do not

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

38 have readily in my hand. So if I am to propose those amendments it is going to be very difficult for me. Is there some way you can get it to the Clerk so she could have it printed?

HON. K. DES VIGNES: That will happen right now Madam Presiding Officer.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: So, okay! Can I go ahead with the Speaker, while you get that to me so then I can read it?

HON. K. DES VIGNES: Not a problem Madam Presiding Officer.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Yes! Okay.

Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation.

SECRETARY OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND TRANSPORTATION: [Hon Nadine Stewart-Phillips] [Desk thumping] Madam Presiding Officer, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to another debate, this being the very first debate for the year 2019 and piloted by the Minority Councillor.

Madam Presiding Officer, I

intend to get right into the discussion as we do

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d) have a strong line-up of Speakers and I also do not intend to speak very long.

Now, I listened to the Minority Councillor in her opening salvo presenting data and research information all in an attempt that I supposed to convince us that this is an excellent idea. The Motion as presented is an excellent idea, here is the information other countries have done it; let us do this tomorrow morning or next week.

Now I know that the Minority Councillor Madam Presiding Officer, in the lead up to this debate has been purporting how excited that she is, this being her first Motion and the fact that the PDP (Progressive Democratic Patriots) whilst

39 campaigning, understood that when we are speaking about tourism, we are speaking about more than “Sun, Sea and Sand”. In order to force more persons to come to the destination, they are now proposing that a University of Tobago be established to diversify the economy. The decision by us on this side to amend the Motion Madam Presiding Officer, is due to the fact that this notion of a university of Tobago is nothing new.

As a matter of fact, I listened to a Television interview with the Minority Councillor and the posture that was adopted, is that this is a PDP idea, and if the Executive Council does not agree, then we need to vote them out in the next election.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d) Additionally, the Minority Councillor emphasized that we should not allow partisan politics to determine how we vote on this Motion or whether we support this Motion or not this afternoon, but she came and all of her discussions prior have been painting this notion with a PDP Political backdrop. The truth is Madam Presiding Officer, significant discussions were held, Opposition Papers was presented; recommendations were accepted for the Establishment of a University of Tobago and there was not one mention of the hard work that was done prior by the Minority Councillor in her entire contribution.

I expected that given that the Minority

Councillor is an acclaimed “Scholarly Researcher” that she would have done her extensive research [Desk thumping] and familiarize herself with all the content that was presented before coming to this House. Madam Presiding Officer, a University of Tobago is nothing new and the name is the same. So I wish to place on record, the idea of a University of Tobago does not belong to the PDP as has been suggested. A significant amount of work has already commenced to establish this University and discussions are continuing and my Colleagues following would speak to such.

Just for the information of the Minority Councillor. Following an Executive Council decision of the previous Executive Council, we had a team of experts in Tertiary Education that was commissioned to explore the concept of this whole idea of the University of Tobago. The fact that

40

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d) discussions are ongoing again, is one of the reasons why we are proposing that this Motion as presented initially by the Minority Councillor be amended. I want the Minority Councillor to understand that the team that was commissioned to determine the feasibility of a University of Tobago, they were selected primarily for their knowledge; for their expertise in the establishment and reconstructing and functioning of major institutions around the world.

Institutes in other islands of the Caribbean that have been successful at the international level we have: 

The St. Georges University in Grenada; and



The Ross University

and those were examined by the team that was commissioned.

Discussions were held, prime actors involved in the establishment and current operations of these institutions and so Madam Presiding Officer, it is noteworthy to mention that a university of Tobago or any institution of higher education would certainly cater to the needs of the population and the world. I can agree with the Minority Councillor that an influx of students that are expected to travel to these shores would not just boost our education tourism thrust but will certainly provide a major source of revenue to the island and this leads me to the discussion on education tourism and I have to agree with the Minority Councillor (we can agree on this) that education tourism can be used as a viable option to strengthen our economy here in Tobago. However, we should not look at education tourism in a vacuum – education tourism not only speaks to establishing “a university,” education tourism involves persons coming to the destination to do: 

educational tours;



research;

41

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)



field trips;



seminars;



vacation study;



abroad experiences;



experiential tourism;

some of which we have already occurring on the island. Madam Presiding Officer, so this form of tourism is beneficial in many ways and is a powerful means to increase social and economic capital as well as empowerment for learners and to host communities worldwide.

Madam Presiding Officer, here in Tobago this whole idea of educational tourism has been in existence for quite some time. There are students from different universities that travel to Tobago for student exchange programmes to conduct research on our heritage trails, we have: 

Gang-Gang Sarah;



The Buccoo Reef Thrust;



Our Rainforest.

The Minority Councillor did mention that in her opening salvo however that is already ongoing, the rainforest being the oldest protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere and persons are even coming to do research on our Tobago Heritage Festival.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

42 As a matter of fact, our record show that students coming to Tobago for educational or study purposes increased by eighty-five point 4 percent (85.4%) in 2018 when compared with figures in 2017. So we had just about fifty-five (55) students in 2017 and a one hundred and ten (110) students in 2018. So the Minority Councillor spoke about not ‘re-inventing the wheel’ and I would agree with her. Let us not re-invent the wheel but let us commend those who have started the work on the establishment of this university of Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, this administration is mindful of all the discussions and all the hard work and public announcement made regarding the establishment of a university of Tobago and I can assure you that the work continues. As a matter of fact, it was not co-incidence when the Honourable Chief Secretary as a part of the realigning of the Divisions, placed the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute under the now Division of Education, Innovation and Energy. The essence of this decision was to ensure that emphasis is placed on higher education and therefore, can leverage on the makings of this institutions to further be developed to university status.

Madam Presiding Officer, THTI as we know it, is already an indigenous tertiary education institution that exist right here in Tobago. This institution was also founded to be quite relevant and was recommended as the foundation on which the University of Tobago is to be build. The institute has a very solid foundation and is accredited by the Accreditation Council of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Furthermore, the institute back in 2012 became the first educational institution in the region to have attained hospitality assured certification and this is a globally recognized quality assurance programme that is approved and spearheaded by the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

We are all aware that there are quite a few

challenges and issues with the Tourism and Hospitality Sector here in Tobago and the THTI will be able to address these through research and training. These challenges range from: 

poor customer service;



lack of adherence to quality standards, etcetera.

The Tobago Tourism Agency Limited as part of their mandate to ensure hospitality programmes, the THTI will play an integral role in ensuring that all sectors of the tourism industry are up to par. Madam Presiding Officer, the THTI already has a

43 track record of attracting domestic regional and international students to the island.

Students from as far as Canada and Nigeria has graced our shores and received certification in various academic disciplines.

They have also been articulation

agreements with the University of the West Indies plus two (2) initiatives where scores of students were able to complete their associate degree at THTI and move to UWI to complete their Bachelor of Science Degree. What is essentially required is an expansion of the curriculum and programme offered at THTI with the aim of improving the systems and operations to get it to university status. I can assure you Madam Presiding Officer that this is being done through the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy.

Madam Presiding Officer, we have the Kendal Farm School and the Buccoo Reef Thrust both were identified as possible campuses and locations for the University suite of programme offerings. The aim of the Buccoo Reef thrust is to build and operate a Tobago Marine Research Centre as an internationally recognized institution of Research and Education on tropical reef eco-systems and sustainable acro-culture. Over the years of its existence, the Buccoo Reef Thrust has successfully implemented Education, Research and Coastal Zone Management Programmes throughout Tobago. To date, the Buccoo Reef Thrust still facilitate post-graduate and under-graduate university students in executing research and field work component of their programme. The projects are designed by the students in collaboration with the Director of Marine Resources and Fisheries of the Tobago House of Assembly to ensure that they are relevant to the needs of the island. I will just give you a list of some of the universities whose students have participated in this prgoramme with the Buccoo Reef Thrust. We have: 

The Oxford University;



The University of New England;



Kings College, London;

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)



University of the West Indies…

44 MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Leader, I am going to ask you again to please allow the Member to finish her contribution without interruptions. I allowed your Colleague to do so and I caution the other side. I am now cautioning you again.

HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.

The

Minority Leader cannot help himself. [Laughter] Madam Presiding Officer, based on the list of universities that I just gave it is evident that collaboration is already happening with universities and reputable institutions abroad.

Madam Presiding Officer, we are cognizant that having a university of Tobago has a lot of spin-offs benefit: 

it would create a boost in accommodation;



foreign exchange;



taxi drivers benefiting;



increase on island spending.

So we do agree that the education tourism niche′ is one which we can definitely further develop. But I hasten to add that while a significant portion of the work has already been done to establish a university of Tobago, at the Division we are also fostering the necessary collaboration in the area of arts and culture and through the Department of Culture the Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

Division is actively seeking to finalize our arrangement for the establishment of a Tobago Indigenous and Traditional Arts Academy.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d)

45 We are collaborating with the National Training Agency (NTA) to establish this Academy and the NTA will be the certifying body. The NTA is an Umbrella Agency for effecting reform in Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Trinidad and Tobago and is the certifying body for the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) in Trinidad and Tobago.

Therefore, participants of the Indigenous and

Traditional Arts Academy would obtain CVQ Certification upon successful completion. As a result of this, the Programmes that are offered by the Academy, would not only attract local residents but CARICOM nationals as well, which augurs well for Education Tourism.

Madam Presiding Officer, it is also imperative that standards for, “Qualification and Certification” are defined which will be made possible through the Tobago Indigenous and Traditional Arts Academy. Presently, the accreditation is being pursued to ensure that the curriculum is at an international standard for an Academy of this calibre. Madam Presiding Officer, an Accredited Programme of this nature is expected to attract Tobagonians and visitors alike who are seeking certification in: 

Indigenous and Traditional Dances;



Folklore;



Drumming;



Oral traditions;

indigenous to Tobago which will contribute to the island’s education tourism thrust.

Madam Presiding Officer, we are mindful that global cities are distinguished, not only by the state of their economies, but also by their cultural diversity and vibrancy.

Madam Presiding Officer, so as I wind up my contribution, I did indicate that I did not intend to spend much time, but I wish to emphatically state that this Administration is in full support of the Establishment of an indigenous University for Tobago. I would like to commend the previous Executive Council for their foresight in this matter. [Desk thumping] Our predecessors have already laid the foundation and they have already done extensive work by appointing a Committee and accepting the recommendations on the

46 Establishment. Madam Presiding Officer, even as the work continues, we are making a call for the support of ongoing efforts and discussions at the various levels, as we seek to provide further opportunities for the residents of Tobago, to enhance their quality of life and by extension, overall development of Tobago.

I thank you Madam Presiding Officer. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Leader of Assembly Business.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. N. STEWART-PHILLIPS (Cont’d) LEADER

OF

ASSEMBLY

BUSINESS

AND

SECRETARY

OF

INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT: [Hon. Kwesi Des Vignes] [Desk thumping] Thank you Madam Presiding Officer and thank you for the opportunity to present the amendments as previously attempted.

Madam Presiding Officer, as I indicated previously, we wish to amend the first Resolution by deleting, “move post-haste” and further to include “faculties in” and Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 thereafter”. So I will then insert … “supports the efforts of the Executive Council”. So that the first Resolution will now read: “Be It Resolved that this House supports the efforts of the Executive Council to develop an internationally recognized and accredited University of Tobago; Madam Presiding Officer, in the second resolution, I wish to move that we delete, “University of Tobago partners” and further delete, “on the island of Tobago while facilitating an influx of international students to the island”; and further to insert “…house supports the Executive Council in its continued dialogue” and further insert “…after programmes for the University of Tobago”.

Resolution will now read:

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. K. DES VIGNES (Cont’d)

So that the second

47 “Be It Further Resolved that this House supports the Executive Council in its continued dialogue with reputable internationally universities to provide globally recognized programmes.

I beg to move Madam Presiding Officer.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Do we have a seconder?

Amendments seconded reserving the right to speak at a later stage. [[Hon. J. Jack] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Okay! So we will proceed with the debate and then we will do all of the amendments at the end.

Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH, WELLNESS AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT [Hon. Dr. Agatha Carrington]: [Desk thumping] Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

This being our middle of the road on our journey, a most important milestone I must say, as I make my contribution on a topic that has been in effect for several years. I would speak to its importance of, “Tertiary “Education” as it relates to our Health sector. I will speak about those Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d) existing collaborations because indeed they exist.

My Colleague previously

mentioned the several collaborations that exist; and I will then speak to some priorities which will sort of refine some of the discussions which went previously.

I want to just take the opportunity as my Colleague did before, to celebrate those persons who have worked on this project, before because we need to recognize the work of these professionals because they have set the framework on which we will continue to build.

Madam Presiding Officer, permit me to mention that it was Judy Orone and et al in 2010 in an article in “Health Education Research Journal” mentioned and the

48 topic they discussed they researched then was, “Integrating Health and Sustainability Higher Education Sector as a timely Catalyst”. They noted that, “Higher education is an influential sector; with enormous potential”. This potential is such that it impacts positively on health and sustainability. Madam Presiding Officer, indeed this sector and its roles can be and are being harnessed to focus on mobilizing knowledge exchange; research such that they can achieve significant impacts.

Madam Presiding Officer, universities impact positively on our Integrated Health Agenda. As an Executive we understand that, hence the investment that has been made and continues to be made.

So we are on the move. As a sector and

notwithstanding our challenges with Non- Communicable Diseases, emerging and reemerging diseases, rapid change in Health Care Technologies and limited resources in Health Care Delivery, several actions became necessary such that we strengthen the supporting infrastructure. Madam Presiding Officer, to the extent that we must promote health and prevent diseases; and to the extent, that we must provide a supporting environment for healthy lifestyles; and modify unhealthy eating habits; we must pursue educating our people. Persons skilled in doing so must be trained. So by way of example and as I mentioned before about the role of the Hotel School and its collaboration with the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Madam Presiding Officer, my Colleagues and the Minority, we are already building out the framework. We are building a framework and building out the University about which you speak. There are several sites available for providing tertiary education.

Madam Presiding Officer, recent World Bank Study titled, “Globalization Stabilization Growth and Poverty Building and Inclusive World Economy” by David Dol & Paul Collier noted, there is growing evidence that universities through their role in empowering domestic constitutions and building institutions, they nurture favourable frameworks

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

49 and governance structures. These framework and structures are vital to our country; our islands development.

They are vital as we seek to increase social capital and promote social cohesion.

Madam Presiding Officer, indeed, these are important in the determinacies of economic growth and development and so these are important as we focus on the growth and development of Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, an educated people is vital for today’s world with the impact of globalization, the importance of knowledge, the ICT revolution, this is even more urgent.

On assuming office, Madam Presiding Officer, this Executive under the leadership of the Honourable Kelvin Charles proceeded with determination on the matter of education and training and there is evidence of that and that was given previously.

Madam Presiding Officer, more particularly, one would notice the focus that has been placed on the education of our people and much has been achieved in two (2) short years and that too will be discussed later by my other Colleagues.

Many programmes are in collaboration with reputable established universities already. As we develop our island, there is a demand for other and highly skilled professionals and this motion is not new as was said, we support the University of Tobago; it is in force.

I recall visiting Buccoo with a team of professionals years ago, on this matter of the site for the marine campus. As my Colleagues mentioned before a vision for a university of Tobago preceded this Executive and we continue to build on that.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

50 Permit me to point to some areas which are relevant to our sector. Madam Presiding Officer, we see our future prosperity link to innovations which will emerge or are emerging. We know that we need the University of Tobago not just for skills for now or for new needs but for the existing professionals to obscure. We know that this will contribute to social and economic development for building our human capital through teaching and for building knowledge through research.

Madam Presiding Officer, the fact that the development of a country or island requires trained health care professionals is not new as well because we continue doing that. We do not need to be reminded of the importance of education and training for health sector. We are doing so. We need to embrace new ideas, new approaches and not repetition.

As an island, we are aware of the value of tertiary education. Note, we have a Division of Education, Innovation and Energy. Madam Presiding Officer, we are aware that if our citizens are better equipped they can fact the challenges of an everchanging world; a world technological advances. We do not need to be reminded that it is at tertiary level ones’ skills are built. If we say innovation; innovation growth we pursue that and these are dependent on tertiary education as well. For our Tobago to develop, we need a skilled workforce.

Madam Presiding Officer, what we have been doing in the Tobago Health Sector is working within that framework and so, for example: 

Medical Officers have been trained through collaboration of the St. Georges University. I had the opportunity to visit with the first two (2) cohorts that were sent to be trained and they have long graduated.

We continue to train our health care professionals further to the commissioning of our state-of-the-arts hospital which critics speak to in terms of the delays in construction and other commentary, we work steadily to improve service delivery. Notwithstanding these challengers, we continue to quietly transform delivery on this island. We have been aggressive in these efforts such that we could improve and we are leveraging areas with the support of our partners. So some of these collaborations, permit me to mention a few of them:

51 

The training of our doctors;



The assignment further to their five (5) years training at UWI takes place at our hospital and these are paid for by our Division with the funding provided by the Tobago House of Assembly. [Desk thumping]



We also have collaborations with the University of Pittsburgh;



Rotman School of Public Health;



Washington University School of Medicine in the area of training and research.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

So our professionals continue to benefit from that. 

We have collaborations with the University of the Southern Caribbean well that is a local one but all be it in the area of nursing and other professions.



We have also been strengthening our Scarborough General Hospital in general. May I say significant progress has been made as we move towards making the Scarborough General Hospital a teaching hospital – Scarborough General Hospital has all the facilities available to it such that it can be so designated.

Permit me to also advise that the first cohorts of four (4) are ready and waiting to start their programme further to the approval by the Executive Council.

With respect to our leadership training, our collaborations continue as we grow leaders for the health sector and twelve (12) such leaders are to start training with the support of other universities in Tobago.

With respect to our collaboration and building our capacity, may I mention that we have been working with other organizations as we seek to build on our databases and our registries which are important for care and delivery. Therefore, our partnering with the United Nation.

So we have United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP), United Nations Aid,

52

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d)

UNFPA, UNICEF, they have been giving us support as we seek to build on our knowledge system to support our delivery and there is also support by the Pan American Health Organization.

Madam Presiding Officer, I will debate the values of modern medicine, I will not debate its progress by relying on science, as against any other forms of medicine which is deemed alternative. I will not do so, because some provide support for us in terms of some of our traditions rather than the rigour that is required scientific testing because for any environment we have both the modern medicine and the others and I know that the Minority Councillor mentioned as one of the items that alternative health is an area of priority. In my own reading I did not read that, I read alternative medicine. Madam Presiding Officer, Drs. Dos and Chiesel argue ‘if every rising is an alternative to pen insulin but apogostic is not an alternative to an automobile.

Degree programmes in alternative health: Are we speaking of alternative health or alternative medicine? I am hoping that we can get the answer so that we can understand clearly and agree with the Minority Councillor in terms of what will be offered to the population.

Indeed, alternative medicine is a field and does exist with courses in autonomy, general and organic chemistry and the like and we will want to know because we want to agree on what is to be offered.

Madam Presiding Officer, this Executive Council has done work.

There is progress, and the areas that have been mentioned we may want to add our contribution to it in a further discourse in terms of our priority area because in terms of our health sector our priorities may defer. Indeed, our Division of Education with responsibility for those areas of higher learning, that process has already been done and that have been driven by data and so we have priorities that have been identified for tertiary education and those are listed and may I mention just a few: 

Health promotion and disease prevention is important but mental health and wellness is also important.

53 

In terms of our post graduate areas, which we do not envisage will take place on the island but in collaboration with others that we focus on our emergency medicine that is critical for service delivery.



In terms of surgery;



In terms of neuro surgery;



In terms of paediatrics;



In terms of neonatology;

These are areas that are priorities for us: 

In terms of applied health as mentioned, we see it as a foundational course on which other programmes can be built and we look forward to hearing much more details in terms of how that will work.

Madam Presiding Officer, we recognize the value of tertiary education in the health sector. We will pursue our priorities only. We will pursue our priorities such that it makes a difference in the quality of life of our citizens or residents on this island.

Madam Presiding Officer, this motion while there is merit and kudos to those persons who have gone before us, those who have served diligently and we continue to commend them.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. A. CARRINGTON (Cont’d) We want to take this opportunity to invite all of Tobago, those persons who have not yet explored the opportunity to access courses that are available like at TTHTI (Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute) to ensure that they avail themselves of these opportunities. In doing so, we build a more informed Tobago and persons will be better equipped to the changing needs of our island and of our world.

I thank you. [Desk thumping] MADAM

PRESIDING

Fourmi/Speyside.

OFFICER:

Member

for

Parlatuvier/L’Anse

54

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: [Desk thumping] Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

Given the direction in which this debate has gone, I should be able to safely say that this debate would be a quick and an easy one. Notwithstanding the grand charging and the shameless attempt as self- praise, we all agree on the foundational principle, more so the philosophical underpinnings of this Motion which is should that there should at some time, as soon as possible be a University of Tobago that will encapsulate what we have already have existing; build upon it; invite international partners; and also position Tobago in a better place.

Madam Presiding Officer, I note that those opposite have been speaking to the fact that there was a Committee set up to investigate this issue. I heard about this Committee prior to coming to this House, I tried to find out when exactly did this Committee meet and one person who claim to be on the Committee said “Somewhere around 2011/2012 thereabout”. I tried to get my hands on the recommendations and report, I have not received that. So there is absolutely no way for us on this side to verify, that in truth and in fact, the current Executive Council is carrying out those recommendations made by those Committee Members. Albeit, it is interesting that after having this Committee being set up before the 2013 THA cycle, after all this time, we have not been much further along in this trajectory towards Tertiary Education for Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, I acknowledge and affirm that some of what we have heard is what we have discussed as we caucused. In fact, the Motion as explained by Councillor Dr. F. B.YIsrael paid specific attention to the fact, that we have existing institutions and frameworks on the island that we can build upon and that we can draw upon. That is why she made mention of TTHTI and she made mention of the Information Centre and how we could use what we already have existing to build upon it. So this Motion is in no way attempting to suggest that nothing has been done with regards to Tertiary Education on the island. What this Motion is saying, that if it is the wish of this Executive Council to implement those recommendations made so long ago, then this Executive Council needs to move “post-haste”.

So, even if we are amending the Motion as proposed by Councillor

55 Kwesi Des Vignes, perhaps we need to still inject the word, “post-haste” in there given how tardy we have been in rolling out the recommendations whatever they may be, as proposed by that Committee.

Much of the merits of a University of Tobago

have been expounded upon.

In fact, in my research in 2009, Madam Presiding Officer, Finland, they launched a project at building an “Education for Export Cluster”. In 2009, their then Minister of Education launched this Programme with the intention of using education as an export commodity. But you know what is interesting? Is, that although Finland was launching this in 2009, they were late. They were late on the draw when compared to: 

New Zealand;



Australia;



The United Kingdom;

and of course 

The United States.

If we look at New Zealand and look at their 2017 provisional economic value, of Education Export, which is according to Education New Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. F. AUGUSTINE (Cont’d) Zealand and their Ministry of Education, they valued in 2017, Education for Export at four point four billion dollars ($4.4b.). For them, they are boasting that education is their fourth largest export sector.

If we look at Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, they reported twenty-eight billion dollars ($28b.) as Dr. F. B.YIsrael mentioned for 2017/2018.

Not only that, Australia is saying, that “Education Export” is their third largest export commodity. Now, what does this mean for a small island like Tobago? How can this work for us?

56 Given our physical geography; given our size, our very small size, we cannot easily get involved in very large scale manufacturing sectors. So our best bet, must be the service sectors of which education is proving to be a powerful one.

Of course, I agree with my Colleague Councillor Stewart-Phillips.

I mean,

despite her grand charging, yes my old friend, Councillor Stewart- Phillips in that they are significant ways in which… [Interruption] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: I am going to remind you to please use title of the port folio which she holds.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Sure! I stand reminded Madan Presiding Officer, you see why you must not follow those opposite? You will be led astray. [Laughter] So let me do what I know is correct to be done.

The Secretary of Tourism Culture and Transportation, Councillor Nadine Stewart-Phillips correctly itemized some areas through which “Education and Tourism” can partner successfully and how it has worked to some degree already for us on the island of Tobago. What we are saying, is that there is an opportunity now for us to push this even harder; even faster; so that we can get a lot more returns out of it.

If we should look at Grenada and interestingly Grenada’s use for Tertiary Education for export is something that has been going on for donkey years. It has been going on for quite a while. It is not new. So we should not perhaps expect Grenada’s results overnight given how long they have utilized St. Georges University as part of their education for export model. However, if you look at Grenada and in fact St. Georges University of itself, in 2018 in their statistics, they are boasting that they provide twenty percent (20%) of doctors in Botswana; they are also boasting that they provide twenty percent (20%) of doctors in Trinidad and Tobago; they are boasting that they have provided to date that is for 2018, one hundred and forty-five-

57 plus doctors registered the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom; and they are also boasting that they are the No. 4 provider of US doctors when they look at the number of graduates licensed in the US (United States) and they are positioning themselves in the island of University School of Medicine; University of Minnesota Medical School and Wayne States University School of Medicine. So there is a lot of merit we all agree to there being a University of Tobago. A University of Tobago can provide much needed benefits to local community and can even allow for development to happen in a very organic manner. What do I mean by that?

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. F. AUGUSTINE (Cont’d)

If we should position the campus an outpost of a university in any of our communities you talking of there being a need for:    

accommodation services; entertainment; administrative services; health care services

All of which comes at a cost. All of which we can sell to university students. So we are talking about an impact for insurance sectors who must now insure our students.

We are talking about the fact that we could now do PPP (Public Private Partnership) models in terms of health care and charge some of our foreigners for health care. We are talking about the fact that people could retrofit their homes to make way for university students and for dorms. We are talking about the fact that our night clubs will perhaps become more buoyant again because university students tend to require places to lime and hang out and to party. For those of us who have been so privileged to go to universities, we know what that is like and how much of our parents’ monies we waste on entertainment. But that would be good for us and good for our local economy.

So, just positioning a university in any community in Tobago, just one campus will give that kind of organic economic development.

58 Additionally, Madam Presiding Officer, I will hasten to add my voice to the fact that we should not do this alone because in attempting to do this and get the necessary accreditation, the best way to perhaps do that is through partnerships. If we have to: 

build institutions all by ourselves;



build the facilities by ourselves;



hire the staff by ourselves;



create the programmes by ourselves;

then we will put ourselves in a position where accreditation may not come until after our first batch of graduates. Because that tend to be the international best practice.

You follow several requirements, and most times your accreditation comes after yuh first cohorts graduate. However, if we partner with international institutions there is a possibility that we can borrow on their accreditation because if they are the ones helping to frame the programmes, bring their profession and so on, then they are not just brining their names but they are also bringing their accreditation with them; which makes that accreditation process easier on our path.

Additionally, I wish to espouse how significant it is a university can be to solving some of our basic problems on this island of Tobago. You see, universities are not place people who feel that they are bright attend, where those who are just privileged attend just so they can get a high off of their own intelligence. But universities are places that should generate innovation, that should create new ideas and I have said in this House, I have been saying it to high school students I have been saying it to primary school students, I do not know why we cannot produce the next best thing to Facebook or why the next big App that will be used by all of us politicians alike, those who like the Likes, those who have a political message to send.

I cannot see why that next big App cannot be created right here in Tobago, and it can.

So, having a university can put us in a position to creatively lend the world what we have.

I was looking at a TEDx story and in this particular story they were speaking about agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa and how difficult irrigation was and how they went in with scientists paid for by the World Bank to implement irrigation models that they think could work but none of the models were not working. Do you know what eventually happened? They eventually had to depend on some indigenous knowledge

59 from the indigenous peoples there, use that, add the financing to that and that is what gave them success. I am sharing that story so as to say that we too as an island, we have indigenous experiences that we can use to help fix some of the world’s problem.

So, Tobago should not just look at itself as just little Tobago. Because indeed little Tobago can lead the world in various aspects and in various sectors. That is the kind of big thinking we must posit for ourselves and for our children.

Madam Presiding Officer, finally, I wish to say that we need to go about this the economically smart way. It does not mean that we need to go and find some billions and build a brand new spanking fancy campus in a centralized area on the island. We already have existing community centres and we tend to boast about us having the most community centres per squre mile or per capita and we see the activities happening at the centres daily – the vocational training and those things.

Those same centres can be used for spaces for classes for campuses. I am happy that the Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation spoke about the arts and how we are looking to set up tertiary education in that regard.

Shaw Park should not be as empty as it is and as underutilized as it is because that space in itself naturally lends itself to that kind of offering. So, what we should be looking at is how we could use our existing physical spaces for satellite campuses.

We do not need to think of a university of Tobago in a very traditional sense as it being confined by physical walls because universities now are much bigger than that.

Sometime early last year, I received a visit from “Students Studying Abroad” and that is a Company in Trinidad that works with young people ensuring that:

and so on.



They get to foreign universities, be it in the United States or elsewhere.



They help do the paper work, they help them apply;



They help them search for university;



They help them get scholarships; My Constituency Office was approached to assist them in getting folks

from around my community and in my Constituency to participate in university degree programmes being offered by universities in the United States particularly out of Indiana.

In fact, when the United States Embassy held its University Fair, in October last year, I was privileged to have a dinner meeting with representatives from the

60 Embassy and Representatives from those universities and they wanted me to get locals to study at their university via online programme and visit during the summer.

They wanted to do areas like agriculture, they wanted the outcome of this programme to be such that the students have to come up with initiatives that will be vetted by their professors and become projects that can be implemented anywhere in the world.

Then I asked myself who is this going to benefit most? If I encourage all my young people to take up this offering none of the offering is bad, it is a good offering to take it up, study online for certain periods in the year, visit during the holidays, create a project to be implemented around the world, how much are those universities going to make from the knowledge and the experiences of our young people.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. F. AUGUSTINE (Cont’d) So the question is, can’t we find a way to monetize those same experiences and knowledge that other universities are seeking to capitalized upon? The answer is, “Yes”! We can find a way to monetize that. So we have to monetize that. Madam Presiding Officer, if for nothing else, this may even assist us with our problem with brain drain. The fact that within the Caribbean region, Tobago quite possibly, might have the highest brain drain rate when you look at per capita. Possibly! Not sure!

But the region has a problem with it; and part of that is, that our young people see it as far more advantageous to have that International University experience elsewhere outside of the region than here. What if we can bring the world to their doorsteps?

Then, perhaps they may stay; perhaps they may create businesses that will cater for more than just the sixty thousand (60,000) on the island, but will cater for all one point three million (1.3m.) of us and the rest of the region; perhaps we will improve our service offerings; perhaps we will improve our education sector in and of itself because the quality of teaching and training our young people will receive can exponentially improve. So, I am happy today that we all agree, that this in concept in principle is what we want.

I am happy that the Executive Council present has decided to take responsibility for every single thing done by previous Executive Councils; I am happy they have decided to finally take responsibility for everything, good; bad;

61 indifference. Right! Once it is done by a previous Executive Council that share the same party symbol, they are taking responsibility. So I am happy for that and I am happy to also give the Executive Council credit (since that seems to be a sticking point for the Executive Council) for some work done and for putting the Committee in place; for getting a report and for doing some work in the meanwhile. But I am saying, can the Executive Council move post-haste? Can’t the Executive Council move with greater speed?

If this Committee presented this Report since about

2011/2012 or thereabout, we must ask ourselves are we working efficiently enough in terms of time? Remember, the world has already begun to monetize education for export. We are not new by any stretch of the imagination with this concept. So, we ought to move with a little more haste in ensuring that Tobago can monetize this; in ensuring that Tobago can improve its productivity by improving its service sectors and that Tobago’s economy can grow, Tobago’s economy can be diversified and of course we can be contributors to the National Diversification Programme.

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

Secretary of Community Development,

Enterprise Development and Labour.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

SECRETARY

OF

COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT,

ENTERPRISE

DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR: [Hon. Marslyn Melville-Jack]

[Desk

thumping] Thank you so much Madam Presiding Officer.

Permit me to take this opportunity to greet you all in the wonderful name of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let me also wish you especially my Colleagues

62 on the other side who I have not seen for the New Year, a most peaceful; productive and prosperous New Year.

I am happy to be joining this debate at this point in time, especially after listening to my Colleague, Member for Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside, because my contribution would take the form of responding to some of the issues that you started with, primarily the fact that you have not seen reports, you are sure if we are saying is true. My research in preparing for this Motion led me to find the Reports and Newspaper clippings that would give credit to those persons to whom credit is due. [Desk thumping] Madam Presiding Officer, it has already been fully established and ventilated by all my Colleagues that the idea of the University of Tobago is not a new concept.

Executive Minute No. 210 of February, 2012, accepted and approved a Position Paper for the Establishment of the University of Tobago. I have in my possession a copy of this Position Paper which was Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d) proposed by the Author, Mr. Allan Richards. I would just read for you a little that was attempted, “The vision and the mission”.

So Mr. Richards saw the Assembly

“As attempting to provide citizens with the widest exposure to the world learning and education, by obtaining the broadest possible inputs from international spectrum of educational opportunities.

of the

He continued: “That given the unique gifts bestowed on this island, it must seek to optimize the use of its resources, to enhance its knowledge based and revenue generating opportunities.”

So we see very early in the game that the premise on which this concept was realized or taken, is speaking exactly to what you are suggesting at this point in time. So let us look a little bit at the vision. He visualize the University of Tobago as: “A World Class Institute of higher education serving the population of Tobago by providing 21st Century Education and generating revenue through the provision of education opportunities to the rest of the world.

63

So even then the vision was not a myopic one just for our local students, but looked at inviting the rest of the world to experience our unique culture. So the resulting in mission sought: Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

To achieve this mission by developing a Multi-faceted Educational Institution that will satisfy the tertiary level educational units of the local population and to attract substantial participation from the rest of the world to its programmes that will significantly add to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, I also wish to place on record, that the then Chief Secretary, Honourable Orville London, was always championing the call for Tobagonian students to be educated in their own space. I will just read an excerpt from a 2005 Tobago News Article headlined “London UTT Campus will reverse present trend”. I am taking you on a journey, so stay with me. We are starting in 2005, and then we are going to come forward. So Mr. London was quoted as saying and this was at the proposed site of the Buccoo Site Battery Point Campus in 2005.

He said these words: “The proposed UTT Buccoo Campus is the most significant response to the challenges of providing Tobagonians with access to relevant tertiary education in Tobago.

He said: That Tobago cannot be isolated or insulated from the realities of the world as a global village. He urged Tobagonians to take advantage of what he called, “The Gift” that the then PP (People’s Partnership) Central Government was presenting.”

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

64 Chairman of the Board of UTT (University of Trinidad and Tobago) at that time who is the Chairman at this point in time, Professor Ken Julien, he was also present at that function and he claimed that construction work on that project would begin within a year, but needless to say, this Campus never became a reality.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

On 2013 at a Post-Executive Media Briefing in March of 2013, Chief Secretary London stated: “The THA (Tobago House of Assembly) sees the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute as the core for the establishment of the University of Tobago….”

He said the institute was ideally situated to be the core because it dealt with an area of study that was critical to Tobago’s development. It already had the accreditation by then, it already had the regional and international recognition and it already had the potential to attract students from all over the world. He said: You can build on it…

He is talking here about THTI: by adding other areas of study so that you can end up with a university that does not only cater for the needs of Tobagonians with specific areas but also serves as a tourism oriented product bringing visitors to Tobago over an extended period.”

I go from 2013 to 2015: Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

65 “During a Budget Debate Chief Secretary London highlighted the fact that the University of Tobago had now received approval under the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan and the Division of Planning was seeking an individual to lead that process.”

We are at 2015: “He also stated that the University of Tobago will be an addition to the THTI… He cited the “Kendal Farm School and the Buccoo Reef Thrust as outlaying aspects of this university.”

So as you quite rightly said a university does not necessarily have to be one campus in one location but it can actually be spread throughout the island – so this is not a new thought. He however debunked the idea of the integrated campus where different aspects of our national universities. So we are talking here now about COSTAATT and UTT coming to Tobago to open branches and seeing it as an integrated campus.

He saw the University of Tobago as home-grown using the already established institutions as learning and upgrading them to a level that is suited to the aims and objectives of the island.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

In 2016 July, a Tobago newspaper article had this to say: “Plans to establish a university for Business and Applied Sciences: Mr. London

told reporters that we would start with what we have.

The THTI, the Kendal Farm School and the Buccoo Reef Thrust, then we will build on it.”

Madam Presiding Officer in that same year 2016, an Inception Report was commissioned by the Executive Council and that report contained recommendations

66 and an execution plan for the establishment of the University of Tobago and this report was approved by the Executive Council in Minute No.255 of June 2016. This report focused on the establishment of an export ready university of Business and Applied Sciences designed to provide the skills needed for the development of the island of Tobago.

So as we fast-forward to today’s reality, we are in 2019. Although the composition of the Executive Council has changed significantly, and we are now under the new leadership of Chief Secretary, Honourable Kelvin Charles. The pursuit of a university of Tobago has not diminished. What has changed however it is the challenging economic times that we are in and in some instances, there would have been a slight changes in the strategic direction of our policies for growth and development. This administration Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

chooses to focus on: 

Tourism;



Agriculture;



Health;



Enterprise Development;



Sport;



Marine Sciences; and



The environment.

Madam Presiding Officer the benefits to be accrued from a university of Tobago in the medium and long term is not lost on us. As stated in an article on international students in higher education in Australia economy it says that: “International students have a much larger economic footprint than tuition fees and accommodation.

They directly facilitate domestic

participation in higher education. They generate significant spillover

67 benefits including job creation and increased tourism and they are a key source of skilled migration.”

So we do understand how important it is that an institution as significant as the University of Tobago is set up. As was said earlier, we Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

have only to look next door at what is happening with the St. Georges University experience in Grenada and we see Grenada as a small Caribbean island with a small population size like Tobago and today, St. Georges University has become home to students and faculty from almost one hundred and forty (140) countries. They are specializing in: 

Medicine;



Veterinary Medicine;



Arts and Sciences



Graduate Studies.

as well as:

What is significant is that when we look at the population size and composition of the University of St. Georges, we see that sixty-seven percent (67%) of those students are from the United States of America.

Only fifteen percent (15%) are from the

Caribbean islands. Ten percent (10%) are from Canada and eight percent (8%) are from the other countries. This university partners with the Grenadian community in volunteering their services in many outreach programmes, and this, to me, is an attraction that we can look forward to when the University of Tobago becomes a reality. In Addition to direct community outreach, the University contributes to over a hundred million dollars ($100m) (and we are talking about US dollars annually) into the Grenada economy in the form of:

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

68



salaries



accommodation;



recreation

You name it; but what they also do is that they offer scholarships to local students.

Madam Presiding Officer, more importantly the St. Georges University experience has created a sort of intellectual academic environment on the island that entices Grenadians living abroad to return home and become part of that driving academic community.

What must be noted however, in the Grenada experience is that, that university set up is a standalone university. It is not championed by the state and the University of Tobago that we are talking about here is one that seems to be championed by the State.

We must understand that the University of St. Georges was established

primarily by large private conglomerates. Our only university, that is the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) that is owned by the State was established in 2004 as an Engineering and Technology Institute and they are now seeking innovative and creative ways of re-inventing themselves so that they remain relevant as they grapple with realities of decreased funding.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

So for us here in Tobago, the need for partnerships become even more relevant, in realizing a project of this magnitude.

Madam Presiding Officer, this Administration stands ready to partner with any reputable consortium of Tertiary Level Learning Institution to achieve the realization of what we consider to be a very important goal.

Now, very early in our term of office, I was privileged to be part of the Chief Secretary‘s team which met and consulted with three (3) National Level Tertiary Institutions on separate occasions, as they paid courtesy call on the Chief Secretary.

So those three (3) Institutions were:

69



UTT (University of Trinidad and Tobago);



MIC (Metal Industries Company); and



COSTAATT (College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago).

What was significant is that, as they all articulated their views for keeping a continued presence in Tobago, they lamented the fact that low student enrollment was their major problem. They were also thinking of pulling out

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d) from the Tobago space. At that point in time the Honourable Chief Secretary, Mr. Kelvin Charles reminded them that they were all competing for the same catch in a small student pool. So in many cases, they were offering similar Programmes, so he recommended to them at that point in time, that they offer complementary, rather competing programmes, and programmes that would focus on the developmental needs of the island and communities.

So I am happy to report that today, two (2) of those three (3) Institutions have already responded to this recommendation. They have formed partnerships with specific Divisions within the Tobago House of Assembly and they have made Training and Certification available to a cadre a artisans as well as URP (Unemployment Relief Programme) and CEPEP (Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme) workers, in Technical and Agricultural Programmes. The most loyal of those partners to date has been the University of Trinidad and Tobago.

I can also let you know, that they are now offering the

following Certified Courses in Tobago. There is: 

A Certificate in Food Technology;



Bachelors in Food Science and Technology;

70 

Bachelors in Civil Engineering Systems; and



A Certificate in Applied Marine Operations.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

These are to be held here in Tobago.

From September, 2019, UTT also proposes to offer: 

Certificates in Sports Studies; and



A Bachelors of Fine Arts in the Performing Arts.

So to the Assemblyman for Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside, I just need you to know, that that space you talked about in the Shaw Park Complex, has already been discussed with the Board of UTT (University of Trinidad and Tobago) and we are looking at using that site for the start of the Programme in Fine Arts come September, 2019.

Madam Presiding Officer, as was said earlier, the realignment of the Departments within each Division was strategic in order to achieve our developmental goals.

That shifting of THTI to the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy,

made it a lot easier for us to really start pushing forward on the development of a University of Tobago. With the selection of a new Board at the THTI, I can tell you, that a mandate was given to them to seek out reputable Universities from the United States who are willing to partner with the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute to offer courses; share faculty and bring foreign students to our shores to participate in that Tobago University experience.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

To date, as a result of discussions that were held with a consortium of Accredited Universities in the United States, they paid exploratory visits to the Campus; to Kendal Farm School; and to the Buccoo Reef Trust and they have expressed satisfaction with the prospects to date. Madam Presiding Officer, they are

71 willing and ready to move forward. I must say, at this point in time, we are the ones that are not as ready as we should be. We are not yet in the firm financial position to effect the major kinds of infrastructural changes that are required to upgrade those facilities to the requisite standard. We too are not in readiness to pay the kind of attractive salaries that we know we must pay to attract the highly trained and Technical Resource Personnel that will be needed. I am saying this and I am happy that the Secretary of Finance will be speaking after me, so he may be able to shed some light on our finances going forward as we get ready for the University of Tobago.

So Madam Presiding Officer, I want to conclude by expressing this Administration’s commitment to provide this Premiere Institution of Higher Learning that addresses global; regional; and international advancements.

We are also

committed to fostering the kinds of creative partnerships that will enhance the current realities and will act as catalysts for social and economic developments. We are also dedicated to establishing the kinds of Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK (Cont’d)

policies and agreements that are consistent with the Constitution and with all the accredited standards.

So I am therefore willing like my other Colleagues to support the amended Motion as articulated. The work of this Executive Council continues apace, but we cannot rush the creation of an Institution of such magnitude and importance to the island’s development. In my estimation we cannot rush, “Quality”.

Madam Presiding Officer, I thank you. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Leader.

MR. WATSON DUKE [Minority Leader]: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

Colleagues all, Happy New Year to you! Happy second year anniversary. We only have two (2) more years to put up with this, senseless argument I call it.

72

Here, the Minority Councillor, is putting forward an argument to benefit the populace of Tobago, but here we have on the other side Madam Presiding Officer, a senseless argument amounting to what? Nothing! Only to culminate with statements like; something of this magnitude cannot be rushed. So who say rush it? If you all have begun since 2017, how far Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

advanced have they become? They have reached nowhere. I would say this now in this House, the PNM in Tobago has not advanced Tertiary Education. Instead, they have kept Tertiary Education in check. In that way, their mastermind plan which is to leave Tobago for themselves remain intact.

Drive the educated few away from the

island, when they come back, they deskilled them. There are thousands of youths today who are coming back to our country; our island of Tobago and they are being deskilled. When they come, they are at home first of all, for two (2) years straight.

Doing nothing! Then when they call you out to work, they put you in an office, give you nothing to do. By the time four (4) years you are totally de-skilled. Those persons abroad who have studied and they want to make a serious impact upon this society, they are not even given the opportunity or the welcome to come back home.

I say “Woe” to the People’s National Movement in Tobago and they should support this Motion in its entity. This Motion was carefully crafted, meticulously done, so as to prevent the brain drain; so as to prevent the wastage that is taking place in Tobago via he PNM.

73

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d) Madam Presiding Officer allow me to say this now. In 1704, someone in Tobago would have moved a motion to create a university, then the colonial government shut it down.

In 1957, APT James the man who stood for Tobago and spoke about Internal Self Government something my colleagues on the other side knows nothing about.

All they know about is slavery and worship of their leaders. That APT James (who has been beheaded and placed in the square I do not know why they do not fix that) again spoke about a university for Tobago and again it was shut down by the colonial masters.

Madam Presiding Officer, in 1997, I do not know if my calculation is right…

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: In view of calculation let me allow you to calculate…

Minority Leader continue.

MR. W. DUKE: My Colleagues on the other side always finds time to practice Mats.

When something interesting is going on. The next one, is counting sheep now.

In 1997 we had the late Dr. Winston Murray being forced to come back and recognize tertiary academic training that our people are exposed to on this Tobago Island decided to open as a first draft - a Tobago Community College. He first began (thank God for SDA (Seventh Day Adventist) in Rockly Vale) at the School there with twelve (12) pupils. He wanted to

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

create a Tobago university. Some twenty (20) years later, the PNM Tobago Leader who was then Chief Secretary, Mr. Orville London – someone said in 2017 he did something great for university of Tobago but I do not know what happen but when I look around I see no university around for Tobago. I do not know what great, they are great in talk. What we are setting out to do here today is to create something that

74 feeds into the natural talent and natural prerogative of the people of Tobago. They do not want that and I will tell you why: A university will do certain thing to Tobago. It will boost consciousness, it will cause people to think and look through what I will call, their ‘symidimy’. They love to do symidimy – playing tricks with figures.

Madam Presiding Officer that is what they do. They try to own everything that look good and everything that looks bad they say it is Watson Duke. They love that, but they are responsible. A university of Tobago will help the average man to look through his ‘symidimy’, it has been proven that economic growth models do far much better when there is an uplift in human capital. When you invest in human capital through proper education and training etcetera, what happens is that: 

persons come back to the community and they are stern;



they arouse with action;



they want to do something and so they engage in a lot of

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

voluntary work; 

they engage in lectures;



they sit on the block and even debate and speak of their knowledge and their natural propensity to want to expatiate and show something;



they will engage in debates and you can have some of the best debates taking place because of a more educated society.

This is what we want to do. We want to improve the community, it will require more than lights. I want to say to my colleagues on the other side – it will require more than lights. Madam Presiding Officer, if you want to uplift a community, it will take more than school repairs. Where are your universities? They will fall asleep because what I am saying to them is too much for them to digest. So they close their eyes like the ‘proverbial ostrich’, pretending not to hear but it is recorded in the Hansard so people can read it twenty (20) years from now two hundred (200) years from now that

75 we the Minority Council who are minor in scope but not in intelligence and willpower, we have said to them we want a Tobago University.

Madam Presiding Officer, it seems to me that every time a good motion is brought to this House, my colleagues on the other side are obsessed with making amendments. I want to let them know that the Bible have spoken about that. He said, “Do not put new wine in old wine skins.”

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

They always want to pour it in old wine skins, so they use the wine and the motion loses its viscosity. It loses its essence. [Desk thumping] Every time we come here that happens. They always want to way, “Let us amend it.” - weakening the motion.

I am distressed by that. Here a perfect motion, well worded, meticulously done by our Dr. Faith B.Yisrael – they say minus here, minus there. They did that with the Tobago Transportation Motion.

Nothing came out of that.

Everything we put

forward, I want to appeal to the consciousness of my brothers and sisters on the other side to all of us in this House, let us come together and let us educate the people of Tobago in Tobago for Tobago. That is why people build universities on their island so they do not have a brain drain. When people come home they can go to classes after.

I have done some research, literal research, personal research and I had my office called about two hundred (200) persons (we were doing this, I am going to do some research) all of them were Tobagonians who went to Trinidad and some other Caribbean countries etcetera to pursue tertiary education and those who would have gone and acquired them education - I would tell you, only fifteen (15) of the two hundred (200) came back and those who came back are dissatisfied with their jobs.

Are they “square pegs in round holes”? Yes, they feel that way. Have they become the skilled? Yes, having a university also forces the Tobago House of Assembly to prepare a world of work that will be centered around its graduants.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

76 Anywhere you go if you have a university you have to prepare a world of work for your graduants. To me, it is evil that you have no new opportunities for employment and you have no university and you are comfortable with that. We are saying build the university and then force yourself to now create opportunities. So if we have a chemical Engineer - someone studied Chemical Engineering, where could they work in Tobago? What can I do as a Chemical Engineer? If you study economy and you come out as an economist, where do you work? If not by the Secretary of Finance and some of them have a taste for a particular political preference. If you do not belong to a political party; you cannot flash their card, where do you work with your big degree; where do they put you? That is the trouble.

We are a small island but by no means are we poor in so far as the richness of our human resources. Around the world, we have a lot of Tobagonians who have excelled and are doing well in: 

medicine;



education;



engineering;



trade unionism.

even in:

Here am I. We have done well around the world but here on the island there Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

is a brain drain and no opportunity to uplift yourself. It has already been proven scientifically also that whenever there is a university graduate in a particular society, then one percent (1%) increase in those university degrees in a society equals directly to point five percent (.5%) output.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

77 It is a correlation, let us look at it that way.

So, the more graduants you have in a

society, is the more that society would strive locally more. These persons will find a way to make money to do something, they will get together they would try and invent new things. University is also known for a place to research, research is big in Universities.

I want to think that if we had a University here, then the amount of

flippant Motions that we get from the other side would not be here.

It would not.

University graduants are drivers in the society, they drive it, yes, but too bad. We know that those on the other side, they are graduants of course, I give it to them they have done well, but they are deskilled.

What they learn cannot benefit them nor

society. They are deskilled. That is the problem that we have also too. So we want to see a greater utilization of that map that says, to every one percent (1%) increase in graduants in society, will equal point five percent (.5%) in increase in output. We want to see that map. We want to see a greater type of Policy; Planning within our country. There is a reason for that. There is a reason why here in Tobago we have not been able to challenge the Central Government in so far as our rights as enshrined within the Fifth Schedule. We have no policy.

I sat in this House under the (I am not seeing my colleague on the next side) the Member for Black Rock\/Whim/Spring Garden, I sat in this House Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

for two (2) years and not once have they sent a Bill in Trinidad, not once have they created a Policy and bring it in this House to debate. Imagine that! Not once! That is the level of education we have on the next side. May be if they had gone to a Tobago University they might have come out with something. They might have come out with some substance within them or maybe they are all de-skilled on that side. Have no skilled to show forth.

I am coming to this House and Tobago is longing to have policies and so they spoke about things like, “Styrofoam”. Where is the policy on Styrofoam? Where is the Policy? Have we debated that? They spoke about five …

poles they used in

Tobago here or things like that. Where are they? Where are the policies on these things? Where are the policies? If we had a proper University, the graduants would

78 have been there coming up with ideas; coming up with things. They are researching things that is what people do, Universities around the world are creating policies, they are creating new ways to solve things, whether it be technological or it be something social, they are coming up with new ways. What are we creating in Tobago?

What

are we creating? This is the reason why, if we want to see Tobago move from a stagnant position, we have to have a University that would simply apart from all the influx of foreigners and the benefits to the economy financially for themselves for Tobago itself, we would be Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d) better off.

We want to create change, when you had that infusion of those with

degrees and those without degrees meeting and talking, people are encouraged. We will create a system where people feel as one, unity, look at the big picture.

So as I close, I want to say, my Colleagues on the other side to support the Motion brought by Dr. F. B. YIsrael. I support the motion, Assemblyman Farley Augustine support the Motion, and we support the Motion on this side as is. Stop watering the motion; stop taking the decisive areas from the motion out and make it indecisive. Let us bring this motion home and once in your life, do some real work.

Create a University, put graduants out there and create an opportunity for the grandaunts to remain here and build a better Tobago, “child by child; family by family; village by village”.

I thank you Madam Presiding Officer. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Deputy Chief Secretary, we have about three (3) minutes but you would have to start then I will have to stop you. Would you like to start or… [Interruption] HON. J. JACK: No. Madam Presiding Officer.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

79 MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

We have to take into consideration our

recorders. At this time we will suspend the sitting for the tea break and be back in half of an hour.

4.30 p.m.:

Sitting suspended.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

5.08 p.m.: Sitting resumed.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: We will resume the Sitting with the Secretary of Finance and the Economy.

DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF FINANCE AND THE ECONOMY:

[Hon Joel Jack] [Desk thumping]

Thank you Madam Presiding

Officer, for allowing me to join the debate at this time. I am hoping that I would not require any additional time but I will be able to wrap up with my first allocated minutes.

Madam Presiding Officer, as I reflected on this Motion, the initial motion as drafted by the Minority Councillor and before we had to intervene and amend it, two (2) words come to mind. One of them is, “disingenuous”; the next one consistently, I know I said one word, but it is sort of “Intellectual dishonesty”, two words, but the second one I could not even, I did not want to say, “Dishonest”. Again we are seeing a common trend by the Members opposite. In advancing a Motion talking about the starting up of a University of Tobago “post-haste” and without referencing all the hard work and solid foundational work established by this PNM Administration over the years. Madam Presiding Officer, you know before I get in to the Motion and to responding, let me start off with a celebratory mood.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

80 I would start by wishing you and my Colleagues and Members opposite and all the Honourable of this House, a Happy New Year and also Happy Anniversary and I trust that we all had a wonderful holiday. I was hoping that we would be back here to pick up the paste to start to deliberate on the people’s mandate and execute our mandate as servants of the people.

But even as we are celebrating; we are in

anniversary mood and we are celebrating and saying thanks. On the 30 th or 31st, (you know men and date); it would be my mother’s birthday. I remember staying by my mother, and she always said to me, “Do not play with people’s emotions, be honest; be forthright; be upfront”.

So Madam Presiding Officer, while on the face of the Motion, persons might say, well this has merit. Why this is not happening? The way the motion was ramp up on social media and hype up on the media as if nothing related to the execution to a University of Tobago was happening and was been advanced by this Administration.

The opening request by the Member opposite was to support this motion on deface, but a simple; honest and objective research would have indicated and appreciated the work of the Assembly thus far. What the Member did, the Member jumped to “Vision 2030” and claim that you know Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) you do not have any reference point by this Administration, which again I must say, “Disingenuous.

Madam Presiding Officer, if you are starting a research and you know elements would be primary and secondary data, but you would also want to look to see historically if anything would have been done and a good place would have been right here in these hallowed walls around the horseshoe.

Madam Presiding Officer, I hold in my hand, copies of records coming off the Hansard; copies I retrieved from the Library of this Honourable House; motions debated on the “Establishment of a University of Tobago”, and again another Motion

81 talking about advancing the work. So again, I would want to refer Members opposite to write here in the House in terms of reviewing the work of the Assembly.

Establishment of a University of the Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) When I saw “post-haste” I had to ask myself - a university and “post-haste” in the same line? I am saying we really do not understand what is required to execute a project of this nature. And here the Member opposite was saying that you can get accreditation in one (1) year. Sorry - thank you for the correction – graduation with your first batch of students. I stand corrected, but that is what I heard and the accreditation process as I recall in other persons referencing, having had the personal St. George’s experience. I am aware that the accreditation process is a lengthy and protracted issue and the easiest way to do it, is to partner with an accredited university, a well established institution, for example the model of Qatar was sighted I celebrate it – it is a reference point for me as well. I have made reference to the Qatar model on several occasions right in this Honourable House as to how they are looking to diversify by investing in human capital development and they have invited universities from all over the world. So apparently somebody is reading selectively passages from the Hansard.

But again, I would ask the Members opposite, be

82 magnanimous because I keep my emotions in check. It was sometime ago I came to this Honourable House and thumped the desked in Establishment of a University of the Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) error in support of the Member opposite because I was ready and waiting to hear sound intellectual debate and sound discourse. I was ready for intellectual banter but again, true to form. There is a calypso which says, “follow the leader” but the Bible also talks about the blind following the blind. I just want to urge persons that we have the Hansard records and we have several as well. I have several copies at least three (3) copies of it – approved Executive Council Minutes detailing the work of this Administration in establishing the University of Tobago. To come and indicate like nothing has been going on. I think again is disingenuous. Additionally, as another reference point. I would ask the Members opposite to look at the two (2) previous Budget Statements that I have had the privilege – at least two (2), the 2016 and 2017 Budget Statements again, spoke to the history of Tobago, spoke to the model that we were looking at in terms of partnering with other affiliated universities to accelerate the accreditation process. Again for all of Tobago and to put it in on record– to put on the Hansard that this is not something new nor is it something novel, nor is it something that you can execute “post haste.”

Again it is not something new, it is not something novel, and it is not Establishment of a University of the Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) something that you can execute “post haste.”

We are not “playing smart with

foolishness.” We are about serious business and about doing the business, the work of the people of Tobago.

83 Madam Presiding Officer, when I saw the response with respect to the exit of Sandals and I am hearing the point about partnering with overseas institutions to establish a university of Tobago and invite partners. It requires us collaborating with international bodies, international institutions and at times we may have to look at institutional investors. When I was reading the Express – I believe the date may have been January 15th 2019 and I am quoting from the Express with your leave Madam Presiding Officer: “Thank you ‘Butch,’ thank you bah bye.”

Here is someone

celebrating the exit of Sandals. Massive investment, but with the same breath, they are coming to ask us that we must seek to welcome international partners to set up a university of Tobago. If we are chasing away investors like this what is the sentiment, what are persons asking about us in the Tobago context and in terms of how we propose to establish this university. If we cannot partner on a project to have immediate benefits to Tobago and I will talk a little bit about it in detail.

Establishment of a University of the Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) We are making recommendations to advance a university of Tobago and which I have no objections with but a university of Tobago that will bring us a lot of benefits as it relates to tourism is just one facet of the tourism sector that you are focusing on. You cannot focus on just one at the expense or the exclusion of another sector and another sector that was right in your lap “so to speak” that was ready for execution. Madam Presiding Officer, again, another case of persons being disingenuous.

Madam Presiding Officer, we outlined the model again referencing the 2017 and 2016 budget statements as I spoke to before. In my 2019 budget presentation in June of this year I highlighted several ongoing initiatives between the Division of

84 Education, Innovation and Energy and the University of Trinidad and Tobago to introduce new programmes relevant to Tobago’s needs such as Marine Sciences, the Division of Performing Arts, Agriculture, Clothing and Textile, Physical Education and Sport and so on. Additionally, I also outlined our intention to have the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Campus become a Centre for the Division of Performing Arts as well as other studies.

What I outlined in the budget statements formed a broad set Establishment of a University of the Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) of initiatives that would culminate once we pull together, the Buccoo Reef Trust, Tobago Tourism Hospitality Institute (TTHI) and the Kendal Farm School. All of these initiatives will culminate in the establishment and the formalization of the University of Tobago. All these ideas were included in my 2019 Budget Statements and what is surprising is that the Members opposite did not support the budget Motion, did support then when we articulated the proposition for a university of Tobago, they did not exercise from the budget and say well, listen we support this but everything else no. But now they are coming to the Honourable House and bipartisan support and asking for us to be magnanimous. Yes, we support it because it is in our document. Do not come and tell the whole of Tobago they are not doing anything and we could get it done in a short possible time.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

85 Madam Presiding Officer, I was reading a book called, “The Fifth Element”, and he was saying: “There are times you see things taking long to unfold, and there are some persons saying we can get it done in a shortest possible time.

Be careful! Be wary of them”.

Madam Presiding Officer, this Administration fully understands the important role that education can play in the Economic Development of Tobago.

I have said it.

We have spoken about Human Capital

Development, is a cornerstone, it is a hallmark of this Administration. In order to achieve sustainable development, there must be substantial investment in Human Capital Development of this island.

Madam Presiding Officer, “Education” plays a vital role in improving the quality of lives of all residents as well.

It provides

opportunities for other social benefits to the Tobago society, such as impacting on the island’s productivity through the provision of a skilled labour force; encouraging creativity and innovation; and promoting entrepreneurship business development; and wealth creation.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

I just want to quote an article from the OECD (the Organization of Economic Corporation Development) Madam Presiding Officer. It says and I quote:

86

in

“The impact of Capital Development on National Economic Development is substantial, as the skills gained through education have direct influence on improving labour market outcomes, both terms of the employment rates and earnings; while also creating investment opportunities both locally and internationally. But the positive role of education, goes far beyond its impact on simple career prospects.”

Madam Presiding Officer, certainly, and we will all agree, that there is immense potential to be gained through Human Capital Development.

Evidence of such potential is seen with OECD, International territories like Germany and the United States of America, who indicated that the advent of mass education around the end of the Nineteenth Century, predated and influence a large scale sustainable economic growth.

Madam Presiding Officer, we spoke about Jamaica and the Grenadian Model and looking at St. Georges.

In late 2018, the

Honourable Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr. Keith Mitchell, reports that the St. Georges University contributes no less than twenty-two percent (22%) of the islands GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

But Madam

Presiding Officer, what is the St. Georges University? I am a proud graduate of St. Georges. It is an Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

American Offshore Institution, investors worked with the Government at the time. Sir Eric Gairy, I believe if my history is right to set up this Institution that is supporting… and Madam Presiding Officer. Education.

But primarily, when you look at this Institution that was started in 1976, and by 1979, they started with six hundred and thirty (630) students as an Offshore Medical Centre.

Now, St. Georges is phenomenal, but the

87 graduates that my Colleagues referred, a lot of the graduates are from the United States of America. As I spoke about prior, in this previous Motion, Madam Presiding Officer, that was outlined by the then Chief Secretary, spoke to a similar model about attracting students from abroad and bringing persons and not just focusing on the local Tobago population. So when the Minority Leader is indicating that the benefits of local tourism - I just want to quote from it Madam Presiding Officer, Thursday September, 26th 2002 at 4.30 p.m.

I am quoting from the then Leader, it says: “It is not only a University only geared towards providing education for the people of Tobago. The whole concept of this University is to bring people from outside and looking at the whole question of Tourism and Health Tourism went into a great deal.”

Madam Presiding Officer, so since then we have been outlining the vision and we have been laying the groundwork to execute a University of Tobago.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) Madam Presiding Officer, looking at Grenada, and what Grenada was able to achieve using this model, is commendable. I want to go a step further. We cannot rely on a single horse if we are talking about “Economic Diversification”. If we are talking about exploiting all the sectors especially a sector that we have been in so long, such as Tourism and we would have some knowledge and some advantage. So you cannot be talking about cancelling Sandals and just focus on just simply “Educational Tourism”.

88

Madam Presiding Officer, just to hint at some of the work that we have been doing in the Division of Finance to help give support to the policy

that promotes and targets Human Capital Development for

Tobago. Quite recently, we undertook a trace of study on the Financial Assistance Programme in the Tobago House of Assembly, because that is one of the key areas where we can provide direct assistance to ensure that Tobagonians that they have the necessary support to pursue Tertiary Education Madam Presiding Officer. The study was aim at assessing the Programmes’ effectiveness and impact and also to gauge its success.

Madam Presiding Officer, this Administration would have spent substantial millions of dollars since 2001 to provide the necessary Grant Awards and support to ensure that Tobago students are able to access Tertiary Education. What I was surprised that I did not hear from the Members opposite, because if you are doing your research and you want biEstablishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

partisan support; you want us to be magnimous, you would also point out to the fact that the number of persons with tertiary education in Tobago in 2001 was five percent (5%) but to date, the number of persons with Tertiary Education in Tobago, is over twenty-four percent (24%) Madam Presiding Officer. [Desk thumping]

That was done by a PNM

Administration.

Madam Presiding Officer, again, what is ironic about this motion, almost every developmental initiative of this Administration to develop

89 Tobago, is to protect the environment; if it is reallocate our Budget to refocus the budget.

Almost every Motion brought on this side, the

Members opposite has been highly critical, they have either abstain or they did not support it.

But on the same end, they are asking us to

support. You have to sow and you will reap.

However, the initiative and idea of a University of Tobago is not a new concept and it is an idea that we have championed and we are working on and we would see the fruition of this idea in due course. But, just like University of Tobago, they were the same ones Madam Presiding Officer, spreading all kinds of half-truths; mis information about the Sandals Project. Now the project is cancelled. They are feeling guilty.

So here they are coming to the table to push this strategic initiative as if it a new initiative.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d) Madam Presiding Officer, the very Sandals that the Opposition maligned from day one, they celebrated with its cancellation, but it is the same Sandals that has as part of its operations, the Sandals Corporate University, Madam Presiding Officer, at this University, is part of their structure and Educational System which is geared towards assisting in the development of team members by providing in-class lectures; on the job training; that would foster the development of staff members in various areas of the Tourism Sector.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

90

I would have had a positive impact here in Tobago of raising the level of service excellence on the island. So, Madam Presiding Officer, there was enormous potential and possible synergies between the Sandal’s Corporate University and THTI to provide a particular level of higher educational training as well as opportunities for THTI students.

Madam Presiding Officer, I also talked about linkages, partnerships and associations. Here was a direct easy win between Sandals Corporate University because they have already established partnership with other universities and if I remember correctly, when they came and made their presentation to the Executive Council they indicated that some of their staff members moved seamlessly – if you come in without a high school diploma, they will assist you and from high school your o’levels right up to a first degree.

Madam Presiding Officer that was a part of the co-

operation and responsibility given by Sandals at the time.

Madam

Presiding Officer, I intend to keep my promise of not being too long but there are some questions that must be answered and there are some questions that must be placed on Hansard.

Again I am quoting from an excerpt from the January 15th edition of the Trinidad Express and they are quoting the Minority Leader “he insist that he do not want Sandals to walk away from Tobago but wanted the Resort train to wait for the real Government and the real THA (Tobago House of Assembly).”

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

Madam Presiding Officer, this project is a national one so which real government are you a part of? Are you a part of UNC (United

91 National Congress) reloaded 2.0?

[Applause] [Laughter]

What

government are you talking about? I want to call you out this afternoon because we have you here and I want to put it on record. I am asking a question. They are quoting the Minority Leader and twice. You are waiting for the real government so here is a national project that you did not support which is important for Tobago that you did not support…

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Please address the Chair.

HON. J. JACK: Sorry Madam Presiding Officer…that he failed to support, that he aided and abetted with his cohorts and colleagues and celebrated their departure but God forbid! They will come back soon, very soon Madam Presiding Officer.

I ask the question, which real

government are you a part of? I want the people of Tobago to ask him which real government yuh talking about?

Because while he was

magnanimous and boasted a couple weeks ago: “I am not part of any coalition.” What real government yuh talking about?

Madam Presiding Officer, here was a project that would have given support that would have assisted us in increasing of contribution to economic development, that would have assisted our support for economic diversification that would have had numorous economic and social impact across a number of sectors including: Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

 Agriculture;  The cultural industry;  Business development; and  Education

92

This project had the potential to treat with the issues that affected us in the tourism industry as my colleague alluded to.

Insufficient and

inadequate airlift the lack of quality room stock and the challenges with marketing the destination.

Madam Presiding Officer, what the Minority team is attempting to do is for us to close our eyes and forget the potential of Sandals. Madam Presiding Officer, I cannot let them because they were quoting numbers about the potential of this project. Here is a project with a three (3) year gestation…[Interruption] We are doing that too plus Sandals. So here is a project with a short gestation period within thirty-six (36) months but here is something that would take us an extended length of time to develop and they want us to forget it. So this motion is a ‘smoke screen motion’ in an attempt for us to forget.

MR. W. DUKE: My colleague is not speaking on the topic that was listed for debate. [Laughter] He is speaking about Sandals. We are speaking about education, he is speaking about Sandals. I understand his obsession but he must stay on the topic that is in the Standing Order. He cannot go

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MR. W. DUKE (Cont’d)

hours and hours on Sandals and reading excerpts on Sandals Madam Presiding Officer. That is my position, for your guidance please.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: I know that you took into consideration that Sandals actually has a corporate responsibility and they have done some training. I would advise that you stick to that point.

93 HON. J. JACK: Madam Presiding Officer just for clarification, the motion spoke to education tourism in a broad sense that I am referring to and the potential for all investment, so just for your clarification that is the point that I was making. [Desk thumping] Councillor Dr. Faith, you brought the motion so I am dealing with all the sectors. Thank you for the clarification Madam Presiding Officer. This is a “smoke screen” that you had a hand in stopping this important project for Tobago and for Trinidad and Tobago. They want us to move on to forget about it. Go back to the drawing board what is next? They are forgetting two (2) things. Madam Presiding Officer, in primary school, they taught us: “The four (4) things that comes not back: The spoken word; The sped arrow; The past life; and The neglected opportunity.”

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

If we ignore the past and our history we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. If you want to invite persons to set up a university when they Google and see Tobago bah bye, Gordon ‘Butch’ and bring it on Carrera. Yuh know some persons are visionaries put the hotel on Carrera. Imagine something important for Tobago. That is how much you love Tobago. But probably you are getting a sensing and a feeling.

What that song says: “I am feeling some feeling.” Madam Presiding Officer our actions they have a lot of consequences and they set

94 precedence which will have serious consequences for us now and the future. But I want to put some numbers on the table…

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Your speaking time is up.

[Laughter] EXTENSION OF SPEAKING TIME

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

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Member your speaking time has been extended by a further ten (10) minutes.

HON. J. JACK: Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer. The Member spoke about the potential of education tourism and the returns and the money that would accrue to Tobago. Conservative estimates of a Tourism investment project of seven hundred and fifty (750) rooms to one thousand (1,000) as Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

the Sandals project would have created over two thousand (2,000) jobs and given us a return of revenue of five hundred million TT dollars (TT$500m) per year. This project was also set to increase tourist arrivals but attracted much needed foreign exchange and I spoke about it in the past in this House. The Hansard would reflect:  the potential for agriculture;  taxi drivers;

95  the tourism industry and so on.

Madam Presiding Officer, let us talk about the impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) because looking at the multiplier effect on Tobago’s GDP was likely to see the GDP of the island increasing significantly from one point eight billion Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$1.8b) estimated at 2017.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

In addition, the Minister of Finance indicated in his 2019 Budget Statement as I spoke about in November, the new Allocation Motion, that the revenues to be generated would have been eighty million dollars US dollars ($80m.US) or four hundred and eighty million TT dollars ($480m.). We spoke about employment and so on.

Madam Presiding Officer, so we are here to do the people’s business. We are here to do the work of the people. While we have to ramp up our marketing, while I have to find additional resources to ensure that the Tourism Agency has funding to advance our tourism agenda, while we continue to work with our friends in the Chamber, as it relates to them accessing the Tourism Loan Guarantee Programme, as we work with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that we execute that the Land License approval regime that is expedited within the shortest possible time.

While we do all that, we on this side will continue to be

magnanimous; we on this side will continue to seek an offer by bipartisan support where it is honest; objective and in sync with the agenda of this Administration.

96

The University of Tobago is not a new initiative. We have done the bull work. As the saying goes, “To construct a Tower and a Skyscraper, you have to ensure that you have a solid foundation”. We have laid the foundation and we continue to execute the work.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) HON. J. JACK (Cont’d)

Madam Presiding Officer, under this Administration, as we celebrate our two (2) years, in the next coming years, we will see the University of Tobago, you would see a lot more Infrastructural Development around the island; we will see our Tourism Sector revitalize; robust and competing on an even keel with the rest of the region; we would see our troubles as it relates to the Air and Sea bridge resolved; and we will see in the next two (2) years, we will come and celebrate another anniversary where we will continue to advance Tobago’s development as we have since 2001.

Madam Presiding

Officer, I hope that we will have a lot more Members opposite so that we can advance the work at a rapid pace.

Madam Presiding Officer, with these few words, again as I said before, the University of Tobago is not a novel initiative and it cannot be done post-haste; haphazardly; or as the Member had proffered in her initial Motion.

I thank you. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Councillor.

DR. F. B.YISRAEL: [Desk thumping] Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

97

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) I think I would take this opportunity to, I guess just clear up a little mis-interpretations or maybe some misunderstandings or possibly some circumstances where Members on the other side simply were not listening when we were having our side of the debate.

As I said very clearly, and the Hansard would bear me out, is that we had no intentions of starting anything from scratch. We understood and we outlined very clearly that there were Institutions in Tobago that existed that were doing work and the idea was to build on those.

I am

going to repeat one more time, to have them in addition to service our locals, market them to international students.

I am speaking slowly

because obviously, when I said it earlier, it was done too quickly.

Madam Presiding Officer, I would also like to place on record that because we understand the work of credible Tobagonians who have been really have been doing a lot of hard work, we applaud all the work that they have been doing on the ground for us to get to where we are today.

It seems like this is a project that has been going on for over a decade now.

One of the previous Speakers spoke about the fact that we have several students who comes to Tobago who already do research in Tobago. That is fine. We are not saying that we are against that, or we want that to stop. What we are saying and I am saying it again, slower so that we all

98 Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) understand, is that when we in Tobago, set our Research and Development Agenda here, then we would be able to have the gains of students solving the problems that we have here. So, it is all fine and good for them to come from wherever they are coming from right now and doing the research now that they are doing right now. wonderful! That is absolutely wonderful!

That is

We want an opportunity to

have that Research Agenda created by us so that we have the problems that we need fixed, fixed. This to me was also very clear, but maybe it was not.

Let me also state because I am not sure if you were in the room Assemblyman Farley, one of the things you said was, misquoted. So let me explain the Accreditation process as we learnt it from the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago.

There is a Registration

process that is the first step. You get your name, you send them this is your name, it is registered. You then worked with (this is if it is a brand new institution) the Accreditation Council to ensure that your Curriculum is well developed and that your Programme is well developed. You must, and again I am really upset that I do not have the specific notebook where I made the notes while speaking with a member from the Accreditation Council.

The next step, is to have your first batch of students go through the entire process up to graduation. So that is a four (4) year Programme, you are already talking one year of registration and probably a year to develop Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

99 DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

the Programme and then four (4) years of your students going through, walking through the process getting to graduation. It is only after then, within one year of that first batch of students graduating would you then be allowed to apply for official accreditation of your Programme. Then if all of your “T” are crossed and your “I” are dotted, your Programme will be accredited by the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago. That is the process.

Madam Presiding Officer, I also during the break had an opportunity to go back to some of my written notes and so forth, to identify the source for the real growth rates that were quoted earlier. If you go to the United Nations National Accounts, Analysis of Main Aggregates that was released in December 2018, this is done continually, but the last set of data was from December 2018, you can go in and let me give you the Website https://unstats.un.org/unfd/snaama/ if you go to that Website you will identify that there is an opportunity for you to get a host of different reports.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) You can go to “Country Profiles”, you pick your country, you select which year or the combination of years you want the data for and then you hit “submit” and the data is available there. Where does this date come from – each country has its own datamining entity in Trinidad and Tobago – that is the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and they are task

100 with sending the data to the United Nations (UN) and then the UN aggregates and puts all of that data together for all of the years.

It really, really pains me. Madam Presiding Officer, allow me to just continue. Dr. Keith Rowley the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Mr. ‘Butch’ Stewart of Sandals International at the interview that he did as Mr. ‘Butch’ Stewart in Barbados on October 27 th 2008 in Barbados said categorically that Sandals international will not be investing any direct funds into the Sandals project as in the construction of Sandals. Members on the other side need to be honest about how they speak about this because if they do not; if you do not listen carefully, you would get the impression that that is not what is happening. Because they keep talking about Sandals investing and Sandals investing Madam Presiding Officer. They have identified Sandals as a game changer we saw it in 2017 Budget, 2018 Budget, 2019 Budget. This is a perfect example of the PNM – hanging their hats on a single horse. [Desk thumping] Because it seems like the entire development of Tobago was on the back of Sandals and in that same interview Madam Presiding Officer in October Mr. ‘Butch’ Stewart said that it is not his ‘responsibility to develop any country. It is the responsibility of the Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

government and the people who they elect to run the country.” It is not his responsibility. So we need to stop. [Interruption] But we need to be honest with the people of Tobago about what Sandals would and would not have done for us.

101 Madam Presiding Officer let me go back very quickly to the funding issue because that is a big deal. As it relate to direct funding by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and I would like to read this part: “The 2015 to 2018 report on the project of Vision 2030 outlines possibly funding innovation projects via the 11 th European Development Fund in areas such as capacity building.

In addition, the Global Services Promotion Programme of the InterAmerican Development Bank (and all of that is coming from that vision 2030 report) said that they partnered with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to fund initiatives that provide Information Technology Enabled Services Training with the aim

of

increasing… and I quote: The availability of human capital to support the growth and international competitiveness of firms in that particular sector.

I am sure or I hope that your Colleagues in the PNM Central Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

Government will be thrilled to include a project like this in those kinds of funding opportunities because they are available, they are on the ground and those reports identify several projects that have been funded in Trinidad via those streaks.”

102 So please have that kind of conversation when you are speaking with your Colleagues through you Madam Presiding Officer.

Madam Presiding Officer, I have spoken with several locals who are concerned about how they would be able to financially participate in something like a university of Tobago.

What we need to do on the ground while we are going through this whole thing is to ensure that we are very clear, we have very clear policies about how our locals can participate and how they will not be disadvantaged. Because even though this is geared towards internationals we need to ensure that our locals also benefit. We need to ensure that our GATE Programme is clear. They seem to be so many. I keep getting calls all the time about people who are having issues with GATE and how that is working and so forth. So that needs to be cleared up. Even if that is not cleared up, I think one of the things Madam Presiding Officer that this Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Tobago House of Assembly needs to do is work closely with the Financial Institutions on the islands that allow things like student loans; so that even if the students are not able to go through and get GATE and they are not able to fund it on their own, a student loan is an option. As

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

a matter of fact that is how I was able to pay for the latter part of my schooling and ten (10), eleven (11)years later, I am still paying but it was a worthwhile investment.

103 Madam Presiding Officer, when we envision that the University of Tobago would have a very strong research and development component it is because we know there is significant funding opportunities that goes along with research and the fact that Tobago is basically “Virgin soil”, we do not have a lot of research happening here would be a really good justification for us to get a lot of the research funding that is out there internationally and let me give a couple examples:  We have the Baxter International which provides funding to projects that promotes wellness and fosters innovation. So that is general. They are very open.  We have the well-known Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ad they have what is known as a Grant Challenges Programme, where they practically fund and everything that is new and innovative as long as it challenges the norm and work towards international development.  Then we have the UN Aides Development particularly international development.  Then we have the UN Aide Development Innovation Venture Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

and as their website said, “it is open to anyone, anywhere that is developing “new solutions to the critical challenges affecting millions around the world.”

These are just some opportunities that we will “grab on to” once that kind of research agenda are at the forefront of whatever university of Tobago we have on this island. Just to give an example and I am glad that the

104 Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development is no longer in the room because she spoke about our research that has happened with for example: The University of Pittsburgh.

As a proud Alumi of the

University of Pittsburgh, I knew when we had the Prostate Study here at Dutch Fort. Many of us if we are a little older you may have actually had the services at Dutch Fort. As a matter of fact, the Tobago person was Dr. Allan Patrick but the University person was Dr. Claire Bunker who was actually within the graduate school of Public Health that I got my degree from. So I actually knew here and know about this project. As a matter of fact, one of the periods when I was going back and forth between Tobago and Pittsburgh, I did some data collation and some date entry for that project in Dutch Fort. So it is a perfect example of how this can work.

Madam Presiding Officer, in the end, it seems as if from listening to all the Members who spoke from the Executive Council that this university of Tobago has been in planning forever and because it seems that it has been on the table forever, this is why we insist on including the term, “post haste” Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

because ah weh bin ah tark bout it lang inuf.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

105 DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

We have been speaking about this for far too long Madam Presiding Officer.

Permit me to quote somebody who has been listening to these

debates today and we have a lot of people locally; internationally; who have been listening to these debates. One of those members of the public messaged me privately, and they said to me, they said and I will quote: “Not new, but a decade and more of PNM Administration and no advancement on this “not new” idea. Absolutely unacceptable.

Additionally, Why is it not public knowledge that former Administrations has considered this and were working on it? What you are seeing is a grand display of ineffective leadership; unproductivity; and wasted resources.” [Desk thumping] I end quote. The person further asked, and it is a question that I am posing to you, who said “we have been doing this forever”. Where are the results? Where are the results? There may be interim results, but please! Where are the results? I am happy that this is work that we can continue. I am not about reinventing the wheel, at all, at all, at all. But please, give us an opportunity to review those reports, of all of those teams of experts who have been working over the years and all of those plans that they have developed, let us see them please.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d)

One of the Members was reading from a Position Paper, I am happy that that Position Paper was read from here. I am wondering

106 through you Madam Presiding Officer, if we could get a copy, and if Tobago can get a copy of that Position Paper. That would be absolutely wonderful. [Crosstalk] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The Crosstalk please.

DR. F. B.YISRAEL: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

We would like an opportunity to look at the plans that have already been in place, because as you said there may have been a whole lot of work that has gone in to having an implementation plan; to have a proposal done; and all of that. So, let us look at that. Please! One really good next step would probably be to lay the overall proposal. What you have been talking about continually, everybody has gotten up and has said that we are doing this and we are doing that, we doing this and we doing that, but what that seems, it is like a collection of individuals things that just happen to fall under the definition of, “Education”. So we come today and we talk about it and we doing this and we doing this and we doing this. What we are asking for, is a specific plan that outlines how you would get from where we are now, to where we need to be Madam Presiding Officer. I am not the one asking this, the public is who is asking for that information.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) DR. F. B.YISRAEL (Cont’d) Madam Presiding Officer, I am therefore asking that we pass the Motion that was slightly amended. For one let me say this. I am the one who amended the Motion because I have enough sense to listen to Industry Professionals who knows more about this than I do. So I would be the first one to admit, that what was there may not have been perfect, but what we have brought following is better than the “watered down”

107 option that you have provided.

Madam Presiding Officer, we will not

agree to any more watered down Motions. [Desk thumping] Tobago is sick and tired of these water down Motions. What we brought was something good; what we brought was something credible, and we are asking Madam Presiding Officer, that this House votes on that Motion because it is what Tobago deserves.

Thank you. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Members, I have before me a

Motion and two (2) amendments. So, I will put the original motion and then I would deal with the amendments in the sequence in which they were laid.

Motion negatived.

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Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The first recommended amendment moved by the Minority Councillor and put to the House, is to revise the fifth paragraph, to include: “but not limited to”.

Let me read that and you will listen to how it will sound: “Be It Resolved that this House “move post-haste” to develop an internationally recognized and accredited University of Tobago to include but not limited to Faculties in…”

Amendments negatived.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The amendment is not carried.

Further, there is an amendment to add or insert between the two resolutions “Be It Further Resolved that to facilitate this development of a University of Tobago, a working group of local and international industries professionals be convened to craft the design for the University of Tobago including its offerings and costings”.

Amendment negatived.

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Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The amendment for that insertion is not carried.

We have amendments that has been moved by the Leader of Assembly Business. We go back to that fifth paragraph beginning with: Be It Resolved, and it is requesting that we remove: “move post-haste” and remove: “to include faculties in and all four areas of subjects” and instead insert: “supports the efforts of the Executive Council”.

So it will read:

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d) “Be It Resolved that this House support the efforts of the Executive Council to develop an internationally recognized and accredited university of Tobago.”

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MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: All in favour of the deletions and substitutions of that paragraph: Amendment put and agreed to.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The amendment for that paragraph is carried.

The last paragraph is also recommended to be amended: “Be It Further Resolved that this university of Tobago partners…”

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: It is requested that this be deleted and insert: “House support the Executive Council in its continued dialogue.”

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Additionally, there is a request to delete the last line: “On the island of Tobago while facilitating an influx of international students to the island.”

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

Replace it with: “…for the university of Tobago.”

Last paragraph reads:

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“Be It Further Resolved that this House support the Executive Council in its continued dialogue with reputable international universities to provide globally recognized programmes for the University of Tobago.”

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: All in favour of the deletions and substitutions for that paragraph: Amendment put and agreed to.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The amendments for that section is carried.

The amended motion now reads: “Whereas there is a need for indigenous Tobago tertiary education institutions

that

focus

on

resolving

Tobago’s

specific

developmental issues while offering the innovations to the world; And Whereas the Tobago House of Assembly is responsible for education including curriculum development via the Fifth Schedule of Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

the Tobago House of Assembly Act; And Whereas education tourism is a credible option for diversification and strengthening of the Tobago economy;

112 And Whereas neighbouring Caribbean territories are actively seeking international universities to set up campuses that meet the needs of locals while simultaneously bringing hundreds of foreign students; Be It Further Resolved that this House support the efforts of the Executive Council to develop an internationally recognized and accredited University of Tobago; Be It Further Resolved that this House support the Executive Council in its continued dialogue with reputable international universities to provide globally recognized programmes for the University of Tobago.�

Amended motion put and agreed to.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: If you would like to call a Division you can. However, I have already ruled. However the ayes have it, the motion is carried as amended. [Desk thumping] Leader of Assembly Business.

Establishment of a University of Tobago (Cont’d)

ADJOURNMENT

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

House adjourned accordingly.

Adjourned at 6.17 p.m.

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