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  • 1 year ago

T.H.A. Chief Secretary Farley Augustine says the defeat of the Tobago bills in Parliament on Monday was nothing short of a travesty, a miscarriage of our democracy and a mockery of what a democracy ought to represent. Mr. Augustine addressed a media conference on the issue this afternoon. More from Elizabeth Williams.
Transcript
00:00What happened today was really a mockery of our parliamentary system, a mockery of democracy.
00:07It was evident that there was absolutely no will, no intent whatsoever to have anything
00:14pass and there was a position that says, look I don't care, I am in charge, this is what
00:20I put in there, if you don't want it, leave it.
00:24Really is that how we manage a democracy?
00:27Mr Augustine said the voice of the people of Tobago was disregarded by the leader of
00:31the PNM and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
00:34Sadly, our Prime Minister went to the Parliament today and when I look at the amendments he
00:40proposed, clearly he didn't take much time to come up with those amendments.
00:46We really went to the Parliament today to pass these important bills and the only amendments
00:52the government was willing to consider was whether we should call the head of the Executive
00:57in Tobago Chief Secretary or Premier.
01:00Really?
01:01That's the best?
01:02As a matter of fact, in 2020 and 2021, Tobagonians rejected the term Premier.
01:09Mr Augustine said no one man is in charge of Tobago.
01:14No one man own this place, no one man in charge of this place, the people are in charge of
01:20this place and the people of Tobago who have been consistent in saying what they want out
01:27of this arrangement, this relationship called Trinidad and Tobago.
01:31You cannot adhere to that, then you're not deserving of the power that you hold.
01:37Mr Augustine also had a message for the minority leader Kelvin Morris and his team.
01:44So I'm not going to waste much more time engaging the minority and this nonsense that they're
01:49saying.
01:50They should be standing up for the Tobagonians.
01:52They should be telling the big bad wolves that are running their party, look, Tobagonians
01:57don't want that, you know, make sure you give Tobagonians what they want.
02:01But no, whatever the handlers in Trinidad say they will give, they jump up like some
02:07idiots popping up, up goes the pop goes the weasel, just saying yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,
02:12how high should I jump?
02:15Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
02:19Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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