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  • 7 weeks ago
Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine's split of the portfolio of Councillor Tashia Burris was not illegal, but it was poor management and disrespectful.
So says Former Presiding Officer of the THA Dr. Denise Tsoiafatt Angus.

Alicia Boucher has more in this report.
Transcript
00:00Confusion reigning in Tobago with two THA secretaries stating that they are responsible for one division.
00:07That's how former THA presiding officer Dr. Dini Soifat Angus sums up what has transpired
00:12from the 44th plenary sitting of the Tobago House of Assembly last Friday
00:16when Councillor Tarsia Burris said she was the holder of the entire portfolio,
00:21tourism, culture, antiquities and transportation.
00:24But Councillor Zareisha Hackett was introduced the very next day
00:27as having responsibility for culture and antiquities at a press conference relating to Tobago's carnival.
00:34THA chief secretary Fali Augustin has since spoken out,
00:37saying the power rests with him to assign roles to secretaries.
00:41The timing of it isn't sitting well with Dr. Soifat Angus.
00:45The chief secretary finally broke his silence.
00:51Ten whole days to finally come to the people of Tobago and attempt to explain this debacle.
00:57Ten days enough? Ten days.
01:00Ten days of silence.
01:03Ten days of confusion.
01:06And might I say, ten days of disrespect.
01:10And while the THA Act Section 34, Subsection 2 has been called into question
01:15by progressive Democratic patriot leader Watson Duke,
01:18suggesting a breach of the Act by not first informing the THA of the decision,
01:23she says Augustin wouldn't be the only one.
01:25I don't think any chief secretary has followed this law to date,
01:33where they consult with all members, which would include the minority bench,
01:39about which secretaries they are choosing before sending the names to the president.
01:46They all broke the law.
01:48Decisions of the executive council may be implemented without the prior approval of the assembly.
02:03And that too is correct.
02:06So legally, he was within his domain to reassign as he saw fit.
02:14But here's where the problem lies, really.
02:20It's about process.
02:22It's about procedure and respect for the people.
02:28Had he followed process and procedure and respected the people to be transparent enough,
02:34accountable enough, we wouldn't be going through this.
02:37Dr. Soifat-Angus says Subsection 2 means that they are duty-bound to provide answers to the assembly when asked.
02:45As such, she says Duke, who was told to sit many times by presiding officer Abby Taylor,
02:50while seeking clarity on who was responsible for the portfolio, was within his right.
02:55And as a former presiding officer, I have to say, I feel so ashamed.
03:02The presiding officer blocked him from getting that clarity.
03:06That obstruction deprived the assembly and the people of Tobago of the clear understanding as the law requires.
03:15Dr. Soifat-Angus says confusion is the fruit of mismanagement.
03:20And she questions the reason for removing half of Burris' portfolio, including culture, so close to the October Carnival.
03:28Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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