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  • 7 weeks ago
Leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots Watson Duke is questioning the legality of the process used in the appointment of Zorisha Hackett to the role of Antiquities and Culture, splitting the portfolio of Tashia Burris.

He also alleges a breach of the Tobago House of Assembly Act by the Chief Secretary.

Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00The splitting duties amongst Councilors Tasha Burris and Zareisha Hackett continues to spawn questions.
00:07According to leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots, Watson Duke,
00:11there are too many inconsistencies in the utterances from Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.
00:18She got the acting from the 15th.
00:21I want Farley to tell us on what days did he meet with the carnival stakeholders
00:28and on what days he met with the festival committee stakeholders.
00:34And on what day did you appoint Zareisha Hackett?
00:37Did you appoint her retroactively?
00:39And if you did so retroactively, you would have done something illegal.
00:44Yes? Because she was not doing your work as yet.
00:47Duke believes that Hackett began acting in the position on the 18th,
00:51the date that the split was announced by Augustine in a press release,
00:55and not on the 15th, the date when Burris requested a week's leave.
01:00He notes that Burris told the House just last week that she was still the Secretary of the Division of Tourism,
01:05Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, subsequent to Augustine's announcement of the split in duties.
01:11So Farley, you could not have divided that position in writing, as you said, to both of them,
01:19telling Zareisha giving her Colossian antiquities and telling Tashia Boris you are giving her tourism and transportation.
01:32You couldn't have done that.
01:34Had you done that, both of them would have been informed.
01:37And by Thursday, by Thursday, Tashia Boris would have been seized with the information and know for a fact
01:44that she's a secretary for tourism and transportation only.
01:49Duke says while the chief secretary, based on the THA Act, can assign any role to any secretary,
01:55he cites Section 34, Subsection 2.
01:57In the exercise of their powers, members of the executive council shall be individually and collectively responsible to the assembly.
02:11They are so keen, like a good mango chow.
02:15What Farley did?
02:17In creating this appointment, he sent out something to the public on around the 18th of September,
02:22stating Zareisha is acting from the 15th of September.
02:25Nothing came to the assembly.
02:29He never reported that in the assembly.
02:31Duke says it makes the appointments wrong, as the procedure was not followed,
02:36and therefore Boris was right in her statement to the assembly that she still holds the full portfolio.
02:42Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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