THE Opposition UNC accused the Government of favouring nationals over citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Naparima MP Rodney Charles made this claim during his contribution to debate on the Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the House of Representatives on Friday.
"This (the bill) is insulting to nationals of TT. The PNM is snubbing our citizens." While claiming the UNC fully supports the principles of regional integration in Caricom, Charles said this could not happen at a time when there is a threat of 468 workers being retrenched at the state-owned Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT).
"The idea is commendable but the timing is wrong."
Charles challenged Government to present hard, scientific data from the University of the West Indies or another credible institution that showed opening the economy to Caricom nationals through the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) would benefit TT.
"No intelligent UNC member would get up and argue that."
Charles warned that allowing large numbers of Caricom nationals and their dependents into TT could put a strain on scarce local resources. He claimed this has happened as a result of Venezuelan migrants entering TT legally and illegally. Charles subsequently heeded Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George's ruling that Venezuela and matters relating to that country were not relevant to the bill.
She later ruled Charles out of order when he questioned whether Caricom nationals could access fake drivers' permits. When Charles tried to continue that point, Annisette-George reminded him, "I have ruled."
She also upheld objections by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi that Charles was raising other matters that were not relevant to the bill. One of those matter was whether the children of Caricom nationals who come to work in TT would be able to go to school.
Charles countered, "They (Government) do not want us (Opposition) to talk about the real world. After noting earlier comments by Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne that Caricom nationals convicted of a crime or who have been diagnosed with an infectious disease would not be allowed to enter TT, Charles asked if the same applied to their immediate spouses.
At the start of the debate, Browne anticipated the Opposition would rmake several claims about the bill, including Caricom nationals depriving TT citizens of jobs to these people being brought into TT to vote for the PNM in upcoming elections.
"The current thing is vaccination. I want to innoculate this debate from some of that foolish reasoning that I have heard elsewhere." Browne said the bill includes "robust penalties for fradulent activity to deter would be abusers (who tried to illegally obtain Caricom skills certificates)."
He reminded Opposition MPs about a statement which the Prime Minister made in the House minutes earlier.
"That term 'fradulent activity' and abuse should echo in this House, given what we heard a short time ago."
