PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis has slammed the UNC after the Tobago autonomy bill was not passed in the House of Representatives, Parliament, on December 9.
The bill failed to acquire a special majority – three-fifths.
Twenty-one government members voted for the bill and 16 members of the Opposition voted against.
In a Facebook post on December 9, Dennis said, "The bills (Constitution (Amendment) Bill and Tobago Island Government Bill) which proposed significant improvements to Tobago’s governance structure got no support from the UNC and consequently failed."
[caption id="attachment_1111018" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ancil Dennis, PNM Tobago Council political leader and new government senator. - File photo[/caption]
He accused the Opposition of political gamesmanship by using amendments suggested by THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to criticise the bills.
"What we had for the entire committee process today was blatant game-playing and references to Farley’s jokey amendments dispatched via WhatsApp this morning. They could not put Tobago’s business before their own narrow political interest.
"This reminds me of 1996, when all (former NAR leader) ANR Robinson got from his then UNC friends and partners in government was an arrangement that inflicted complete Cabinet control upon Tobago, to the extent that we cannot even now pass a law for Tobago.
"We will continue to exist and operate in Tobago under the limited provisions of the current THA Act 40 of 1996."
He said Tobago's budget will continue to be limited to $2.5 billion and not over $4 billion (subject to the actual national budget), a loss to Tobago of $1.5 billion a year.
The autonomy bill had proposed Tobago receive a minimum 6.8 per cent of the national budget, instead of the minimum 4.03 per cent as recommended by the Dispute Resolution Commission in 2000.
Dennis argued, "The effect of this is that we continue to have a THA legislature with zero law-making powers, and matters requiring legislative intervention will continue to languish.
"I do not know if in my lifetime another opportunity will arise to fix this long-standing impropriety, but what I do know is that this is a sad day for Tobago and Tobagonians."
In a media release on December 9, Augustine suggested several amendments to the bills. He said clause eight of the Constitution (Amendment Bill), although providing law-making power, is listed in a schedule attached to the companion legislation, the Tobago Island Government Bill (TIG).
"The people of Tobago are of the view that these matters should be entrenched in the Constitution. Placing them in the TIG has the effect of making the laws passed by the TIG subordinate to national laws. Consequently, making them inferior and not of equal status."
Augustine said the bills also restrict the TIG to making laws for the land area only.
"It cannot make laws to govern activities in the marine areas such as Buccoo Reef, Pigeon Point or Speyside."
Augustine suggested an amendment to rectify this.
