Hochoy Charles warns over new Tobago bill
Hochoy Charles -
FORMER chief secretary of the Tobago House of Asembly (THA) Hochoy Charles voiced his displeasure over aspects of the Tobago House of Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2021 due for debate on Friday in the House of Representatives.
Last Monday, Newsday spoke to Charles, known in Tobago as The Heavy Roller, who led the THA from 1996 to 2001.
The Prime Minister has proposed the 2021 bill to break the six-six deadlock in the recent THA elections. The bill lifts a proposal from a dormant proposed Constitution (Amendment)(Tobago Self-Government Bill) 2018 – for 15 seats in a proposed Tobago legislature – to increase the number of THA seats from 12 to 15, an odd number, and to rerun the election.
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JSC discusses access to education
Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly - SUREASH CHOLAI
THE Human Rights, Equality and Diversity parliamentary joint select committee will hold a virtual meeting on March 5 to discuss the issue of the right to equal access to education.
The Parliament s website says the committee will specifically focus on the underachievement of schools in the Port of Spain and environs district with respect to performance in terminal examination .
This JSC is chaired by Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly. Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian is one of the committee s members. Social Development Minister Donna Cox, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, Tunapuna MP Esmond Forde, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, Opposition Senator Jearlean John and Independent Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye are the committee s other members. The meeting begins from 10 am.
Prime Minister s Parliamentary statement Tobago House of Assembly
Madam Speaker, with the authority of the Cabinet, I make the following statement on the Tobago House of Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Madam Speaker, on the 17 th November, 2020, when the Chief Secretary, Ancil Dennis, announced that the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) stood dissolved, very few were anticipating what was on the horizon. What later transpired was constitutionally historical for Tobago and worked, ironically, in some sense, to spotlight the Tobagonian agenda of self-governance.
Madam Speaker, the idea of Tobago autonomy was first championed and articulated by the likes of James Biggart and A. P. T. James. This mission was accelerated by Dr Winston Murray and the indefatigable, the late Honourable ANR Robinson who by 1977 was at the forefront of the agenda. Notwithstanding, it would take a Herculean effort to feign ignorance on the many ways that this constitutional crisis has highlight
PNM assemblyman acts on promises despite THA deadlock
Sunday 14 February 2021
PNM supporters celebrate with Kelvon Morrison on nomination day for the THA election on January 4. Morrison won the Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden district the January 25 election which ended in the six-six deadlock. File photo -
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) may not be properly constituted but this has not stopped new assemblyman Kelvon Morris from fulfilling his responsibilities as the area representative for the Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden electoral district.
Morris, who contested and won the seat on the on a PNM ticket in the January 25 THA election, told Sunday Newsday he has begun serving the residents in the large electoral district in keeping with the promises he made during the campaign.