Naparima MP Rodney Charles admits his time in Parliament could have been spent more productively. He spoke exclusively to Guardian Media as he entered Parliament on the first day of the fifth and final session of the 12th Parliament.
For Charles, it was like the first day of his senior year of college, knowing that graduation was just around the corner. Charles said last December that he would not seek re-election for his Naparima seat.
In a very candid interview, he admitted a lack of successes in the position was the reason why.
“It could have been more productive,” he said.
“Being an Opposition MP, you don’t have resources, you have no significant ministry that you can employ to help your constituents. But at the end of the day, when you ask yourself what have I done in these ten years in terms of productivity, in terms of making a difference to the society, one has to question oneself.”
When asked if it was all worth it, Charles noted some of the highlights of his career included his time at the United Nations, improving infrastructure while at the National Petroleum Marketing Company and creating the school of journalism at the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of T&T said but he could not speak with the same pride about his time in the Red House.
“I am not sure. Maybe in the discourse things have happened, but I’m not sure I can point and say that this piece of legislation, I have affected it in any way,” Charles lamented.
“It’s one of the problems of opposition politics. That’s why I couldn’t take five more years.”
Charles has been a front-facing member of the UNC since 2015, shooting to prominence as the face of the “No Rowley” election campaign which was largely panned. Some even blamed the People’s Partnership’s loss on the strategy. Charles has said although he was the face, he was not the brainchild. He has pointed fingers at a Canadian consultant.
Over nine years, Charles became the Opposition’s “shadow” Minister of Foreign Affairs and an outspoken member on national security issues.
“I raised issues on the SSA about 100 times,” he recalled.
“In Parliament, asking if we are getting value for money. Asking if we are getting value for the billions we are spending, why are we not seeing intelligence-led policing having an effect? Why are we not seeing the impact on that vast expenditure? Only for it to be ignored, and only to realise years after there are significant questions in terms of the productivity and management.”
Charles said Parliament was not organised in a way that parties could work collaboratively, because it was confrontational. However, Charles himself has been one of the more boisterous MPs in the Lower House.
But now on his way out, Charles said he hoped that now his opinions would be taken more seriously even as he contemplated what his strategy would be going forward.
“I am contemplating what should be my role with the Government. Should I attack, or should I be more in the mode of suggesting, more in the mode of seeking consensuality?” Charles mused.
Charles said he hoped that this final year would be productive, not just for him but for T&T. He also called for a “generational transfer of leadership in politics.” He said it happened abroad, notably in the United States.
When it was pointed out that by stepping down, he was also part of that generational change, he said, “Of course, and I am looking forward to the party, my party, the UNC, putting forward a bright, young person, uncontaminated by criminology or those sorts of things.”
He said there were names he wanted to put forward but he declined to, for fear of prejudicing the process. He added, if he was not replaced with someone who fit those criteria, he would felt like he failed.
