Try a new approach in this new Session of Parliament by putting aside petty squabbles and working together for the benefit of all because the people of T&T deserve much better.
That was the advice to parliamentarians from President Paula-Mae Weekes yesterday, as she addressed members of the House of Representatives and Senate in the Red House.
“In this our 61st year, it is time to inject some confidence and optimism into our population, not by mere words but by action,” Weekes said during the ceremonial opening of the Third Session of the 12th Parliament.
“This is a new session of Parliament, a chance for a new beginning, a tabula rasa so to speak. It is a golden opportunity to offer to our nation, perhaps as an Independence gift, fresh perspectives, attitudes and behaviours, as you endeavour to fulfil the oaths you took upon assuming your duties as parliamentarians.
“Why not use this new session of Parliament to present an alternative to a regrettable status quo? Resolve to put behind petty squabbles and divisions and work together for the benefit of all.”
The President said a collaborative effort is what proper representation is about.
President Weekes quoted King Charles III’s view that “Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy.”
She said Parliament exists for the primary purpose of making laws for the “peace, order and good government” of Trinidad and Tobago.
In the 60 years since the House of Representatives and Senate sat for the first time in the Red House, Weekes said, “We have seen three Independent and 12 Republican parliaments in which the interests of the people should have been ventilated, the Executive held to account and critical laws vigorously debated. We’ve also survived a violent and deadly assault and experienced disruptive shouting matches, chaotic debates, votes of no confidence, walkouts, putouts, even allegations of airborne crockery.
“I ask you to consider whether 60 years of Independence have brought us significantly closer to the core mission of these distinguished Houses.”
The President said citizens have also been able to scrutinise—via the Parliament Channel—the Parliament’s work and specifically, the decorum, commitment and temperament of its members.
“Every gracious concession and compromise is witnessed by the populace, as is every insult, put-down and falsehood which contributes to the negative perception of what should be an esteemed and respected institution. To the average citizen, sittings of Parliament seem more opportunities for finger pointing, ‘gallerying’ and ‘kicksin’, than fora for the conscientious making of laws that would directly affect and improve their lives.
“Parliament, and its members, have long been objects of public derision. People look on at these proceedings with resignation, despair, or worse, contempt. The respect, trust and confidence that once characterised the relationship between parliamentarian and John Q. Public have been squandered and whittled away, leaving little but disregard, suspicion and doubt as to the capabilities and motives of those elected and appointed to conduct the affairs of the nation.”
President Weekes said citizens want Parliamentarians to put aside selfish agendas and work to secure the welfare and well-being of all.
She said members are at the vanguard of upholding democracy, representing constituents’ interests, debating germane issues that matter to people and making relevant useful laws which contribute to national development.
“None of this can be achieved if the starting point is ugly party politics or a tit-for-tat partisan agenda. If unnecessary contention, exchange of wild accusations and insults, and abrupt withdrawals, are the order of the day, how and when will the people’s business be conducted?” she asked.
The President continued: “An old African proverb is apposite here, ‘when elephants fight, the grass gets trampled. Whether you represent Diego Martin West or Siparia, St Ann’s East or Barataria/San Juan, Arima or Fyzabad, it is your constituents who feel the heat and suffer the repercussions of your inability or refusal to work together for the common good. The people of T&T whom you offered and were chosen to serve deserve better—much better.”
Weekes said no dispute or grievance should ever take precedence over their oath and role as parliamentarians and servants of the Republic.
“These chambers are not a venue for partisanship, but for patriotism which transcends cultural, racial and political bounds.”
"People entitled to demand more of MPs”
President Weekes noted that Trinidad and Tobago “is just now coming up for air” after two years of a stifling pandemic which crushed the hopes and plans of many and shook the economy
“As we continue to grapple with the ever-present ills of crime and criminality, racism, unemployment, environmental disaster and recently in the public eye, child abuse, there is a desperate need for some assurance that things will get better, and people are entitled to, and do, demand more of their representatives.”
Appealing for maturity of approach when it comes to politics and making decisions that affect people’s lives, she added, “I’m by no means suggesting we don rose-tinted spectacles and pretend our problems do not exist. I’m merely advocating a different approach; a collaborative effort by Members ... after all, that is what proper representation is about.
“Whether in government, opposition or an independent, as a parliamentarian, your duty is to represent the citizens’ interests, to pass laws and to monitor the actions of the government. Those are hallmarks of development and progress that can only be achieved when you put aside animosity and embrace collaboration.”
The President said the current 12th Parliament has produced approximately 45 acts out of 71 sittings of the House of Representatives and 69 of the Senate.
“There is still much more to be done...Ensure that history does not judge this 3rd session of the 12th Parliament harshly.”
