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Opposition Leader: Rowley’s meltdown on the Tobago dependency bills
Posted On 30 Jun 2021
After being exposed in front of the entire nation as a liar, Keith Rowley had a full public meltdown today.
Even though the evidence is clear that Rowley breached the rules of the Parliament by
running roughshod over the standing orders, he still bizarrely insists he did no wrong.
Parliament has a dual responsibility, to both legislate and hold the executive to account.
The fact is Rowley misused standing order 46(2), to shut down the debate. Standing order 46(2) says ‘a minister may conclude a debate on any motion that is critical of the Government or reflects adversely on, or is calculated to bring discredit upon the Government or a Government officer.”
The motion before the House was to accept a report from the Joint Select Committee on internal self-government for Tobago. It was not a motion critical to the government.
This is not a trivial matter. By disregarding the democratic principles of the Parliament, Keith Rowley is telling the nation that the laws we as elected representatives must obey, do not apply to him. Keith Rowley clearly believes he is above the law. I wish to remind him that it remains the House of Representatives and not the Balisier House.
Keith Rowley can spend hours crying on television about me but he can’t give the people of Tobago more time to consult on this important issue.
Rowley needs to end his creepy obsession with me and devote more time to listening to the people of Tobago and Trinidad on what they want.
Thousands of people remain without jobs, without an income, and without food. Yet the Prime Minister sees no need to present a plan for how the nation can deal with this crisis we are in.
Trinidad and Tobago desperately needs leadership that is capable, competent and of sound mind.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP
Leader of the Opposition
