Charles: Parliamentary accountability critical

Charles made this point when he addressed the opening ceremony of the 18th Biennial Conference of Presiding Officers and Clerks of the Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, at the Magdalena Grand Hotel in Tobago.

A former THA presiding officer, Charles said, “For accountability to be done effectively, we must ensure that those tasked with the function of scrutiny are provided with the resources that they need to perform their function effectively.

He said people performing these functions must be held to the highest standards of accountability and integrity.

“In this regard, Charles said the work of parliamentary oversight committees “must never go unnoticed.” He said this was particularly important in the case of small island states like TT where the limited size of the legislatures results in these committees facing “crippling limitations in terms of members as well as time available to serve in the face of mounting concerns about accountability.

“We must therefore seize all opportunities to question the effectiveness of our mechanisms for ensuring accountability.” He also said “effective partnerships” with traditional media (newspaper, radio, television) and with social media, “would undoubtedly help to maintain public trust in the legislature.”