Teaching Commission mum on complaint to PM

MEMBERS of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) yesterday refused to disclose whether they had complained to Prime Minister Patrick Manning about the behaviour of Opposition members at public meetings of the Joint Select Committee (JSC). The JSC has been appointed to enquire into the reports of the Municipal Corporations and Service Commissions, excluding the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. The Opposition, however, has promised to bring up the matter in Parliament because it did not intend “to take that from the Prime Minister or anybody else.” Wrapping up debate on the Police Reform Bills last week in Parliament, Manning was quoted in Hansard as saying that he had received complaints from the TSC that they were not willing to “subject themselves to the behaviour of the Opposition, especially one particular member.” At yesterday’s public meeting at the Parliament Chamber in the Red House, chairman of the TSC Leonard Birmingham was repeatedly asked by Opposition Senator Robin Montano whether they had complained.

Birmingham, however, refused to answer, saying because of the role of the TSC, they “sturdily avoid being embroiled in political controversy.” Birmingham’s response elicited much applause from the full public gallery. Montano said while he was proud of the answer, he merely wanted to find out the truth, but Birmingham hotly retorted that the “question is misdirected and you should go to the person who made the statement.” Montano insisted that an answer be given because it dealt with the independence of the JSC. He said if the TSC had in fact complained, they had already joined the controversy, and as such it was in contempt of the JSC and Parliament. “It is not good enough to say you do not want to get involved!”

Birmingham, however, was as persistent as Montano to “avoid political controversy,” referring Montano instead to the guidelines given to them by the JSC. It advised that they were not compelled to answer any question. Montano then said he had to find out if the TSC complained to anyone, to whom and what they hoped to achieve. Montano admitted to JSC Chairman Ramesh Deosaran that the “particular member” referred to by Manning may have been he or his colleague, Chandresh Sharma. Deosaran later ruled that the question be dealt with during a Parliamentary debate or in the report of the JSC. Montano gave “notice to the TSC and the Prime Minister that this will be brought up. If (they) complained, it’s a contempt and if he (Manning) lied, it’s a contempt. I do not intend to take that from the Prime Minister or anybody else.”