Manning talks constitution reform

Manning also stated that it was totally against the principle of Westminster style democracy and accountability for frontline ministers to be members of parliamentary committees, describing it as a case of "himself to himself."

The Prime Minister also stated that it was unlikely that the representation provided by Members of Parliament would satisfy the aspirations of the electorate in Trinidad and Tobago under the current arrangement. He also proposed that Local Government representatives sit in the Senate with a voice, but no vote.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association workshop on Government and Opposition: Roles, Rights and Responsibilities, at the Parliament Chamber.

Manning said the classic models associated with Westminster could not be applicable in Trinidad and Tobago, and in other small societies.

Therefore, he said this country had to examine its own approaches to this matter since the classic systems of Westminster "do not work here."

Noting that voters regularly expressed dissatisfaction with the level of representation, the Prime Minister said there was currently one MP to 25,000 voters. He said Parliament recently agreed to an increase in the number of elected MPs from 36 to 41, bringing the ratio down to one MP to 22,000. However, it was unlikely that the level of representation would prove satisfactory even under the new system, and therefore the search for proper representation has to continue, Manning said. Against this background "active consideration" was being given to modifying the Local Government system to give Local Government members the power to implement government policy (except in areas such as national security and foreign affairs) while the central government merely determined policy, he said.

He said another model, "which was being talked about in Trinidad and Tobago at this time," was to have the chairman of each Local Government body sitting in the Senate with a voice, but no vote.

They would be allowed to speak on subjects affecting the geographic areas for which they have responsibility, he said. The Prime Minister stated that reform of the Constitution in Trinidad and Tobago as well as in every other country in this region had to be put on the table "very squarely."

Manning said in England, where there were 500 MPs and where the majority of government MPs were backbenchers, and were members of parliamentary committees, the Westminster system worked well. By contrast, in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament, only one government MP had no executive function, and the committees included frontline members of the executive. Commenting on Manning’s address, UNC Senator Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan presented another view.

"Is it that we need so many executive members in the Cabinet that you have no space for backbenchers to participate on committees.

Because if you increase it (the membership of House of Representatives) to 41, what happens when you (the PM) decide that you want 41 members for your Cabinet," she said.

She noted that the majority of Government senators were also in the Cabinet.

Seepersad-Bachan said that it was time to consider the possibility that government ministers should not be parliamentarians, and should be left to focus exclusively on their ministries, while allowing MPs to perform the representative function.

She said only ministers such as the Attorney General and the Minister of Finance should be members of Parliament in such a system. She said this would foster more objectivity in the Parliament.