Naparima MP Rodney Charles has thrown some shade at Opposition leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar, saying that his attendance and performance records in Parliament are much superior to hers.
In a release on Tuesday, Charles said that between 2020 and 2024, he asked 49 questions to the Prime Minister in Parliament, while during the same period, the UNC Leader asked only one question.
“On many occasions during Prime Minister Questions, she was not even present to provide moral support, even as we faced the full wrath of the raging bull,” he pointed out.
According to the release, “It was MP Charles, not the Opposition Leader, who took on Dr Keith Christopher Rowley “manos manos” in Parliament.
By contrast, between January and mid-April this year alone, UKs Opposition Leader, Sir Keir Starmer in the same Westminster system which we follow, asked PM Rishi Sunak 61 questions.”
“When you peruse the Parliament records, the Opposition Leader was not present for voting on at least 20 crucial bills between 2020 and 2024. Some include:
Hansard, 11th December 2020 –
Public Procurement & Disposal of Public Property Amdt Bill 2020
Miscellaneous Provisions (FATF Compliance Bill 2020)
Hansard, 15th May 2020 –
Joint Select Committee Report Gambling (Gaming & Betting) Control Bill 2016
Bail Amdt (No.2) Bill 2019
Hansard, 23rd June 2021 –
Gambling Control Bill 2021
Hansard, 17th November 2021 –
Revocation of State of Emergency Proclamation
Hansard, 23rd May 2022 –
Local Government Reform Bill 2020
Hansard, 22nd June 2022 –
National Insurance Bill 2022
Hansard, 24th July 2023 –
Public Procurement & Disposal of Public Property Bill 2023
Hansard, 24th May 2023 –
Valuation of Land Amdt Bill 2023 Note:The Political leader was present but left before voting took place.
Hansard, 16th February 2024 –
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Nomination of Mr. Wendell Lucas) Note:The Political leader was present but left before voting took place.
Charles, according to the statement, was present for all and voted on all of these Bills.
“So for the Opposition Leader to make exaggerated statements about MP Charles’ record in Parliament is careless, irresponsible and ill advised.”
“Despite begging too many times to recall for the past 8 years, MP Charles has only been placed only on Foreign and CARICOM Affairs JSC, even though he spent ten years at very senior levels in academia and 18 years at senior management levels in the energy sector.”
The release added: “If Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar could train her guns on Keith Rowley instead of her MPs, the UNC would be in a much better position perhaps even in Government. She must realise that the real enemy is Keith Rowley and not her MPs.”
It further noted that between 2020 and 2024, MP Charles missed only 7 Parliament sittings. During that same period, he spoke on 44 Bills and Motions.
In 2023, he issued 68 releases to the media and in the same year spoke at 13 weekly news conferences.
Charles defies anyone to question his commitment to holding the Keith Christopher Rowley administration to account.
The release said what is clear of the events of Friday 26th April, is that Kamla Persad Bissessar, Davendranath Tancoo and Saddam Hosein came fully prepared to debate the Motion.
“Who advised them to prepare, is a question best answered by the Chief Whip Mr. David Lee.
Also clear is the fact that the Supplemental Order paper was sent out to MPs 24 hours before as required by the Standing Orders.”
“What we now realize is that the Chief Whip deliberately did not advise about anything concerning the Motion to be discussed even though MP Charles was in the Caucus room for at least 30 minutes before Parliament convened last Friday. Mr. Lee only advised MP Charles that he had 4 Oral questions on the Order Paper.”
The release stated: “Normal practice is for the Chief Whip to advise all MPs on Motions to be discussed, the lineup of Speakers and infrequently the positions the Party proposes to take.
The Chief Whip sets the tone and indicates the importance attached to Bills being debated.
In the UK, the Chief Whip even indicates the importance of Bills by single, double and triple line demands to MPs. A triple line indicating that MPs must be present to vote with sanctions if MPs are not present.”
“What took place on Friday demonstrated clearly a very disturbing trend of keeping certain MPs totally in the dark and deselecting these MPs from speaking on important Bills.
Interestingly it was the UNC, not the PNM, which called for a vote at the end of the second Motion, clearly to embarrass, not the PNM, but certain UNC members. Why?”
“The new modus operandi in the UNC disturbingly is to train all guns not on the PNM, who are allowed to get away with murder, but UNC members who dare ask questions.”
MP Charles says, “It pains his heart to see his Leader attempting to tarnish the efforts of her “children” in the Party, forcing us to defend our integrity and character.”
He calls on Political Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar to eschew the old politics of division, bacchanal and one upmanship and be an agent of reconciliation, maturity, integrity and servant leadership.
He has made a principled call for a generational transfer of leadership in the politics of TT and also to have the date announced for constitutionally due internal elections. MP Charles further says, “Fight me on those principles not on antediluvian political commess, manufactured victimhood, ostracism and the usual boring distractions of a bygone era.”