Theme: Modernisation of Caribbean Parliaments: Forging
our own Identity Introduction
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was indeed pleased
to have hosted the 35th Conference of the Caribbean, Americas and
Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Ninety-eight
(98) delegates, women parliamentarians, youth parliamentarians, observers and
spouses from the thirteen (13) of the eighteen (18) Branches, namely, Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia and Trinidad and
Tobago participated. Observers were drawn from Barbados, British Isle and Mediterranean
Region, Canada Region, Dominica and the Tobago House of Assembly participated
in the Conference
The 35th Regional Conference saw the
resumption of the Regional Youth Parliament and hosting of the 3rd
Regional Conference of Women Parliamentarians. [Separate reports were compiled
for the 3rd Conference of Women Parliamentarians and the 7th
Regional Youth Parliament].
The Conference was opened by the Acting President of the
Republic, His Excellency Mr. Timothy Hamel-Smith.
The theme of the Conference “Modernisation of
Caribbean Parliaments: Forging our own identity” triggered robust
discussions on the following topics:
·Parliament as an Autonomous Body – separation from the Executive
Branch of Government
·Advancing our democracies through constitutional reform: Fixed
term for a Prime Minister
·Making the Legislature more accessible and interactive for
citizens: how to make this possible
·Providing a platform for innovative leadership within the
parliamentary system
·Effective measures of ensuring accountability and transparency in
government: best practices for smaller Legislatures
·Is there a role for regional Parliaments in solving our common
problem of crime and youth violence?
·The most effective use of a committee system in small
Legislatures: can it work?
Those topics were deemed relevant to the advancement of
parliamentary democracy and the development of the respective parliaments
throughout the Region. Emanating from the discussion of the plenary sessions,
delegates formulated a list of recommendations for consideration of possible
implementation in the legislatures.
Following the days’ discussions, participants were
hosted to cocktails and or dinners. The official Conference concluded with a
scenic tour of the sister isle of Tobago organized by the Tobago House of
Assembly.
This Report also includes the speeches delivered at the
Opening Ceremony and verbatim notes of the Plenary Sessions.
Welcome Address by
The Hon. Wade Mark, MP
Speaker of the House of Representatives
His Excellency Mr. Timothy Hamel-Smith, Acting
President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; the Honourable Chief Justice,
Mr. Justice Ivor Archie, , and Mrs. Archie; Cabinet Ministers; Members of the
Diplomatic Corps; Senator Lyndira Oudit, Vice-President of the Senate; Regional
Representatives of the Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region, the
Chairperson of the Regional Chapter of the CWP-the Hon Dancia Penn, Members of
the Parliament of the Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region; Delegates;
Observers, Other Distinguished Persons; Ladies and Gentlemen, GOOD MORNING.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome
you to the opening of the 35th Conference of the Caribbean, Americas
and Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. It is
indeed an honour for Trinidad to Tobago to host the Regional Secretariat of the
CPA and to be able to facilitate discussions over the ensuing days on
topics that are extremely important to Parliamentarians in the Caribbean. I am
also pleased with the interest shown by our international observers in
attending this Conference.
The Theme of this Conference is “Modernisation of
Caribbean Parliaments: Forging our own Identity”
Modernization has become a “buzz”
word of the last century, as nations seek to keep abreast of the advancements
in technology, scientific discoveries and revolutionized methods of achieving
growth and development. For an institution like Parliament, change is often
slow, but nonetheless it occurs. The theme of this year’s Regional Conference
is, however, an indication that the time has come for us to seriously consider
change within our legislatures.
Globalisation and the promotion of good governance, has
caused many Parliaments to initiate a modernization agenda. This can take many
forms and does not only involve the development of information and
communication technology but also incorporates other methods of enhancing and
strengthening the operations of the Parliament. In addition, modernization
includes administrative, institutional, procedural and even physical
improvements. All these are intended to increase interaction with the
citizenry, and raise the level of representation provided by Members.
For Parliaments to retain their relevance in an evolving
world new and innovative ways must be found to continue to meet the
expectations of the people. In Trinidad and Tobago, the widespread use of
multimedia, broadcast and information technology in the Parliament Chamber and
at Committee meetings acts as mechanisms to strengthen communication between Parliament
and the people.
During the coming week delegates will hold discussions
on different aspects of the modernization of Parliament including:
§Parliament as an Autonomous Body
§Making the legislature more accessible and
interactive for voters
§Advancing our Democracies through
Constitutional Reform
§Improving Transparency and Accountability
In addition, on Wednesday 28th July, 2010 a
Regional Youth Parliamentary Debate will be held in the Parliament Chamber of
the Red House. The subject of debate will be “the establishment of
dedicated National Youth Crime Service Units within the respective Ministries
with responsibility for national security regionally”. I am sure that the
voices and opinions of the youth of our region will be heard.
This Regional Conference marks another occasion for a
meeting of parliamentarians and other persons of considerable experience, who
together are fully capable of contributing to developing viable solutions to
the many issues which face small legislatures.
I therefore now invite and encourage all delegates and
others to participate fully in these deliberations and to make a significant
contribution to the development of our Region.
Thank you and may God bless us all.
Greetings from Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, MP
delivered by Sen. The Hon. Nan Rudrawatee Gosein-Ramgoolam
Minister of Public Administration
His Excellency Timothy Hamel Smith -
Acting President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
The Honourable Justice Ivor Archie -
Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago
The Honourable Wade Mark, MP - Speaker
of the House and Chairman of this Conference
Ministers of Cabinet
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Senator, the Honourable, Lyndira Oudit
- Vice President of the Senate and Ag. Joint President of Trinidad and Tobago
Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Leader of the Opposition
Members of the Senate and Members of
the House of Representatives
Members of the Tobago House of Assembly
Regional Representatives
The Honourable Dancia Penn –
Chairperson of the Regional Chapter of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians
Other Distinguished Delegate and
Observers
President of the Inter Religious
Organisation and Mrs. Mohammed
Regional Secretary
Distinguished guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning. On behalf of the Government and People of
Trinidad and Tobago, it gives me great pleasure to also warmly welcome you, the
distinguished participants of the 35th Conference of the Caribbean,
Americas, and Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to
our shores. I am especially proud to greet you this morning as a fellow
parliamentarian and also in my capacity as Prime Minister of Trinidad and
Tobago. I am also extremely pleased to note, that after 18 years, Trinidad and
Tobago is once again able to host this conference, at a time when the women and
the youth of the Region are making invaluable contributions to the evolution of
the Region’s democracies.
Yesterday, I was honoured to address my colleagues, the
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, at their third Regional Conference. As I
indicated on that occasion, so too I now advise you, that each of us as
representatives of the people has accepted a great responsibility. We have been
charged with a mandate from our respective citizenry, to lead our nations to
economic prosperity, to practice accountable and transparent governance and to
facilitate human and social development. Increasingly, ladies and gentlemen,
our citizens, quite rightly, also demand freedom of expression and greater
participation in the democratic process.
Today the electorate of Trinidad and Tobago will go to
the polls to choose their Local Government representatives for the next three
years. These representatives who function at the heart of our communities are
well placed to articulate the needs of our people and escalate these
aspirations back to us, as parliamentarians...as custodians of the national
trust.
Collectively as a Parliament, with the right to
formulate laws, provide oversight and representation, the legislature must
become more accessible to the people. The onus now is on each Parliament, each
parliamentarian to develop creative strategies to strengthen the parliamentary
system to promote continued good governance for the well being of all citizens.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is no understating the fact that we will and should
be held accountable for our actions and moreso for our inaction.
While our Governments are now faced with the challenges
of the global economic downturn, climate change, rising crime rates, poverty
eradication, provision of adequate housing and healthcare, and tailoring
education to suit the needs of 21st century development; we must
never lose sight of the fact that the people have placed their trust in us.
They want solutions not excuses. They want timely results and they want to have
a say in the decisions that will affect them.
As parliamentarians, we must develop and implement
effective and efficient policies and laws for resolving these and other issues
to the benefit of all citizens. We understand that Parliaments do not govern.
Yet, they oversee the Government and Government is formed from within
the Parliament. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen as we move to “Modernize
Caribbean Parliaments”, I trust that we accept that we must turn our
Parliaments into the most operational instruments of responsive, accountable
and transparent governance and representative legislation.
Yet even as we seek to modernise and strengthen
Parliaments we must recognise and respect the Separation of Powers. The Latimer
House Principle, to which we all subscribe, speak to the distinctive roles of
the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary as the guarantors, in their
respective roles, of the rule of law, the promotion and protection of
fundamental human rights and the entrenchment of good governance based on the
highest standards of honesty, probity and accountability.
However, the principles also speak to transparency in
the conduct of all public business; the independence and accountability of the
judiciary; the need for effective oversight of government through the
establishment of scrutiny bodies, the role of civil society and perhaps of
greatest significance for us today – the need for parliamentary procedures to
provide adequate mechanisms to enforce the accountability of the Executive to
Parliament.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Government of Trinidad and
Tobago fully understands the need for strong mechanisms to oversee governments,
as this only enhances public confidence and promotes greater acceptability of
Government’s activities. Here ladies and gentlemen I want to put a plug for the
strengthening of the Committee System of Parliament. We all know that there are
challenges to operations of this system, particularly in our small Parliaments,
but there is no doubt in my mind that the Committee System would enable
Parliament to better organize its work and discharge its functions effectively
in fulfilment of the mandate of the people.
Over the next two days as you meet in plenary sessions
to deliberate on and discuss mechanisms to create dynamic parliaments,
reflective of the laws and customs of our respective countries, I ask you to
remember an overarching principle of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
– to build an informed parliamentary community able to deepen democratic
commitment and to further co-operation among its legislatures.
It is in answering that call to democratic commitment,
ladies and gentlemen, that we best serve the people who have conferred on us
the responsibility to improve their quality of life. There is much work to be
done to further the objectives of our democracies. I call on each of you to
work together, to share experiences and to look at the workings of other
Parliaments to inform our own procedures as we strive to continuously evolve
better democratic mechanisms.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you and wish you
successful and fruitful discussions.
Address by His Excellency Timothy Hamel Smith, Acting
President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Opening of the 35th
Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), held
at the Hyatt Regency at 9:00 a.m. on Monday 26th July, 2010.
Thank you, Chairman, Mr. Jason Elcock
The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of
the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Dr. Gregory Bissessar
The Honourable Mr. Justice Ivor Archie, Chief Justice
and Mr. Archie
The Honourable Wade Mark, Speaker of the House and
Chairman of the Conference
Cabinet Ministers
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Senator Lyndira Oudit, Vice President of the Senate
Members of the Executive of the Caribbean, Americas and
the Atlantic Region
Delegates, Observers
Members of the Media
Other Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am delighted to be here today and to be invited to
address this distinguished gathering of regional Representatives.
The hosting of this 35th Regional Conference
by the Trinidad and Tobago Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
comes at a time when the strength of our democracies has been tested by
national elections held within the recent past. The strength of parliamentary
democracy in this region can be attributed, in no small measure, to t he work
of the CPA. Over the years, in many significant ways, the CPA has encouraged,
within this and other regions, an informed parliamentary community and has
built bridges of understanding among diverse peoples. Conferences have been
successfully used towards this end.
I applaud the efforts being made by the CPA to make our
Parliaments more attractive to women. Indeed, a more representative Parliament
will more easily earn the respect of the public than one that discourages the
participation of any group. The just concluded two day Annual Meeting of the
Women Parliamentarians of the Region is a critical element in any effort
towards bringing our Parliaments into the modern era. I trust that from your
deliberations will emerge recommendations that, if followed, will make our
Legislatures more accessible and more inviting to the wider public.
I join with all those who have commended the region for
choosing the theme “Modernization of Caribbean Parliaments: Forging our own
identity.” Modernization is a broad term which encompasses ideas of progress
and also involves being able to adjust to new environments. I therefore urge
all of you to recognize the changed environment in which you may find
yourselves, from time to time and focus, in the limited time available to you,
on essential adjustments needed by those of us who, by reason of our being
Parliamentarians, are leaders of the people.
Many will agree that there is growing dissatisfaction
with the standards of parliamentary behavior which have fuelled, in
jurisdiction after jurisdiction, wide criticism about politics in general.
There is a strong belief that Members of Parliament are too adversarial in
their approaches and that our people are denied the benefits of genuine debate.
The deliberations of our Parliamentarians are today
viewed by many, in the comfort of their homes. But, the sad reality is that the
public is too often presented with the dominance of political sparring, at a
time when a more sophisticated and educated public is seeking more substance in
parliamentary debates. Our Parliamentarians need to be ever mindful that the
tone which they set during their debates will ultimately be reflected in our
societies. You therefore have an enormous responsibility to ensure that your
words and actions are within the bounds of civil debate.
As a consequence, there is, to varying degrees, a trend
towards disinterest in the work of Parliament by a growing proportion of the
electorate. More critically, there seems to be a general decline in respect for
Parliament. It is particularly disturbing that the perception that Parliament
is irrelevant is highest among the young and these are matters that must be
dealt with, if we are to recapture the interest of our youth. It is time for a
change in the way business is done and your confidence allows for the
opportunity to reflect on ways in which to introduce a more business-like
approach to the parliamentary agenda.
I was pleased to hear Mr. Speaker’s comments, earlier,
on the usefulness of your deliberating on Effective Committee Systems in Small
Parliaments. As you discuss that critical parliamentary tool and other measures
of ensuring accountability and transparency in government, you will no doubt
consider the procedures and structures that will enable our Parliaments to do a
better ad a more professional job of scrutiny.
Members should regard scrutiny as one of the prime
requirement of their role, not only Opposition Members, but also Government and
Independent Members as well. Scrutiny of legislation, for example, should have
as its objective the improvements of legislation, for example, should have as
its objective the improvement f legislation that comes to the Parliament, not
its obstruction, simply for the sake of obstruction. But the duty to scrutinize
must be understood and accepted by all – parliamentary representatives
certainly, but also the public at large.
In this context, I am pleased to note that you will be
considering ways to make your Legislatures more accessible and interactive for
our citizens who are more interconnected than ever before. It may well be that
are too far behind in the application of modern communication methods,
resulting in our losing touch with our citizenry. Today, we have an exciting
but largely underdeveloped capacity to communicate and consult with the
citizenry. I posit, therefore, that we ought to harness the enormous potential
of e-communication to develop interactive consultation on policies or on
legislation, prior to their finalization. Indeed, I expect that, within the
Parliamentary Chamber itself, the use of technology would greatly enhance your
ability to improve the text of the statutes which you have to consider.
I have noted that another critical area you will cover
is the relationship between the Parliament and the Executive. This requires
urgent focus by our region. The Latimer House Principles, developed in 1998 and
adopted by several Parliaments, elsewhere, provides a platform for useful
discussion on this topic. It is imperative that Parliamentarians be able to
carry out their legislative and constitutional functions, free from unlawful
interference and unhindered by fetters that may result from excessive executive
dominance.
Also, the Regional Youth Parliament, to be held on the
margins of the main Conference, comprising representatives from across the
Caribbean, is one to which we all look forward, as our region’s young leaders
discuss ways in which Caribbean Governments can seek to deal with the
prevalence if youth crime in our region.
Several previous participants will also be present in
this Debate, the seventh occasion on which such an event will be held. I
applaud this worthwhile initiative to involve our youth in politics, as well as
the efforts many of our individual Parliaments make to host national youth
Parliaments, on an annual basis.
Let us clearly understand that there will be serious,
long term consequences if our Parliaments fail to consider and to implement
reforms as may be required. We must guard against becoming irrelevant and we
must see to it that our young people are not dismissive of politics. Our
business is in the public domain and we will not be spared.
In closing, I extend a very warm welcome to all our
visitors. We are happy to host you and it is my wish that your time spent with
us will be fruitful.
It is now my pleasure to declare open the 35th
Conference of the Caribbean, The Americas and the Atlantic Region of the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Message of Thanks by the Honourable Lyndira Oudit,
Vice President of the Senate and Joint Vice President of the Trinidad and
Tobago Branch of the CPA
His Excellency Timothy Hamel-Smith, Acting President
of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar,
MP, Prime Minster of Trinidad and Tobago; the Honourable Chief Justice, Mr.
Justice Ivor Archie; the Honourable Wade Mark, MP, Speaker of the House;
Ministers of Cabinet; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Members of the Senate
and Members of the House of Representatives; Members of the Tobago House of Assembly;
Regional Representatives, and Chairperson of the Regional Chapter of the
CWP-the Hon Dancia Penn; Other Delegates and Observers; Regional Secretary;
Distinguished Guests and visitors; Members of the Media; Ladies and Gentlemen,
GOOD MORNING.
It is a privilege and a great joy for me to first of all
thank His Excellency Mr. Timothy Hamel-Smith for opening this 35th
Conference of the Caribbean, Americas, Atlantic Region of the CPA. Your
presence here is evidence of your continued interest in the Parliament and the
workings of our democracy.
Your Excellency Mr. Timothy Hamel-Smith, we are deeply
appreciative of your astute comments on the topics to be discussed under the
general theme: “Modernisation of Caribbean Parliaments:Forging our
own Identity”. We recognize, without a doubt, that the region has presented
our representatives at this Conference with an immense opportunity to
significantly shape the course of democracy in our region. We have heard your
warning for us to reform the way we do business and I feel certain that your
words to us this morning have added further thought and enthusiasm to the
delegates of this Conference to engage in serious and meaningful
deliberations. Thank you, Sir.
We are also grateful to the Speaker of the House, the
Honourable Wade Mark who gave such a warm welcome to our guests and conveyed
sincere words of encouragement to the delegates. His words reveal that as a
people we are confronted by accelerating trends in modern society which make it
impossible for us to continue as if there was no need for change. We certainly
have taken stock of the need for change.
We thank all of our other guest speakers for their words
of inspiration. Democracy is well served by your commitment and dedication.
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Trinidad and
Tobago Branch of the CPA, I thank the delegates from all the jurisdictions for
making the effort to be here in Port of Spain to discuss issues that are so
pertinent at this juncture in our democratic evolution. I
have no doubt that your deliberations on issues of common interest will foster
a deepening of democratic values and mutual understanding within our region.
We spend the next few days looking for the pathways
towards modernization of the Parliaments represented here. We are compelled to
do so by a demanding public, expectingaccountable, transparent, responsible and responsive
governance. That is the way of the world today. A world
technologically driven and more exacting in results and time deliverables.
It is important, however, as we strive to forge ahead
that we stay true to who we are as nation states as well as a regional
entity. Friends, our region occupies a unique and distinctive
position within the Commonwealth of Nations. Wide ethnic, religious and
cultural diversities do exist but in peaceful harmony; we are all small but we
are many. Individually as well as collectively, we can show the world true
understanding of peaceful democracy and shared principles of sustainable
governance.
In this vein, I will also like
to express thanks to the Hon. Danica Penn, Chairman of the Commonwealth Women
Parliamentarians (CWP). The CWP has the very important role of exploring
strategies for increasing female representation in Parliaments as well as
working towards the mainstreaming of gender considerations in all CPA
activities and programmes. Under the chairmanship of the Hon. Dancia Penn,
women Parliamentary representatives have already met and I trust that they
would have enjoyed very productive and rewarding working sessions and
fellowship.
The decision taken at our regional Conference held last
year in Guyana to resume the meetings of the regional Youth Parliament
Conference is indeed appreciated. We look forward to welcoming the young
participants of the region when they arrive on our shores tomorrow. Involvement of the youth is necessary for sustainability of
democracy within the region as, indeed, we look to them for our future.
Our entertainment this morning was refreshing and
delightful. Please join me in conveying appreciation to the young ones who
sang and danced for us, so beautifully. (Applaud)
It will be remiss of me if I did not express
appreciation for the organizational efforts of those who have brought us to
this point. To our Regional Secretary, we say thanks for your guidance. We
especially wish to commend and show our appreciation to the Conference
Coordinator, Mrs. Lynette Joseph-Guevara and her dedicated team from the
Regional Secretariat and the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Thank you for a
job well done.
As you may be aware local government elections are being
held today here in Trinidad and Tobago. We are extremely pleased that so many
have taken the time to join us at this opening ceremony this morning. We say
thanks to all distinguished officers, Members of Parliament and to the Media
representatives present here.
Once again, I urge all the delegates and observers to
make the best of the discussions over the next few days of this Conference.
Indeed, it is my sincere hope that what is shared and learned will be
translated into meaningful changes within our respective jurisdictions. I wish
you a most successful conference.
RECOMMENDATIONS/SUGGESTIONS EMANATING FROM THE 35TH
COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION
Session 1: Parliament as an Autonomous Body
ØThe need for checks and balances within the
Westminster System since the ‘separation of powers’ may not be a reality
ØAutonomy is needed for Parliaments to function
freely.
ØModernisation in the Caribbean cannot be
complete without the autonomy of Caribbean Governments.
ØParliaments should therefore seek:
Administrative Autonomy; Institutional and Political Autonomy ;and Financial
Autonomy
ØA weak feeble and subservient Parliament is a
threat to democracy.
Session 2: Advancing our Democracies through
Constitutional Reform
ØAs Parliaments evolve there is a definite need
for constitutional Reform.
ØConstitutional Reform should involve calling
Governments to account, and this should promote good governance
ØThe issues of fixed terms and referenda were
also seen as critical issues in the reform agenda.
ØThe conduct of elections was a matter that
should be addressed bearing in mind the number of matters before the courts.
ØElectoral System must also address the region’s
uniqueness
Session 3: Making the Legislature More Accessible
ØEnabling citizens to interact with members via
technology: websites; television and radio; youth fora such as the Youth
Parliament.
ØEducating the population – via schools;
competitions; media
Session4: Providing a Platform for Innovative
Leadership
ØInnovation is necessary since it is the engine
of any experiment and brings about change.
ØInnovation is required in – quality of debates;
role of political parties; use of technology; upholding the principles of
democracy; and the role of the citizen
ØThe need for dedicated research personnel for
MPs.
ØNeed for changes in the Standing Orders to
eliminate some of the challenges being faced by Presiding Officers
Session 5: Effective Measures of Ensuring
Accountability
ØNeed for built in control systems to prevent
corruption and promote integrity.
ØThere is need for laws to strengthen the
Integrity Commission
ØDeficiencies in the Westminster Model must be
addressed to address Integrity, Accountability and Transparency.
Session 6: Is there a Role for Regional Parliaments
in solving our Common Problem of Crime and youth Violence
ØReviewing the Education System
ØDevelop programmes through legislation which are
relevant to the youth
ØParliamentarians must lead by example in terms
of behaviour
ØParliamentarians should be directly involved in
youth affairs.
ØThe role of the family in crime and violence
must also be addressed
ØLabour laws also need to be reviewed.
ØAnti-gang legislature is also possible.
Session 7: The Most Effective Use of the Committee
System
ØDemocratic Legislatures depend on Committees and
therefore modernisation of the system is necessary to meet the region’s needs.
ØManage extensions
ØAttendance should be mandatory
ØResearch facilities need to be addressed.
Respectfully submitted,
Mr.
Russ Hiebert, M.P., Chair for, Mr. Joe Preston, M.P.
Canadian Branch of the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)