IT has been a year of ups, downs, learning, and the beginning of a new journey for Tobago’s fifth Chief Secretary, Farley Augustine.
Augustine, former deputy political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), led his team to a 14-1 victory over the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) in the December 6, 2021, Tobago House of Assembly(THA) elections, to break a 6-6 impasse from earlier that year.
Reminiscing over that fateful election night, Augustine, in an interview with Newsday at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on December 1, recalled surreal emotions as the results came in.
“I was looking at 12 seats, but that was an enormous win.”
As he followed the results on TV that night at his Speyside home, Augustine told Newsday memories of his mother, who died a year ago, were the first thoughts that ran across his mind, when he realised he had won the confidence of Tobago and ended the 21-year reign of the PNM.
“That quickly shifted from the emotions and the height of that moment to figuring out how to set up the government. Nothing really prepares you for the actual thing.”
He was sworn in as chief secretary on December 9, and got married three days later.
But his tenure has not been entirely smooth sailing. Indeed, some might say that the honeymoon is over.
Augustine himself would acknowledge that. But he said there has been many successes and lessons learned from failures.
The falling-out with his PDP political leader Watson Duke remains unresolved.
But Augustine is hopeful for the future while also preparing for fatherhood .
Even on difficult days, Augustine said, he has no regrets.
“I spent this last year, December-December, managing two new careers, essentially managing the new career leading the government of the island of Tobago, and also managing a new family.”
Augustine said low productivity in the THA, at times resulting in late payments, has been his biggest challenge in governing the island.
“The most frustrating thing for me over the last year has been not having a public service that is designed to work with the kinds of efficiency, the kinds of speed that I will like, and I have a mantra: we have to put speed and efficiency in the same room.”
He plans to introduce a reward system to motivate THA employees.
100-DAY ACTION PLAN
In early 2021, the PDP launched a mandate with an eight-point 100-day action plan designed “to allow Tobago to experience an early start to its development thrust for 2021.”
By the hundredth day, March 20, the new administration had removed the dress code at THA public offices. The move was widely applauded, with Trinidadians calling on authorities there to end the archaic policy.
The objective of the 100-day action plan was to have a targeted focus on dealing with issues surrounding crime, accountability, youth, labour, entrepreneurship, finance, protecting the vulnerable, and Tobago tourism.
HOSTING INAUGURAL CARNIVAL
Among the proud moments, Augustine said, was hosting the inaugural Tobago carnival, from October 28-30.
