THE EDITOR: The crass and uncouth utterances by the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) must be admonished. There should be no room for intentional disrespect emanating from public office-holders to any citizen, far less to the office of the Prime Minister.

Does Chief Secretary Farley Augustine have a true appreciation of our nation’s history? To refer to someone as a house slave in a demographic that is still reeling from the effects of slavery is both disparaging and disrespectful to its people. What happened to principled stances on disagreements?

On examining what would have caused the Chief Secretary to denigrate the Prime Minister in this way, the emergent reasoning can be attributed to the House sitting on December 9, where the Parliament was scheduled to facilitate committee stage of the Tobago Self-Government Bill.

Therein, a request was made by the Chief Secretary, via a WhatsApp message, mere minutes before the scheduled sitting, that the proceedings be stopped to facilitate further consultation.

Why did he not avail himself of the proper channels and protocols attached to his office? Vociferous advocacy in the best interest of the sector, and the non-application of wisdom to ensure effective communication on such a matter cannot be reconciled.

To make such a request, after years of public consultations, House debates, and having the benefit of the input from a joint select committee, would raise concerns from all right-thinking people about the agenda of Augustine.

Playing cheap politics with the legislation he avows as so important and integral to the development of the people of Tobago, leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully his aims and aspirations do not cloud him to such a point that he orchestrates his own political demise.

RENÉE BAILEY

Chaguanas

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