DEMOCRACY DAY- 2030 DEMOCRACY 2030 focuses on youth involvement in democracy; the sustainable development goals; and what democracy will look STAY TUNED TO THE like in the future. PARLIAMENT CHANNEL WEST INDIES AT WAR - PART 1 Episode 1 of the West Indies at War, a four part feature created for the Parliament Channel by Savant Films highlighting the perspective of West Indians who participated in World War 1. This episode premiered on the Parliament Channel on Wednesday November 11, 2015. CHANNEL INDEX Digicel Play - Channel 11 Massy - Channel 110 FIND US ON YOUR NETWORK Green Dot - Channel 11 Flow - Channel 11 We know that finding us on your network can be a challenge- Free to Air - Channel 9/29 Flow AVS - Channel 109 so here is the list for the networks that do carry our channel. Trico Tobago - Channel 104 THE VOTE AT 70- DOCUMENTARY SERIES A brief documentary on the Vote at 70 as we celebrate 70 years of Universal Adult Suffrage in Trinidad and Tobago. 110 years since the reopening of the Red House 12 by Colleen Holder Parliament Hansard Makes 11 Technological Advancements by Danielle Williams & Jason Elcock Parliament Channel Wins CBU Awards 13 by Colleen Holder Parliament Channel 14 10th Anniversary by Marion Sutherland CONTENTS Constituency Highlight - 16 Diego Martin Channel Index 02 Central Find us on your by Danielle Network Williams COVER STORY 06 Committees at Work Our Region, Our (Financial Scrutiny Committees) Parliaments 18 by Mark Peterson -(Bermuda & Montserrat) by Mark Peterson Democracy 2030 – Professor Rhoda Reddock 08 by Ayana Holder The Legislative Agenda Connecting to by Atiba Wiltshire 10 20 Parliament by Mark Peterson 6 7 While the PAC and the PA(E)C provide ex-post financial accountability. With the issues of the Committees under scrutiny on whether expenditure by public sector en- the public gaze, the public becomes involved and is able tities was properly done under Parliament-approved to contribute to the process through the available chan- budgets, the Committee on Public Administration and nels. This allows for strengthening of the oversight pro- Appropriations works to ensure budgetary expenditure cess and improving good governance. by Mark Peterson of Government agencies is embarked upon in accor- The Chairmen of the financial scrutiny committees are listed dance with Parliamentary approval. It also reports on below. Correspondence is addressed to the Secretaries of budgetary expenditure of Government agencies as it oc- the various committees: curs and keeps Parliament informed of how the budget allocation is being implemented. It also reports on the • Standing Finance Committee, chaired by Hon. Bridgid Annisette-George, MP - administration of Government agencies in an effort to email [email protected] determine hindrances to their efficiency, as well as make • Public Administration and Appropriations recommendations to improve public administration. Committee, chaired by Hon. Bridgid The Public Accounts Committee considers and Annisette-George, MP - reports to the Parliament on appropriation accounts of email [email protected] monies expended out of sums granted by Parliament. • Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Other accounts can also be referred to this Committee Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie, MP - by the House or as authorised by any Law. The Com- email [email protected] mittee’s duty is also to consider the reports by the Au- • Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee, ditor General on those accounts. The Committee is also chaired by Senator Wade Mark - tasked with the consideration of whether policy is car- email [email protected] ried out efficiently, effectively and economically, and According to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, whether expenditure conforms to the authority which Parliamentary Select Committees are the “engine rooms of Parliaments” and governs it. prove to be an important means of holding governments to account. The Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago inherited the The appointment of members to the Committees is reports to the House on audited accounts, balance Westminster system of governance from the United outlined in the Standing Orders of the House of Repre- sheets and other financial statements of all State-owned Kingdom. As a result of this, Parliament adopted and sentatives and the Senate as mandated by the Consti- enterprises. Like the Public Accounts Committee, the adapted the committee system to execute one of its tution. The matter of financial scrutiny in Trinidad and PA(E)C considers the Auditor General’s report on those mandates - oversight. Oversight is a necessary part of Tobago is carried out by the work of four committees. accounts, balance sheets and other financial statements. the parliamentary system and should not be taken According to their function in the budget cycle, these The presence of these financial scrutiny mechanisms lightly. Parliamentary oversight seeks to ensure the committees are the Standing Finance Committee (SFC), along with other Committees responsible for oversight Executive is kept in check. Further to this, financial the Public Administration and Appropriations Commit- helps to improve the execution of good governance. scrutiny aims to ensure government is held accountable tee (PAAC), the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Overall, these financial scrutiny committees aim to in- for its spending of tax dollars especially during the Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee (PA(E)C. crease and maintain a high level of transparency and periods of economic hardship. The Standing Finance Committee is a A Standing According to the Association of Chartered Certified “Committee of the Whole”, that is, all Members of the Finance Accountants, Parliamentary Select Committees are House are members. This committee is responsible for Committee the “engine rooms of Parliaments” and prove to the consideration of the Estimates of Expenditure, the Meeting be an important means of holding governments Appropriations Bill and any proposals for written or sup- in Session to account. Various Commonwealth nations have plementary appropriation. The Committee is chaired by committees established in their parliamentary practice the Speaker of the House and the deliberations are held comprising members from both sides of the divide. Trin- in public. To aid in this deliberation, the Standing Finance idad and Tobago is no different with members from the Committee sends for relevant Accounting Officers Government and the Opposition in both the House of and technocrats to provide information. The SFC is A Public Representatives and the Senate making up the allotted up to 5 days for the examination of the annual Accounts Committee members of the Committees. The role of these budgetary estimates, which are considered first, and the Meeting Appropriation Bill second. The Leader of the Opposition committees is to ensure public spending is done in chaired by accordance with the approved purpose as well as has the right to determine the order in which the Dr. Bhoendradatt ensuring there is value for money. Committee considers the Heads of Expenditure. Tewarie, MP 8 9 DEVELOPMENT FOR 2030 vene into the parliamentary process, the local gov- ernment process, as NGOs as activists, moving the Q: How can parliaments connect the 2030 Agen- system towards greater inclusion, that they have DEMOCRACY 2030: da for Sustainable Development with people’s the understanding, the breath, the knowledge, the An Interview with Professor Rhoda Reddock expectations of greater participation, inclusive- ethics to really make that a positive input. ness and accountability? A: Well one of the first challenges we face is that these UN agreements are seldom discussed in Par- THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY liament, or discussed with the wider population. Q: Will the role of parliament be the same as it Our leaders or their representatives sign these is today? agreements, but then there is little effort to roll this out to the wider population. And I think it’s a A: Well I hope not. I hope that they will be a bit by Ayana Holder pity because the 2030 Agenda is quite an interest- more than they are [at] present. Not that I want to ing document. It includes many development re- give parliamentarians more work, but I wrote a pa- lated issues; it includes issues related to good gov- per where I looked at the ways in which Parliament as opposed to Government can really become an Democracy, a very ancient system of governance that can be traced back ernance, to climate change, to equity and equality, institution for change for advancement. For exam- as far as 5 BC in Athens, has, through the years, evolved to the versions to vulnerable groups, to so many issues that affect ple, I noted how parliamentary caucuses, parlia- used around the world today. The word is commonly translated to mean us. And they also mention support that the inter- mentary committees, focusing on specific areas, “power to the people”. national organizations are willing to give countries such as ours, Small Island Developing States, sup- have been very important. These would be bipar- port in terms of strengthening our data collection tisan committees, working on some critical issues, Trinidad and Tobago subscribes to the type of head of state serves as the ceremonial repre- systems or the kind of aid that countries are willing have been very useful in other parts of the Com- democracy referred to as representative democra- sentative of the country. Throughout the to give and I think that there needs to be a much monwealth. So that I think that we have to find a cy. This is where a group of people are elected and world, there are more parliamentary systems more robust discussion of these kinds of agree- way to make parliament more useful in terms of assigned the task of making decisions on behalf of in the world than presidential democracies. ments to which our governments are signatories. taking our development, our politics, our social the group of citizens that they represent.