Jack Warner and Keith Rowley squared off in the House of Representatives Wednesday over the question of ethic imbalance in state boards, with the Works and Transport Minister pointing out that the former PNM government showed a preference for one group.
The matter came up during the opposition leader's private motion asking the Parliament to condemn former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Nizam Mohammed for stating that there was an ethnic imbalance in the police service and that he would correct it.
Warner dealt with that issue by noting that Mohammed paid the price for his irresponsible statement.
However Rowley was not content to keep his comments to the Mohammed issue. He suggested that the People's Partnership government is biased in favour citizens of Indian origin in making appointments to state boards, citing some board where there is a dominance of people of Indian origin.
Warner shot back with figures comparing the record of the new government as opposed to that of the previous PNM administration.
The chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) said under the the PNM there was an under representation of Indians. "Of the boards appointed 508 (members) were non-Indians and 138 were Indians", he stated, adding that was 79 per cent non-Indians and 21 per cent were Indians.
By contrast, Warner said, the People's Partnership made the same number of appointments - 508 - of which the appointments 47 per cent are non-Indian and 53 per cent Indian. "So what are you trying to prove?" he demanded of Rowley.
Warner went further to show that the the PNM's team in the Parliament reflected a lack of ethnic balance.
"Look at the composition of your whole team and you tell me in your 12 members, who is of East Indian origin? Your party couldn't put an East Indian in Diego Martin North East? In Port of Spain South? In Laventille West? Look at the 12 of you and tell me who is East Indian?" Warner asked.
Not to be outdone Rowley accused Attorney General Anand Ramlogan of raising an ethnic issue when he went to Trinidad and Tobago's diplomatic mission in New York last November.
Rowley said staff members reported to him that "the Attorney General paid a visit to the mission and on entry to the mission the only thing he was interested in from his opening comment was the ethnic composition of the mission and he made comments openly to the staff about the ethnic composition and raised questions about the need to fix it".
Speaker Wade Mark challenged Rowley on that, stating that Rowley was imputing improper motives about the conduct of a member and ruled it as being out of order.
However Rowley insisted that he was making a statement of fact.
"I am imputing nothing. I am moving to the point that the position taken by the PSC Chairman raises questions as to whether he was on his own as a maverick with this ridiculous position he had. Was it an individual position or does it point to a wider policy of the Government?" Rowley asked.
Warner challenged Rowley on his "facts" and produced documentary evidence to show that Ramlogan has not visited New York since taking office nearly one year ago. He demanded an apology from the opposition leader which he did not get.
The matter came up during the opposition leader's private motion asking the Parliament to condemn former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Nizam Mohammed for stating that there was an ethnic imbalance in the police service and that he would correct it.
Warner dealt with that issue by noting that Mohammed paid the price for his irresponsible statement.
However Rowley was not content to keep his comments to the Mohammed issue. He suggested that the People's Partnership government is biased in favour citizens of Indian origin in making appointments to state boards, citing some board where there is a dominance of people of Indian origin.
Warner shot back with figures comparing the record of the new government as opposed to that of the previous PNM administration.
The chairman of the United National Congress (UNC) said under the the PNM there was an under representation of Indians. "Of the boards appointed 508 (members) were non-Indians and 138 were Indians", he stated, adding that was 79 per cent non-Indians and 21 per cent were Indians.
By contrast, Warner said, the People's Partnership made the same number of appointments - 508 - of which the appointments 47 per cent are non-Indian and 53 per cent Indian. "So what are you trying to prove?" he demanded of Rowley.
Warner went further to show that the the PNM's team in the Parliament reflected a lack of ethnic balance.
"Look at the composition of your whole team and you tell me in your 12 members, who is of East Indian origin? Your party couldn't put an East Indian in Diego Martin North East? In Port of Spain South? In Laventille West? Look at the 12 of you and tell me who is East Indian?" Warner asked.
Not to be outdone Rowley accused Attorney General Anand Ramlogan of raising an ethnic issue when he went to Trinidad and Tobago's diplomatic mission in New York last November.
Rowley said staff members reported to him that "the Attorney General paid a visit to the mission and on entry to the mission the only thing he was interested in from his opening comment was the ethnic composition of the mission and he made comments openly to the staff about the ethnic composition and raised questions about the need to fix it".
Speaker Wade Mark challenged Rowley on that, stating that Rowley was imputing improper motives about the conduct of a member and ruled it as being out of order.
However Rowley insisted that he was making a statement of fact.
"I am imputing nothing. I am moving to the point that the position taken by the PSC Chairman raises questions as to whether he was on his own as a maverick with this ridiculous position he had. Was it an individual position or does it point to a wider policy of the Government?" Rowley asked.
Warner challenged Rowley on his "facts" and produced documentary evidence to show that Ramlogan has not visited New York since taking office nearly one year ago. He demanded an apology from the opposition leader which he did not get.
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