Originally published on Friday 25 March 2022 wired868

“Order!” shouted the Speaker of the House Bridgid Annisette-George. “Order!”

“Prime Minister,” the Speaker had already said three times while on her feet. Ignoring her, the Prime Minister continued his rant in response to what seemed to me to be a reasonable question from Naparima MP Rodney Charles.

The Speaker was not, however, moved to ask the Prime Minister to leave the House. Nor to adjourn the sitting.

That disconcerting sequence brought to my mind the 1967 Calypso Monarch the Mighty Cypher who sang ‘If the priest could play, who is me?’ If the Prime Minister disrespects the Speaker of the House in Parliament, then what are we to expect from the other members of Parliament?

What are we to expect from young men on the streets? What are we to expect from public servants in their daily interactions with the people they serve?

If the prime minister cannot control his anger, then what are we to expect of ordinary citizens?

I sincerely hope the Speaker has had the courage to have a private conversation with the Prime Minister, the very official who nominated her to her post. I sincerely hope she has advised him that any recurrence will be dealt with severely.

But it also makes me wonder whether, if the speaker were male, such disrespect would have prevailed. The last male PNM speaker of the House was Barendra Sinanan, MP, who presided from 2002 to 2010 and I seem to recall a different tone and general ambiance in the House.

Am I viewing things through ‘rose-tinted’ lenses or did parliamentarians behave in a more dignified manner then? Were they or weren’t they more deferential and respectful in the way they conducted themselves?

The average citizen tends to look to the party in power for leadership. Therefore, those who hold the reins of power are obligated to set a tone that is calming and collaborative rather than aggressive and disrespectful. Instead, we frequently witness tones of aggression, anger, and violence.

In these times of uncertainty and turmoil, we need leadership that is calm and purposeful. What I saw in Parliament was a prime minister, an employee of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, who felt it necessary to remind us that he is the prime minister and to suggest that the opposition member should go to Guyana or Barbados.

Had he been in complete control, he may have taken a deep breath and responded in a way that was much less aggressive and violent.

Almost simultaneously on television, the US Senate hearing for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson was in progress. In stark contrast, I saw a female leader maintaining her grace and dignity for many hours while under severe provocation and pressure.

Many of us here in T&T feel stuck and hopeless. It is an ideal opportunity for the leadership to intervene and change the tone from hopelessness to optimism.

I seem to remember, Prime Minister, that when you were asking for our vote, you implied that you would take leadership down a different path. Instead, whether it is in the Parliament, at a political meeting or at a news conference, we continue to be subjected to your language of violence and aggression.

I shall continue monitoring the parliamentary proceedings and I sincerely hope never again to witness the Speaker calling repeatedly but in vain for order to be restored.

If we are to reduce the level of violence in our country, our leaders, indeed, all our politicians must begin to always show respect for each other, for their employers (the citizens of T&T), and pour soothing oil on already troubled waters.

Dennise Demming Originally published on Tuesday 15 March 2022 in Wired868

Dear Bliss,

On behalf of the Prime Minister and the people of Trinidad and Tobago, I apologise for any anxiety and pain you have experienced over the past six months because our Prime Minister refused to admit that he was the official who, on 12 August 2021, intervened and diverted your attention away from delivering the Merit List of candidates for the post of commissioner of police to the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

That single action on his part led to the collapse of the Police Service Commission which you chaired, the President’s Office being viewed with a strong ‘side-eye’ and the further undermining of our citizens’ trust in public office.

Many persons who accept government appointments expect to bring their knowledge and expertise to make a positive difference to the running of the institution. Their roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined either in a statute, a legal document or in the State Enterprise Performance Manual as is the case with appointments to state boards. So, when a Chair comes across overt interference, (s)he is often blindsided.

In this case, I am sure you read and understood the following statement contained in your appointment document about the safeguards. ‘Commissions,’ it says, ‘are free from ministerial control.’

You may also have taken seriously this statement: ‘The fundamental principles inherent in all the regulations are those of fairness, equality, and justice.’

Well, Bliss, you now know that there is an expectation by whoever appoints citizens that you will not act according to the procedures outlined or according to what your board has decided but that you will simply carry out the instructions of the line minister.

You may not agree with me, but this action by our Prime Minister is a clear indication of how undemocratic our country has become. Led by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, our politicians feel that, once elected to office, they can take whatever action they want and even attempt to avoid scrutiny by suggesting to the media that the ‘rahrah’ is just noise.

If further confirmation were needed that there is a hidden hand of power manipulating every action taken in every sphere of life in our country, then this admission by our PM provides it.

No wonder the Procurement Act has been watered down. No wonder persons on boards are often lacking the basic competencies to lead anything. The fact that our PM felt empowered to stymie an official procedure and prevent the list from reaching the President of the Republic as provided makes me question his ethics and values.

Our democracy is under threat. Citizens need to take stock, take a stand and send a clear message that this is unacceptable.

The Prime Minister’s action in preventing the Merit List from reaching the President of the Republic came to public attention. But, I wonder, how many other legitimate actions have been thwarted by the Prime Minister or his ministers? How many contracts have been awarded because he so directed? How many appointments to prime jobs have been made because he took action?

My imagination can run wild.

Bliss, between 12 August 2021 and 14 March 2022, your reputation has taken a big hit. But, I wonder, has anything really changed after six months of a Shaggy-esque pretense that it wasn’t me and allowing speculation to run wild?

Yours in defence of our democracy,

Dennise Demming

Originally published on March 9, 2022 on https://wired868.com/2022/03/09/demming-paria-lmcs-blame-game-exposed-lack-of-preparedness-at-both-companies/?fbclid=IwAR0oIoKvQ-_-NK7ka1_cVpymbhxo8aSK3BF0SKFym6rVLnn0UlnUtMvfwrU

The blame game continues about what really caused the death of the four divers employed by LMCS Ltd (formerly Land and Marine Contracting Services Limited) on premises belonging to Paria Fuel Trading.

The public blaming and shaming are coming from all directions and continue to fuel confusion about what happened. All of this simply deepens my mistrust in our public institutions and confirms once again our broken systems and processes.

Since 1902 when Randolph Rust struck oil in the Guayaguayare forest, Trinidad and Tobago has been producing oil. Since 1902, it seems, we have repeatedly taken a non-collaborative approach to analysing our oil disasters.

It is high time we changed that and started cooperating to establish one investigative committee and livestream the proceedings for all to see. Step-by-step public accountability should be the best moral disinfectant to clear the air and provide information for the world to see.

I am stunned that the Opposition UNC appears to be lurking in the shadows, just waiting to pounce on any entry point to damage the government while the government appears to be standing still, almost as bystanders rather than as leaders. Meanwhile, the population is saddened and traumatised by this tragedy and the daily reminders of the death and the pain spawned by its continuing lead story status in the local media.

In my opinion, Paria and LMCS are equally to blame and have both demonstrated a total ignorance of or disregard for standard operating procedures in times of crisis. Had there been regular table-top exercises to simulate potential disasters, all concerned would have known their roles and responsibilities and lives would possibly have been saved.

There would be no accusation that LMCS was not allowed entry because the disaster plan would have been activated and everyone would have been operating under emergency conditions.

The fact that LMCS issued a public statement full 11 days after the disaster leads me to conclude that there was no holding statement in place. In their media statement, they seek to take the moral high ground by affirming that their concern is for the families. I have no reason to doubt that. But, I ask, why so long a delay before making a public statement?

Might it be that in the 11 days since February 25, LMCS has been consulting with whoever they must in a bid to find sufficient fabric to cover their behind?

Paria did a little better. Still, their actions demonstrate a lack of preparedness to manage both the crisis and the communications about the crisis. It is painful for me to accept that, despite a 35-year career with companies like bptt, Methanex, and NewGen, the Paria CEO presided over such ineffectiveness.

Here is an opportunity for all to collaborate in the national interest. These players must have the courage to draw a line in the sand and say, “Let us come together and plan a way forward.” This bacchanalian approach is simply damaging our country and adding more pain to all involved.

I wonder how this is being viewed globally. I wonder how the energy companies on the ground are responding to this lack of professionalism and pre-planning. These deaths have already been recorded as a major disaster. That is highly unlikely to be the kind of message that encourages any conglomerate to say, “Ah! Here is a country where my venture can thrive and grow.”

If these multiple private investigations are held, I guarantee you that some premature, unfinished version of the report will be leaked, the public will get the wrong information, and the blaming and shaming will continue to be aimed in the wrong direction.

Ultimately, it is Trinidad and Tobago that will be the losers. Our collective pride will continue to suffer serious blows.

Sigh… How long before this era of incompetence comes to an end?