To those who follow our parliamentary proceedings it must be obvious that each Parliament develops and therefore projects its own sort of collective image and signature. Possibly this is what former parliamentarian and founder-member of the PNM Kamaluddin Mohammed had in mind in a television interview about earlier parliamentary personalities when he opined that the quality of the debates on both sides was not up to par with earlier parliaments. There can be no doubt that there will be differences as people come and go, times change and political attitudes shift. »

It was another sweltering afternoon of the rainy season. I happened to be close to a radio and it came at last. It was a media conference as strange as the burning heat in the midst of the rainy season. »

Parliamentarians throughout the world are often chided for exhibiting, while at their appointed or elected task, a childish obsession with the trivial and sexual. However, they reached their nadir in Trinidad last week. According to a report, they talked sheet and more sheet and then continued to talk sheet. For the record, the report was in plain unvarnished English and not a verbal summary by someone with a Mexican accent. It was actually an excellent cover story. »

Regrettably, the standing of Caricom, both regionally and internationally, is now at one of its lowest points when the people of the region need it to be at its strongest. »

It is said there is no greater tragedy than for a parent to lose a child. Yet how much sharper the sting must be when the child dies from a preventable cause. In the past week, three children have been killed-in a car accident, by electrocution and from pneumonia. They were aged, respectively, six years, three years, and 13 months. Every death was accidental, but they were all accidents where, if the adults had perhaps been more knowledgeable, these children might still be with them. »

Sports Minister Gary Hunt has been getting a lot of stick for his remark that ’you can’t put a price on national pride.’ Leading commentators like radio talkshow host Anil Roberts have pointed to the fact that the $2 million spent on a giant Trinidad and Tobago flag could have paid for an operation to save the life of a nine-year-old girl in Sea Lots, whose mother is trying to raise money to get the child an operation overseas. Retired diplomat Reginald Dumas stated bluntly in a TV6 interview that he had ’never heard such rubbish coming from a Minister of Government in this country or in any other country for a long time.’ »