PM: Tobago autonomy legislation coming this fiscal year

Senior Reporter

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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the law to provide Tobago with autonomy will be brought to Parliament this fiscal year.

The Prime Minister gave this pledge in the House of Representatives yesterday, as she delivered the Government’s legislative agenda.

She began her delivery with reference to Tobago and the call for autonomy, and the recent Tobago House of Assembly victory by the Tobago People’s Party.

Persad-Bissessar said, “I don’t know if the Blue Wash in Tobago caused the (PNM’s) PoS North MP to get very agitated. If I were them, that blue was a real washout! So we’re looking now for the Blue Wave vessel landing in Tobago.”

The House yesterday was expected to debate a Tobago House of Assembly Amendment Bill 2026 to increase THA secretaries from seven to 11.

Persad-Bissessar added, “We’ve promised greater autonomy to the people of Tobago, and today is a first step in that direction, as we bring the THA amendment bill to this House.

“We want to congratulate the people of Tobago on making their total and outright rejection of the PNM, and congratulate Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and his party and his team for their landslide victory in Tobago.”

Persad-Bissessar said the Government will complete “that which has gathered dust for the past ten years.”

She added, “My Government is committed to enacting legislation to entrench the position of Tobago as an equal autonomous partner of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. To that end, we shall move expeditiously to analyse the provisions of legislation drafted previously.”

The Prime Minister added that in consultation with Augustine, an efficient law will be drafted which clearly establishes Tobago’s “place in the sun” as an equal partner in T&T.

“We will work with the THA and their teams to bring to Parliament, after consultations, the Constitution Amendment Bill 2026 and the Tobago Self-Government Bill 2026…in this fiscal year.”

Persad-Bissessar said she met on Thursday with Augustine and “we’re committed to get this done in the shortest possible time. They deserve it … and we will work as hard as we can to make sure that it happens.”