A distant relative of PNM Tunapuna MP Esmond Forde is currently employed at his constituency office and UNC Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Christine Newallo-Hosein was once employed at former UNC MP Jack Warner’s Chaguanas West office from 2007.
This is among information found on a list of employees for 40 constituency offices from 2010 to 2016. The information was released by the Parliament to Fixin’ T&T’s Kirk Waithe following a question he filed on constituency office employees, under the Freedom of Information Act.
Waithe sought similar information on PNM Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald in March.
It revealed that Michael Carew and his brother, Lennox, were hired at her constituency office during the years 2010-2015 and 2010-2011, respectively. Michael Carew was described by some as McDonald’s “husband.” Waithe called for the Integrity Commission to probe this.
McDonald, whom Waithe had made other allegations against with regard to the Calabar Foundation and assisting Michael Carew to “get” an HDC house, was later fired from the Government on March 17.
McDonald sought clarification from Parliament on her situation via a March 22 letter to the Clerk of the House attempting to find out if any violation occurred with the employment of Michael and Lennox Carew.
The March 22 letter stated Carew was employed from June 2010 to September 7, 2015, and that parliament’s 2010-2015 guideline manual stated MPs shouldn’t hire members of their immediate family, defined as “spouse, children or parents.”
It was pointed out that Carew was “neither spouse, child nor parent.” The letter also noted that when new guidelines were introduced this term, Carew was no longer employed at the office. It also stated Lennox Carew was employed from 2010 to 2011 and there was no breach as he was not among restricted groups outlined in the 2010-2015 guidelines.
After McDonald, UNC MPs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Barry Padarath, Bhoe Tewarie and Rushton Paray all confirmed they had relatives working at their respective offices.
Those people are no longer employed, save in Paray’s case. He said it was a distant relative and was approved by Parliament.
In information released by Waithe yesterday, in the Tunapuna constituency office the list of ten employees for 2016 showed a woman carrying Forde’s name, hyphenated with another name. The woman was listed as a personal assistant with a salary of $5,000 monthly.
MP Forde told T&T Guardian, she was a “pumpkin vine” relative who wasn’t even a first cousin.
“It’s true, she’s worked with me since November 2, 2015, but she doesn’t fall within the categories of relatives prohibited in latest parliament guidelines,” Forde said.
He said he checked with parliament’s legal adviser and the PNM’s legal adviser and had received the all-clear.
In Chaguanas West, where 36 employees were listed at one time, Newallo-Hosein is among those employed from 2007 to 2010 (at $7,500) but no information was available for her after 2010. Also listed among employees is ILP’s Sunil Ramjitsingh. In Lopinot/Bon Air, several people had double designations with two salaries, though some have been terminated.
Listing for Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s Diego Martin West office includes a $6,000 salary for a man for whom there was no job title in 2010. The person was listed as a driver in subsequent years. UNC leader Persad-Bissessar’s Siparia office had ten employees with salaries between $2,500 and $14,000. PNM’s San Fernando West office in 2016 has a clerical officer/office manager earning $18,000.
Former government minister Morgan Job is listed as a researcher (at $15,000) at the UNC’s Oropouche West office this term.
PARLIAMENT RULES
Parliament’s 2010-2015 guidelines state that MPs “should not hire members of their immediate family, (defined as spouse, children or parents) to work in their constituency office.”
The 2015-2020 manual restricts the employment of relatives including spouses; co-habitants; children/step-children/adopted children/grandchildren; parents/step-parents/grandparents; siblings; nephews/nieces; uncles/aunts; cousins.