Outta Timing Utterances

​Outta Timing Utterances
Within this 21st century, I have had on too many occasions to marvel, gasp or been befuddled by the totally misplaced sense of timing of our national political leaders in their choice of occasion on which to make certain utterances.
On one occasion, the PM, chose a political platform, unprotected by his accustomed privilege in Parliament, to launch a libellous attack on a prominent citizen which caused him to pay a record sum in damages (compensation) for denigrating that citizen’s character.
The two who followed in their own turns in the office chose their addresses at international fora not to extol the country’s achievements or policy prescriptions for hemispheric or global approval.
Sadly, they used the occasion of multilateral gathering to “wash we dirty linen in public” by pontificating on domestic political squabbles. The first was in his address to the Summit of the Americas, being the host no less. The second was in her address to the United Nations General Assembly.
I suppose the latter two felt safe to do so, the troubles of their predecessor out of their contemplation.
Last weekend, speaking as the Political Leader of his party at its Convention, in a speech denigrating those in our society “captured by self and partisan interest” and those “driven not by love and patriotism but by …self-interest and self-protection”, the current national leader declared: “I have directed the Minister of Finance to take the necessary steps to lift the tax free limit on separated Petrotrin workers from $300,000 to $500,000, leaving more cash in the hands of the workers to help them get over this hurdle.”.
The Leader was at that point in his speech congratulating himself for “putting the country before party”. His entire speech and a lot said at the convention decried the concern of others about winning elections and extolled his party as NOT “captured by self and partisan interest”.
But, in the context of the single largest mass dismissal directed by his party in government, 5,500 put on the breadline by the closure of Petrotrin and 503 TSTT workers retrenched just 72 hours before his speech, this political leader used his party platform to announce that “Ï have directed” a tax measure to benefit a selected group of workers.
Let me explain why this statement was just so outta timing.
The direction he gave to the Minister of Finance to “lift” (increase) the tax-free limit on termination benefits of Petrotrin workers can only be implemented by Parliamentary amendment to the Income Tax Act and not by the Minister of Finance.
That is the first point. This exemption is not in a regulation which the Minister can change.
Section 5 (6) (a) of the Income Tax Act, Chapter 75:01 of the Laws of T&T is where such exemption is to be found. The limit of that exemption from income tax for monies paid to workers on retrenchment or retirement was first increased from $80,000 to $100,000 by amendment passed in the Finance Act 1983 and again in 2003 to the current $300,000 by passage of the Income Tax (Amendment) (No.2) Act.
So, to increase it further would require another amending Act.
The second point is. On no occasion, when first introduced and when amended has this exemption from taxation been directed to any specific group of workers employed by the state or any particular company.
This political leader does not even suggest that tax exemption apply to the 503 (soon to be 700) TSTT workers retrenched by email just a couple days before his speech.
Legislation to target specific individuals is what in legal terms is described as ad hominem legislation and is considered wrong.
In fact, this political leader in this very speech berated and denounced the previous party-in-power for bringing ad hominem legislation in section 34 calling it a “legislative scam”.
Now, no doubt with an eye on elections, this political leader uses his party convention to announce his own “legislative scam” to curry favour with the 5500 Petrotrin workers out of a job this month end.  
This leader of the party-in-power knows that to raise the income tax exemption limit for ALL retrenched or retired workers, all he has to do is put a Bill or Parliament.
He was present in the then administration when the limit was increased in 2003 and possibly the time before that in 1983. So, he knows full well what the RIGHT THING is TO DO, if he really is “putting the country before party”.
But, like his three predecessors he has chosen the wrong occasion and made the wrong utterance.
Oh, how we long for the day when we can have leaders who do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
 
Clyde Weatherhead
A Citizen Fighting for
Good Governance and
Democratic Renewal of
Our Society
November 21, 2018
 

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