The Tobago House of Assembly is moving swiftly to secure greater autonomy for the island.
That assurance came from Chief Secretary Farley Augustine during a media briefing on Sunday.
Addressing a recent motion brought before the Assembly last Friday, Mr. Augustine expressed pride in his Executive Council’s performance in his absence, noting that the decision to prioritise the matter was deliberate.
“When we discussed it as the Exec Council meeting prior to me departing for St. Kitts, we decided we wanted to go into the House and have this as our first major motion because when I tell you I want us to move quickly. I want us to move efficiently and quickly. Speed and efficiency can happen in the same room.”
Mr. Augustine reiterated that the legislative process must be finalised by the end of 2026, stressing the importance of meeting key timelines.
“My insistence is that by the end of this calendar year we must have those bills before Parliament. We must have it passed. That will then give us a period in which we do the necessary build out because it is not a matter of passing it today and everything falling in place the next day. We will need some time thereafter to build out all of the structures, the forms and so on of the government.”
On Friday, Assemblyman Trevor James piloted a motion underscoring the push for a Tobago Referendum, a move expected to pave the way towards achieving long-awaited autonomy for the island.