Leader of the Opposition Ralph Gonsalves identifies what he characterizes as a “chain of events” during the first few months of the New Democratic Party (NDP) government that demonstrate a clear undemocratic tendency and a disregard for transparency. His analysis highlights several specific areas of concern:
Gonsalves critiques Prime Minister Friday for engaging his son in the Prime Minister’s office without a clearly defined role or involvement from the Public Service Commission. He argues that this treats the government as a “family affair” or “private business” rather than a public institution. Furthermore, he notes that legitimate parliamentary questions regarding this role were blocked by the Speaker, which he views as “undemocratic to the core”.
The analysis points to the introduction of “self-serving” bills intended to protect the Prime Minister and an official named Bramble in an active court case regarding their citizenship and passports. Gonsalves asserts that these bills were brought to parliament with only seven days’ notice and no public discussion, seeking to retroactively amend the constitution to influence a live legal matter.
A major theme in Gonsalves’ analysis is the government’s attempt to bypass established constitutional bodies:
- Public Service Commission: He claims the Minister of National Security has been granted powers normally reserved for the Public Service Commission regarding the appointment of “servants of the crown” through the Advanced Passenger Information and Personal Name Record Bill.
- Police Service Commission: Gonsalves accuses Minister Leacock of seeking to “gut the constitution” by personally announcing police promotions and appointments—functions that legally belong to the Police Service Commission and the Commissioner of Police. Specifically, he mentions the attempt to promote a “station sergeant” directly to “assistant commissioner,” skipping four ranks, and putting a former politician (Smith) in charge of police human resources to politicize the force.
Gonsalves highlights amendments to the Audit Act that he claims “criminalize” the leaking of information. While the bill mentions a $10,000 fine, he explains that under Section 29 of the Criminal Code, the court can impose up to one year of imprisonment if the fine is not paid, effectively creating a “camouflage” for potential jail terms for whistleblowers.
The analysis describes a pattern of “firing” public sector employees—such as “yes mobilizers and coordinators”—and replacing them with party supporters. Gonsalves also expresses alarm over the politicization of road works and state assistance:
- Constituency Offices: He claims that hiring for road cleaning and providing social assistance is now being channeled through political constituency offices rather than professional state agencies like BRAGSA.
- Selective Assistance: He asserts that ordinary citizens are being denied traditional state help (like scholarships or welfare) and are instead told to “take a loan,” while the government selectively hands out jobs to supporters.
Gonsalves concludes that these actions represent an “Orwellian” approach, where the government speaks of transparency while acting in the opposite manner, threatening the country’s standing in international rankings for democracy and civil rights.
