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FORMER public utilities and national security minister Marvin Gonzales has questioned the lack of diversity on the boards of state agencies which have been appointed since the UNC won the April 28 general election.
He raised these questions at a news conference at the Opposition Leader’s Office, Charles Street, Port of Spain, on July 16.
“When I look at it I wonder if we are living in Bangladesh or (New) Delhi.
“That’s all I can say.”
When asked to elaborate on that statement, Gonzales said, “As a minister of government in the PNM government, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, can tell you the pains at which we went through as a cabinet to appoint state boards.”
Gadsby-Dolly, who served as education minister and community development, culture and the arts minister at different times under the former PNM government from September 2015-April 2025, was also at the briefing.
Gonzales said, “You could not bring a cabinet note by (former prime minister) Dr Keith Christopher Rowley with only a certain race being represented. It must represent Trinidad and Tobago.”
He added,”That is how a PNM cabinet conducted itself.”
Gonzales said, “As far as the PNM is concerned, the appointment of state boards...and persons and citizens who are qualified to serve on state boards...they must represent a diverse society like TT.”
He claimed this has not been happening with the appointment of people to boards of state entities since the UNC assumed office.
Gonzales recalled Rowley questioning cabinet ministers about the composition of state boards, if the boards were dominated by people of any particular ethnicity.
“He will ask you directly is that board being taken from India...if it only represents a particular race...or is it a board from Ghana?”
Gonzales recalled former finance minister Colm Imbert asked similar questions when it came to people being proposed for appointments to state boards.
“I remember minister Imbert as the corporation sole would ask you even before cabinet, is that a board from Mozambique?”
He claimed since the election, the state boards which have been appointed so far, lack the diversity which he referred to.
“What we are seeing here today...by the UNC government...if it does not trouble you...then I don’t know what will trouble us as a society.”
Gonzales repeated that while the UNC is accusing the PNM of creating jobs for the boys and girls while it was in office, the UNC is doing the same thing now.
“Look at who are the UNC girls and the UNC boys.”
He claimed many of these people are affiliated with UNC government ministers or with the party.
Gonzales said a UNC campaign was recently appointed as a manger in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP).
The Rural Development and Local Government Ministry is the line ministry for this programme. On July 14, Gonzales rejected allegations from Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen that a feeding frenzy was taking place at URP under the former PNM administration.
Gonzales said any evidence of wrongdoing in any programme such as Cepep or URP should be taken to the relevant authorities and “let the chips fall where they may.”
Ameen subsequently said she will take the information she has to the police soon.
Gonzales repeated his dismissal of previous claims by Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath about members of a company contracted by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to do a particular job being aligned to the PNM.
He said it is the constitutional right of any citizen to belong to a political party if they chose to do so. Gonzales repeated it is wrong for people to be unable to conduct legitimate business or seek legitimate employment purely on the basis of their political affiliation.
He said, “If we have to go through the companies register and look at directors and look at their association with any political organisation...be it PNM and UNC and what have you...and then point to that...as if something is wrong with it...then we are going down a very dangerous road.”
Gonzales added, “It is blatant political hypocrisy that we should not tolerate in this country.”
From December 26, 2001, to May 25, 2010, Hazel Manning served as a government senator and government minister while her husband Patrick Manning was prime minister.
She was education minister from December 26, 2001, to November 7, 2007.
Manning was later local government minister from November 8, 2007, - May 25, 2010.
She never contested any general election as a PNM candidate.
La Brea MP and Minister in the Public Utilities Ministry Clyde Elder rejected Gonzales’ statements about a lack of diversity on state boards and relatives of UNC government ministers being appointed as directors on state boards.
“When Mr Manning appointed his wife as minister of education, what were Mr Gonzales’ thoughts then?”
Elder asked what was Gonzales’ position when former speaker of the House of Representatives’ Bridgid Annisette-George’s husband Newman George was appointed as Paria Fuel Trading Company chairman under the PNM.
He confirmed his wife is a member of the new South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA).
“My wife is a registered nurse, a midwife and an attorney at law and well and properly qualified to sit on the Board of SWRHA. As a citizen, she is entitled to hold a position in any organisation, state or privately owned and being my wife must not and should not ever disqualify her for any opportunity available.”
Earlier in the briefing, Gonzales said Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is currently in the US meeting with members of the TT diaspora there.
He added Beckles, who was elected unopposed as PNM political leader on June 22, will return home next week.
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