Tobago House of Assembly

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) is a unicameral devolved legislative body responsible for the island of Tobago within the unitary state of Trinidad and Tobago. The THA was re-established in 1980<ref name="VisitTobago">Tobago Division Of Tourism – About Tobago, Governance Template:Webarchive</ref> to rectify some of the disparities in the relationship between the two islands; a prior body of the same name existed from 1768 to 1874.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In addition to the normal local government functions, the THA handles many of the responsibilities of the central government, but has limited ability to collect taxes and to impose local law or zoning regulations. At the helm of the Assembly Legislature is the Presiding Officer with the fifteen elected assemblymen, and four appointed councillors. Three of the councillors are appointed on the advice on the Chief Secretary and one on the advice of the Minority Leader. The Chief Secretary is the leader of the majority party in the assembly and is at the helm of the Executive arm of the THA.<ref name="Tobago-HA">About the Assembly (THA), Tobago House of Assembly</ref>

The current Chief Secretary of Tobago is Farley Chavez Augustine who is the second youngest Chief Secretary in history, in office since December 6, 2021. He was elected as a member of the PDP but left the party to first become an independent in 2022, then later setting up his own political party the Tobago People's Party.

History

The first THA elections were held on November 24, 1980. The Democratic Action Congress led by A.N.R. Robinson won eight seats and the People's National Movement (PNM) won four seats (a reversal of the 1977 County Council elections in which the PNM won seven seats and the DAC 4). The DAC went on to win the 1984 elections by a margin of 11–1 over the PNM. The National Alliance for Reconstruction (into which the DAC merged in 1986) continued to dominate the THA winning the 1988 elections, and the 1992 elections by an 11-1 margin over the PNM. It won the 1996 elections by a margin of 10–2, with the PNM and an independent candidate winning one seat each.

In the 2001 elections the PNM gained control of the THA, winning 8 seats to the NAR's four. The PNM consolidated their hold on the THA in the January 2005 elections winning 11 seats while the DAC (which reformed after splintering from the NAR in 2004) gained a single seat.

In the 2009 elections held on January 19, 2009, the PNM won 8 seats while a new party, the Tobago Organization of the People won 4 seats.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 2013 elections, the TOP was defeated in a landslide by the PNM, losing the 4 seats it held previously, giving the PNM complete control of the THA.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, Chief Secretary Orville London asked Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to introduce a bill in the country's parliament that would change the country's constitution to allow the President of the Republic to choose two independent councillors at his/her discretion to serve as opposition in the THA in the event of a 12-0 election result.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As of 2021, the THA employed about 60% of Tobago's working population.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Assembly was expanded to 15 members from the December 2021 election.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In December 2022, 13 members of the PDP left the party to govern as independents in 2022, and in 2023 set up the Tobago People's Party.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="TTGuardianAugustine">Template:Cite news</ref>

Current Assembly Members

Incumbent		Party	Electoral District
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Natisha Charles Pantin	TPP	Bagatelle/Bacolet
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Watson Duke	PDP	Roxborough/Argyle
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Terance Baynes	TPP	Bethel/New Grange
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Kelvon Morris	PNM	Darrell Spring/Whim
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Sonny Grieg	TPP	Buccoo/Mount Pleasant
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Joel Sampson	TPP	Bon Accord/Crown Point
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Faith B. Yisrael	TPP	Belle Garden/Glamorgan
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Nigel Taitt	TPP	Signal Hill/Patience Hill
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Farley Chavez Augustine	TPP	Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Zorisha Hackett	TPP	Bethesda/Les Coteaux
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Ian Pollard	TPP	Mason Hall/Moriah
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Trevor James	TPP	Scarborough/Mt Grace
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Megan Morrison	TPP	Mt St George/Goodwood
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Wane Clarke	TPP	Lambeau/Lowlands
style="background:Template:Party colour " |	Niall George	TPP	Plymouth/Black Rock

Party Divisions by Assembly

Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Progressive Democratic Patriots|Template:Black		Total seats
12th	Monday, 6 December 2021	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |1	Template:Party shading/Progressive Democratic Patriots |14		15
11th	Monday, 25 January 2021	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |6	Template:Party shading/Progressive Democratic Patriots |6		12
10th	Monday, 23 January 2017	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |10	Template:Party shading/Progressive Democratic Patriots |2		12
Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]			Total seats
9th	Monday, 21 January 2013	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |12			12
Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Organisation of the People|Template:Black]]		Total seats
8th	Monday, 19 January 2009	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |8	Template:Party shading/Tobago Organisation of the People |4		12
Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Democratic Action Congress|Template:White]]		Total seats
7th	Monday, 17 January 2005	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |11	Template:Party shading/Democratic Action Congress |1		12
Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[National Alliance for Reconstruction|Template:White]]		Total seats
6th	Monday, 29 January 2001	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |8	Template:Party shading/National Alliance for Reconstruction |4		12
Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[National Alliance for Reconstruction|Template:White]]	Independent	Total seats
5th	Monday, 9 December 1996	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |1	Template:Party shading/National Alliance for Reconstruction |10	1	12
4th	Monday, 7 December 1992	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |1	Template:Party shading/National Alliance for Reconstruction |11		12
3rd	Tuesday, 29 November 1988	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |1	Template:Party shading/National Alliance for Reconstruction |11		12
Session	Election	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Democratic Action Congress|Template:White]]		Total seats
2nd	Monday, 26 November 1984	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |1	Template:Party shading/Democratic Action Congress |11		12
1st	Monday, 24 November 1980	Template:Party shading/Tobago Council of the People's National Movement |4	Template:Party shading/Democratic Action Congress |8		12

Election Year		Chairman		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Democratic Action Congress|Template:White]]	Independent	Total seats
1st	1980	A. N. R. Robinson Template:Small	File:A. N. R. Robinson (cropped).jpg	DAC wins control of the House of Assembly under A. N. R. Robinson, forming the first Tobagonian government.	4	8		12
Election Year		Chairman		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Democratic Action Congress|Template:White]]	Independent	Total seats
2nd	1984	A. N. R. Robinson Template:Small	File:A. N. R. Robinson (cropped).jpg	DAC forms another government under A. N. R. Robinson. The DAC merges with other political parties to form the NAR.	1	11		12
Election Year		Chairman		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[National Alliance for Reconstruction|Template:Black]]	Independent	Total seats
3rd	1988	Jefferson Davidson Template:Small	File:Male portrait placeholder cropped.jpg	NAR forms another government under Jefferson Davidson.	1	11		12
Election Year		Chairman		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[National Alliance for Reconstruction|Template:Black]]	Independent	Total seats
4th	1992	Lennox Denoon Template:Small	File:Male portrait placeholder cropped.jpg	NAR forms another government under Lennox Denoon.	1	11		12
Election Year		Chairman		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[National Alliance for Reconstruction|Template:Black]]	Independent	Total seats
5th	1996	Hochoy Charles Template:Small	File:Male portrait placeholder cropped.jpg	NAR forms another government under Hochoy Charles.	1	10	1	12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[National Alliance for Reconstruction|Template:Black]]	Independent	Total seats
6th	2001	Orville London Template:Small	File:Orville London (cropped).jpg	PNM forms its first government under Orville London.	8	4		12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Democratic Action Congress|Template:White]]	Independent	Total seats
7th	2005	Orville London Template:Small	File:Orville London (cropped).jpg	PNM forms another government under Orville London.	11	1		12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Organisation of the People|Template:Black]]	Independent	Total seats
8th	2009	Orville London Template:Small	File:Orville London (cropped).jpg	PNM forms another government under Orville London.	8	4		12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Organisation of the People|Template:Black]]	Independent	Total seats
9th	2013	Orville London Template:Small	File:Orville London (cropped).jpg	PNM forms another government under Orville London.	12	0		12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |Template:Abbr	Independent	Total seats
10th	2017	Kelvin Charles Template:Small Ancil Dennis Template:Small	File:Kelvin Charles (cropped).jpg	PNM forms another government under Kelvin Charles.	10	2		12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |Template:Abbr	Independent	Total seats
11th	2021 (January)	Ancil Dennis Template:Small	File:Ancil Dennis 2021 (cropped).jpg	First deadlock in the history of the assembly. PNM forms a caretaker government under Ancil Dennis.	6	6		12
Election Year		Chief Secretary		Summary	style="background:Template:Party color;" |[[Tobago Council of the People's National Movement|Template:White]]	style="background:Template:Party color;" |Template:Abbr	Independent	Total seats
12th	2021 (December)	Farley Chavez Augustine Template:Small	File:Farley Augustine 2017 (cropped).jpg	PDP forms its first government under Farley Chavez Augustine.	1	14		15

See also

• Chief Secretary of Tobago
• List of Presiding Officers of the Tobago House of Assembly
• Local government in Trinidad and Tobago
• Politics of Trinidad and Tobago

External links

• Template:Official website