Kamla Persad says Whistleblower Protection Bill 2022 is flawed & violates Constitution

Trinidad & Tobago: The Leader of Opposition, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, said no to the whistleblower legislation on Friday. The opposition leader said that Whisthleblower Protection Bill 2022 is “flawed and a nightmare”.

The government has represented a “replica” of the 2015 and 2018 bill, which was opposed in the Parliament for breaching section 4 and section 5 of the Constitution of T&T. Bissessar has blamed the ruling party for sabotaging the basic fundamental rights, including rights to privacy, right to freedom and property, of the citizens of the country.

She further claimed that the new proposed bill, in 2022, is doing the same, which is not suitable for the democratic government.

She has regarded the bill as unconstitutional as it grants immunity to the person who has committed a protected disclosure from any civil, disciplinary and criminal proceedings. If the law is imposed in the country, then the accused won’t be able to take action, even if any false declaration is made, the leader said.

She claimed that the opposition was against the law in 2015, followed by 2018 and will be opposed in 2022 as well.

She added that neither she is afraid nor the opposition. “I am not afraid, we are not afraid, and if the bill is implemented in the country, then we expect that court will take action and abolish it,” Bissessar claimed.

The leader of the opposition, Bissessar, further blamed Prime Minister Keith Rowley for wasting the time of the Parliament by rambling about corruption and his same old lies amid the country is dealing with an economic crisis as well as a health crisis.

The bill was introduced on January 14 by the National Security Minister for the first time. Prime Minister Rowley mentioned that the legislation would not end corruption but protect the whistleblowers and hold an account of those found guilty of wrongdoing.