HOW MUCH ARE HART'S SALARIES?By Clint Chan Tack Tuesday, October 27 2009
AFTER being described as “a raging bull” in the House of Representatives by Prime Minister Patrick Manning last week, PNM Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley has taken the bold move of asking Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira to give the Parliament and the country full details about Calder Hart’s chairmanships of five State-owned companies.
Rowley is asking how much money Hart receives as chairman of Udecott, Home Mortgage Bank, National Insurance Board, National Insurance Property Development Company and TT Mortgage and Finance Company.
Rowley’s question to Nunez-Tesheira is listed as number 109 for oral answer on the Order Paper for Friday’s sitting of the House. In taking this action, Rowley (who turned 60 last Saturday) has become the first Government MP in recent memory to file a question for oral answer in Parliament to the Government.
He wants Nunez-Tesheira to say what are Hart’s monthly salaries as chairman of these five companies. The minister is also asked to disclose the allowances Hart receives for each of these positions. These include allowances for housing, transport, overseas travel, entertainment and medical allowances/facilities.
The question also calls upon Nunez-Tesheira to indicate how much bonus Hart has received for each post from 2006 to the present. Rowley was Planning and Development Minister in 2006 and the line minister for Udecott at that time.
With respect to Udecott, Rowley wants the minister to say when the post of executive chairman was introduced; whether Hart was recently reconfirmed in that post, the date when his contract was renewed and whether there were any changes in the terms and conditions of the new contract compared to the previous one. Rowley has publicly called for the dismissal of Hart and the Udecott board of directors.
This is not the first time that questions have been raised about Hart’s salary and the financial perks he receives from the chairmanships that he holds. When Udecott’s chief operations officer Neelanda Rampaul appeared before the Uff Commission of Inquiry at the Winsure Building in Port-of-Spain on January 26, this year, then commissioner Israel Khan SC asked Rampaul who fixes her salary. “The board of directors,” she replied.
After Udecott attorney Andrew Goddard QC intervened to protect Rampaul, inquiry chairman Professor John Uff stated: “Mr Goddard, we’re not going to press that point at this moment but I should tell you there will be a similar question for Mr Calder Hart during the course of his questioning, and, before we require an answer will hear you again on whether that should be in-camera. But we are interested in the complete financial package for employers and particularly directors of Udecott, including all benefits and perks that go with the various offices that they hold. So you’re on notice.”
Hart’s attorney Frank Solomon SC informed Uff that all of Udecott’s directors were required by law to disclose their assets to the Integrity Commission. Solomon suggested the commission seek information about Hart’s salary and other financial benefits from the Integrity Commission.
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“I cannot see, Sir, with the greatest respect, that public disclosure of that kind of material can be of relevance in these circumstances to this Commission of Inquiry,” Solomon said.
Uff replied, “I’m not sure that the fact that this material is disclosed to the Integrity Committee (sic) affects our ability...our ability to require the information.
“If the witnesses are appearing before us, that certainly doesn’t suggest that we should go to the Integrity Committee (sic). We will consider what we will do about the information and indeed whether we would accept it in confidence but I simply wanted you to be on notice that questions of that sort will be put to Calder Hart.”
Uff further stated that the commission was not interested in Hart’s personal wealth.
“We’re interested in the package of remuneration, including things like bonuses and other benefits that go with the office. So you can consider your position but it won’t be our intention to ask anyone else if Mr Calder Hart’s giving evidence,” Uff said.
Hart was never asked about his salary or any other financial benefit he received during his open testimony before the commission.
Government officials yesterday said while Rowley’s question was “not normal” it was not unprecedented and they were aware that it had been filed.
House Standing Order 17 (3) states that any member who desires an oral answer to a question shall mark his notice with an asterisk and such a question shall be put down for a day to be named by the member once 21 days notice of the question is given.
This means that Rowley’s question would have been filed with the Clerk of the House on October 9 for it to qualify to be placed on Friday’s Order Paper. Government officials could not say whether Nunez-Tesheira would be in a position to answer on Friday.
