Secretary Hackett Responds To Assemblyman Morris: Chief Secretary Augustine Is In Charge
October 7, 2025- The countdown is on for Tobago’s $12-million October Carnival, but confusion continues to cloud the Tobago House of Assembly’s handling of the festival.
Minority Leader Kelvon Morris questioned the administration’s transparency after Temporary Secretary for Culture and Antiquities, Assemblyman Zorisha Hackett, departed for a parliamentary conference in Barbados. Morris highlighted that Carnival stakeholders are still in the dark about specific budget allocations, despite the festival receiving over $3 million in additional funding this year.
In response to Tobago Updates, Secretary Hackett confirmed that Chief Secretary Farley Augustine is now overseeing both her Education portfolio and the temporary Culture and Antiquities portfolio during her absence. She noted that she has continued to hold virtual meetings, saying: “I’ve worked hard and done the majority of the legwork over the last two weeks. Now it’s just meetings and execution by TFCL.”
Still, the absence of a formal public announcement on acting arrangements has left rivals and members of the public asking who is officially signing off on crucial documents and funding decisions just weeks before the Carnival season reaches its peak.
