Lawmakers in Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Representatives have passed controversial legislation that changes how pensions are awarded to former prime ministers — a move widely believed to target Stuart Young, who briefly held the position earlier this year.
The Prime Minister’s Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was approved on Friday evening with 27 votes from the ruling United National Congress (UNC) and its coalition partner, the Tobago People’s Party (TPP). The opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), which previously held power, abstained from the vote.
The bill introduces a minimum service requirement of one year for a prime minister to be eligible for any pension. It also replaces the previous system — which granted a full pension regardless of time served — with a tiered structure based on length of service:
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1 to <2 years: One-third of the full pension
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2 to <3 years: One-half
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3 to <4 years: Three-quarters
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4 or more years: Full pension
Crucially, the legislation is retroactive to March 10, 2025, just before Stuart Young was appointed prime minister on March 17, following the resignation of then-prime minister Dr. Keith Rowley. Young called a snap election soon after and served for only a few weeks before losing power. Due to the retroactive clause and his short tenure, Young will now no longer qualify for a pension.
Young, a senior member of the PNM and former attorney general, had previously called the bill unconstitutional and personally targeted, and chose not to attend the parliamentary debate as a form of protest.
In Parliament, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo, who introduced the bill, insisted it was not meant to target any one individual, although he harshly criticized Young’s brief tenure.
“Recently, we witnessed actions that were undemocratic, and which resulted in a prime minister that no one wanted and one which this country subsequently downright fully rejected,” Tancoo said.
He questioned whether Young’s appointment was even constitutional, adding, “Even if it was constitutional, I believe the [Pensions] Act should be brought in line with regional best practice.”
Opposition MP Keith Scotland attempted to strike the retroactive clause during the debate, but the attempt was ruled out since it was not submitted in writing. Opposition MPs voiced objections during the proceedings but ultimately did not vote against the bill.
The bill now proceeds to debate in the Senate, the upper chamber of Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament. If passed there, it will become law.
