Senator Hughes Says New UPP Senators Are Trained to Scrutinize Laws

Newly appointed Opposition Senator Chester Hughes says the United Progressive Party’s Senate team was deliberately assembled to combine legal training, academic experience and trade union advocacy in order to effectively scrutinize legislation and hold the government accountable.

Speaking to ABS Television following Monday’s swearing-in ceremony at Government House, Hughes stressed that the Opposition senators are “not just politically appointed individuals” but people equipped with the experience and training necessary to review laws and challenge government policy.

“We’re coming as legally trained individuals to scrutinize the laws,” Hughes said.

Hughes noted that three members of the UPP Senate bench possess legal training — Jonathan Wehner, Malaka Parker and himself.

“Senator Jonathan Wehner, legally trained mind, with a law degree, myself with a law degree, and Senator Malaka Parker with a law degree,” Hughes stated.

He also highlighted the strong trade union presence within the Opposition’s Senate appointments, saying the bench includes individuals who have spent years advocating for workers and ordinary citizens.

“As you rightfully said, we have three trade unionists on the bench for the UPP,” Hughes said.

He identified Ashworth Azille from the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers, Malaka Parker, former president of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union, and himself, a former president and current Deputy General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union.

According to Hughes, that blend of legal, academic and labour experience would strengthen the Opposition’s ability to challenge legislation and represent the interests of working-class Antiguans and Barbudans.

“Academics who study the laws, and we also come in as trade unionists who would have had to fight on behalf of the ordinary working-class people of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.

Hughes, who previously served in the Senate, said he is returning to Parliament with significantly more experience than during his earlier tenure.

“The last time I was there, I was just a normal Chester Hughes, a trade unionist,” he said. “Now I’m going back to the House as a legally trained individual with a bit more experience in politics and well-rounded knowledge of the political arena.”

He said his role this time around would be to bring “a little bit more balance and historical perspective” to Senate debates.

Hughes also promised that the Opposition would aggressively challenge the government in the Upper House.

“You can expect very robust debate in the Senate,” he said.

“We will be holding the government’s feet to the fire. We will be asking questions through the Senate.”

Hughes said the Opposition intends to hold the government accountable for decisions affecting the wider society while advocating for justice for ordinary citizens.

“We will be relentless in our pursuit of justice on behalf of not just working-class people but the ordinary Antiguan and Barbudan who is suffering,” he said.

In one of the strongest remarks during the interview, Hughes declared that the Opposition’s role would be to disrupt comfort among those in power while helping citizens facing hardship.

“Our job right now is to make those who are comfortable very uncomfortable in the House and those who are uncomfortable bring relief to them through the Senate,” he stated.

Hughes also thanked Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle for once again placing confidence in him by appointing him to the Senate.

“I must say thanks to Almighty God for sparing my life to see another day and to the Honourable Jamale Pringle for renewing his confidence in me to appoint me to the Senate,” Hughes said.

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