Patrick Manning facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Manning
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| 4th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago | |
| In office 24 December 2001 – 26 May 2010 |
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| President | Arthur Robinson George Maxwell Richards |
| Preceded by | Basdeo Panday |
| Succeeded by | Kamla Persad-Bissessar |
| In office 17 December 1991 – 9 November 1995 |
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| President | Noor Hassanali |
| Preceded by | Arthur Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Basdeo Panday |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 6 November 1995 – 24 December 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Basdeo Panday |
| Succeeded by | Basdeo Panday |
| In office 6 July 1986 – 1 December 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Basdeo Panday |
| Succeeded by | Basdeo Panday |
| Member of the House of Representatives for San Fernando East |
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| In office 7 January 1971 – 15 June 2015 |
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| Succeeded by | Randall Mitchell |
| Constituency | San Fernando East |
| 3rd Political Leader of the People's National Movement | |
| In office 19 December 1986 – 26 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | George Chambers |
| Succeeded by | Keith Rowley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning
17 August 1946 San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Died | 2 July 2016 (aged 69) San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Political party | People's National Movement |
| Spouse | Hazel Manning (1972–2016; his death) |
| Alma mater | University of the West Indies |
The Hon. Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning (born 17 August 1946 – died 2 July 2016) was an important Trinidadian politician. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago two times. His first term was from 1991 to 1995, and his second was from 2001 to 2010.
Manning was also the leader of the People's National Movement (PNM) political party from 1987 to 2010. He was trained as a geologist. He was a Member of Parliament for the San Fernando East area from 1971 until 2015. This made him the longest-serving member in the House of Representatives. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1995 to 2001.
Patrick Manning was born in San Fernando. He went to Presentation College, San Fernando for high school. He then earned his degree from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica in 1969. After finishing university, he returned to Trinidad. He worked as a geologist for a company called Texaco before starting his political career.
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Early Political Life
After graduating from university, Patrick Manning worked as a geologist. He worked for Texaco Trinidad Ltd. until he decided to run for Parliament in 1971. From 1971 to 1978, he worked as a Parliamentary Secretary in different government departments.
Later, he became a junior Minister in the Ministry of Finance. This was under the government of Eric Williams. In 1979, he also became a junior Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. By 1981, he was given full Cabinet positions. He became the Minister of Information and the Minister of Industry and Commerce. From 1981 to 1986, he served as the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
In the 1986 general elections, his party, the PNM, lost almost all its seats. Only three candidates from the PNM won, and the Prime Minister, George Chambers, lost his seat. Since Patrick Manning was one of the three who won, he became the Leader of the Opposition. In 1987, he was chosen as the political leader of the PNM. He was only 40 years old, making him the youngest leader the party had ever had.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 1995, Patrick Manning decided to call a General Election a year earlier than planned. In this election, both the PNM and another party, the UNC, won 17 seats each. A third party, the NAR, won 2 seats. The UNC and NAR decided to work together and formed the government. Because of this, Basdeo Panday became the new Prime Minister, replacing Manning.
Manning then served as the Leader of the Opposition again. His party also lost the 2000 elections. However, the 2001 elections ended in a tie. Both the PNM and the United National Congress (UNC) won 18 seats each. President A. N. R. Robinson then chose Patrick Manning to be the Prime Minister. From 2001 to 2007, Manning also served as the Minister of Finance.
Because Parliament couldn't agree on a Speaker, Manning's government ruled without a full Parliament for a while. But they needed to pass a Budget, so he called for new elections in October 2002. His party won this election with 20 seats, and they formed the new government.
During the PNM's time in government, income taxes were lowered. The tax for most companies was also reduced. The government also made university education free for citizens. The country's economy grew quickly during this time. This was mainly because of high prices for natural gas and oil, and a lot more natural gas was being produced. In September 2007, Manning received a special honorary degree from Medgar Evers College in New York.
Third Term as Prime Minister
In 2007, Manning called for another general election to be held on November 4. The PNM won this election with 26 out of 41 seats. This meant Patrick Manning began his third term as Prime Minister.
After this, the country's economy slowed down a bit. However, Trinidad and Tobago still received high praise for its economic standing. For example, a report in August 2008 raised the country's economic rating. The government also hosted important international events. They welcomed King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain in late 2008. This visit aimed to make economic ties stronger between Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
In 2009, Trinidad and Tobago hosted two major world summits. The first was the 5th Summit of the Americas in April. The second was The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in November. In 2010, the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet visited Prime Minister Manning. This visit was to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. They signed an agreement to work more closely together.
Crime was a big challenge during this period. To help fight crime, Manning's government introduced new methods. These included a special anti-crime unit and surveillance airships. They also added six high-speed patrol vessels to better protect the country's coastlines. Manning believed these efforts would significantly reduce crime.
Later Years
On April 9, 2010, Prime Minister Manning asked President George Maxwell Richards to end Parliament early. This led to a General Election being held two years sooner than required. Manning announced May 24, 2010, as the election date. Manning and the PNM party lost this election to a group of parties called The People's Partnership.
After the defeat, Manning officially stepped down as the Political Leader of the PNM on May 27, 2010. However, he continued to serve as the Member of Parliament for San Fernando East.
Manning faced a situation in Parliament where he was suspended. This happened after he made certain statements in Parliament in November 2010. He had made claims about the private home of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The Speaker of the House decided that there was enough reason to look into the matter. As a result, Manning was suspended from the House of Representatives on May 16, 2011. During this time, he could not represent his San Fernando East area in Parliament. Patrick Manning was the second Prime Minister in Trinidad and Tobago to be suspended from the House of Representatives.
Illness and Death
In September 2007, Patrick Manning traveled to Cuba for a regular medical check-up. He had always tried to stay healthy with a regular exercise routine. On January 23, 2012, Manning suffered a stroke. Later, on June 30, 2016, doctors confirmed he had a serious illness called acute myeloid leukemia. He passed away at 8:15 AM on July 2, 2016, at the San Fernando General Hospital. He was 69 years old, just six weeks before his 70th birthday.
See also
In Spanish: Patrick Manning para niños
