Responding to questions at the Post-Cabinet Press Conference last Thursday, Manning announced that government is examining an alternative system in which office holders would not be required to declare assets unless “a question arises”.

The prime minister said that while he personally had no objection to declaring his assets, there is now a problem in the Public Service with people refusing to accept directorships on State Boards because of the requirement.

He cited rapid economic growth as one of the reasons why government should take a second look at integrity legislation: “There is a requirement for more and more people of a high calibre.”

He explained that government has been having difficulty in attracting directors and other public appointees at this time when the need for them is at it highest.

Manning also made it clear that he believed in the concept that all public officials should have some measure of accountability, but added that declaring assets is not the only way to make a person accountable.

Still, one could easily ask the question: Isn’t the fact that many so-called “high calibre” people are opting to stay away from the Public Service proof that the legislation is having the desired effect?

Last year, the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) revealed that this country has more corruption than ever before.

If TTTI is correct, Trinidad and Tobago needs integrity legislation and the Integrity Commission now more than ever, and the difficulty government is now having in finding suitable people to fill positions proves TTTI right.

The citizens of this country may never know how many more racing complexes, airport fiascos, Scarborough hospital shame and other corrupt deals they have been spared through the current integrity legislation.

Alarm bells should also ring in the heads of law-abiding citizens when they hear independent senators, who were appointed with the full knowledge that the legislation covers them, seek exemption.

Even more disturbing is that Prime Minister Manning is paying attention to the senators boldfaced lobbying to be exempt at a time when the legislation should be expanded to include a wider range of public officers.

Recent experiences prove that even lower-level officials could succumb to temptation and skim millions from the public purse.

Remember the lady at the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) who allegedly skipped the country with millions?

What about the many public officers at every level of the Public Service who abuse their positions to build and furnish their homes, and fill their bank accounts, all at the expense of the State (that is to say, at the expense of the rest of Trinidad and Tobago)?

Even as government hints at considering the senators’ request for exemption, the ongoing saga of the “Dhansook affair” continues to demonstrate why it is important for the State to ensure office-holders’ financial affairs, whether public or private, are kept above board.

Prime Minister Manning would do well to remember that it was allegations of widespread corruption on the other side of the political fence that led voters in the marginal seats to return the People’s National Movement (PNM) to office.

Granted there would be some difficulty in attracting qualified, “high calibre” citizens to serve in a public capacity, this is not so much a result of an unwillingness to reveal personal financial affairs as it is because too many of these “good citizens” have already allowed themselves to be led into temptation.

This is a challenge the Manning Administration has to face head-on as the economy expands and more Boards and other mechanisms of governance are established.

However, government has a duty to face this challenge without attempting to nibble away at provisions put in place to reduce opportunities for corrupt practices.