Caption: Ancel Roget, fourth from left in the front row, was in public gallery of the Parliament on Friday. Photo: T&T Parliament
In Brief
- The Issue: Opposition MP Stuart Young questioned the hiring of Candy Roget-Martinez, daughter of OWTU President General Ancel Roget, at State-owned Heritage Petroleum.
- The Defence: Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal stated that Roget-Martinez was hired entirely on merit, noting she holds multiple degrees and exceeded the minimum qualifications for the publicly advertised HR role.
- The Clash: When Young asked if Ancel Roget was listed as a reference, Moonilal accused Young of hypocrisy, pointing out that Young’s own father previously chaired a State entity.
Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal has defended the hiring of Candy Roget-Martinez, daughter of Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) President General Ancel Roget, at State-owned Heritage Petroleum.
Responding to questions posed by Stuart Young, the MP for Port-of-Spain North/St. Ann’s West, Moonilal maintained that Roget-Martinez was hired entirely on merit for the position of HR Business Support Analyst (Contract), a role approved to support recruitment and human resources projects at the company.
Moonilal detailed Roget-Martinez’s extensive academic and professional background, noting that she “met and exceeded the minimum qualifications requirements” for the job.
According to the minister, Roget-Martinez holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in International Relations from the University of the West Indies, an MBA specialising in Human Resource Management from Nova Southeastern University, and a 2013 Master of Arts in Conflict Prevention and Dispute Resolution from the University of Westminster. She is also certified as a Global Professional in Human Resources.
“Ms Roget-Martinez is an HR Professional with over seven years of working experience in Talent Acquisition and Human Resources with core expertise in leading full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, and engagement processes,” Moonilal told the House.
He said that the recruitment process followed all established company policies and procedures. The contract position was publicly advertised from 3 December to 9 December 2025, across Heritage’s website, social media platforms, and in the Daily Express.
In a supplemental question, Young asked if Roget-Martinez had listed her father, the prominent trade union leader, as a reference on her application. Ancel Roget was in the public gallery of the Parliament on Friday.
The question drew a sharp and personal rebuke from the Energy Minister, who accused Young of hypocrisy regarding family ties in State entities.
“Madam Deputy Speaker, please, I can answer this, and I am really now flabbergasted that this member is raising questions about people’s father,” Moonilal said.
He added, “This is a former cabinet minister whose daddy was a chairman of a State entity, sits on the other side; San Fernando East Bhougie was a consultant at the NEC.”
Moonilal stated he did not have Roget-Martinez’s CV and therefore could not confirm who her references were. However, he could not resist taking a final jab at Young’s father, prominent banker Richard Young.
“But, I don’t know if Richard Young was one,” Moonilal quipped.
