Mr. Albert Gerard Montano served as a Minister of Government from 1956 to 1971. He is a featured Parliamentary Personality on the Parliament Channel.
Albert Gerard Montano was born in 1918 and grew up in San Fernando where he attended Naparima College and St. Benedict's College. Before Montano embarked on his political career he was the Chairman and Director of a family business called Imperial Stores Limited. He worked in this capacity until 1956, when he became one of the founding members of the PNM. Montano was a member of the San Fernando Borough Council and was the Mayor of San Fernando in 1956. As a member of the PNM, Montano won the San Fernando East seat in the 1956 election – he held this seat for fourteen (14) years. He took over from Dr. Patrick Solomon in 1964 as Minister of Home Affairs and was at the helm of the Ministry in 1966 when Local Government was also under the purview of the Ministry.
In 1968 his ministerial responsibilities where shifted to Minister of Home Affairs and Personnel. He was the Leader of the House of Representatives from 1964 until his retirement in 1970. In 1971, Montano was the country's Ambassador to Brazil with accreditation to Chile as well. He was the first non-Venezuelan to receive that country’s highest honour, the Order of the Liberator Simon Bolívar.
Mr. Montano passed away in November of 2005. Tributes were paid to him in the House of Representatives on November 16, 2005 by Hon. Patrick Manning, MP, Prime Minister, Hon. Basdeo Panday, MP, Leader of the Opposition and Hon. Barendra Sinanan, MP, Speaker of the House
(adapted from the website of the Ministry of National Security – www.nationalsecurity.gov.tt)