Political Leader's Speeches

A DERANGED AND DANGEROUS GOVERNMENT

SPEAKING NOTES OF THE HON. KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR, SC, MP POLITICAL LEADER OF THE UNITED NATIONAL CONGRESS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION UNC MONDAY NIGHT REPORT TOCO/SANGRE GRANDE

MONDAY MARCH 27TH 2023

SEE LINK HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN9ZL6uKcrc

INTRODUCTION

Grande, how are you feeling tonight? I feel great to see so many of you. I want to thank you for coming out. I was having a little challenge this evening. You will hear it in my voice because I was getting a little runny nose. It is not Covid, it is just a little virus. So, I had to make a decision — do I go up to Grande or not. And my husband said “Kamla, you have to go. The Grande boys treat you good.”

So Team Grande — our Coordinator, Joseph Tony, Chairman of the Corporation, Anil Joseph, Vice Chairman Kenwyn Phillip. Our other Councillors Calvin Seecheran, Anil Maraj, Aldermen Suzanne Holder and Keon Saroopsingh. And I saved the best for last – Councillor Nassar Hosein. 

And listen! Put a fire under Nassar because we must win that seat in this Corporation in order to once more be in charge of the Toco/Sangre Grande Corporation. So, we have our work cut out. And from what I saw on the screen and what I saw in the videos over the week, you all had a massive walk about. Thanks to DPL JJ and the others who organised this walk about. 

Tonight, I want to thank the former speakers before me, of course Chairman Juteram and Vice Chair, Kenwyn. But I want to recognise our other speakers — Sen. Damian Lyder, Coordinator Joseph Tony and of course our own DPL, Jearlean John. Thanks to all of you who joined us here tonight. 

So bare with me, I will keep my voice as clear as I can with God’s help. I really could not have stayed away from Grande. And when I saw so many of you tonight, it was worth the 2 hour drive. So thank you so much.

I want to take a moment to our Caroni Central MP, Arnold Ram. He did our first ever All Fours Competition. It was held over the week. You know I have never been to one of these things but I was amazed as to the number of people who attended. I know the Grande boys came down at some point. Khadijah was very involved in it as well. The teams came from every constituency and at the end of the day, the teams I am told who won – joint winners being Young Bloodz from Couva North and Terminators from La Horquetta/Talparo. 

I want to acknowledge the work of the committee as it is the first ever so it means we will continue because it was so successful. Again, I want to thank MP Ram who coordinated, DPL Lee, Vice Chairman Khadijah Ameen. Women’s Affairs Officer Kenya Charles, International Affairs Officer Nicholas Morris, Brian Baig, Roshan Babwah, Ganesh, Kanesh Howard and Reshma. And a special thanks to the staff of Caroni Central and of course St Augustine who provided food and Caroni East. So let’s say thanks to them.

I want to acknowledge the work of the committee as it is the first ever so it means we will continue because it was so successful.

When I arrived at the venue on Saturday night, I thought it was like a Congress — the hall was filled and overflowing and everybody was having a good time. So save the date and we will have another one very soon. And the good thing about that, it cost us no money. We got the prize money donated. So it helps the party to raise some funds. So may you all can think in other constituencies to do a similar exercise. I think it was well worth it.

So great to be here Grande. 

But I know when we were doing the research – we know like the rest of the country you are feeling the pain of the PNM government running our country. Or you can say ruining our country.  And right here the same issues you have. You are held by the PNM but you are neglected. Totally neglected in Toco/Sangre Grande!

We know like the rest of the country you are feeling the pain of the PNM government running our country.

TOCO SANGRE GRANDE NEEDS THE UNC

Over the weekend we saw the news headlines with the surge in crime, the lawlessness, the murders, gang warfare, and robberies. 

And this situation is across the board – throughout the country. And the PNM remains clueless or perhaps they simply do not want to act to bring crime down. 

I know you are also facing the challenges of bad roads and lack of water, like so many other communities.

So we can sit and cry, or we can say listen – we have to do something about it.

We have to unite, we have to get together, we have to join and get rid of the PNM. We have to get rid of them legally.

So whenever the election is called, it is a wipeout – legally, of the PNM.  Whether it is the local elections or general. We cannot allow this to continue. 

So don’t think that it’s just for us to talk on a platform or come on a Monday night, and press conferences. You are so important. You have to do your parts as well and so when the teams go on their walkabouts, sign up. Sign up, say you are willing to help, you are willing to come out, walkabout, you are willing to register. We have to get the young ones registered. There is a whole cadre of young people who will turn 18, who have already turned 18 and they are not registered to vote. So if you are here as a parent, a brother or a sister, make sure you register the young ones. If you don’t have a ‘ticket’ they say, you do not have a chance. If you do not get people registered, the chances are lesser. 

I urge you, we are on the march to victory, we are on the road to victory. Make sure and join us. As the song goes, when the road is called up yonder, make sure you are part of that team UNC to go into victory.

I urge you, we are on the march to victory, we are on the road to victory.

OUR RECORD IN TOCO SANGRE GRANDE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

My friends, some of you will recall we had a great MP in Toco-Sangre Grande Dr Rupert Griffith, the late Dr Rupert Griffith, and we have the track record of working to improve the lives of all citizens, including here in Grande. 

The Government I led brought much-needed attention and resources to the Toco/Sangre Grande constituency to improve the lives of people here.

We paved roads and constructed box drains in Guaico, Coalmine, Toco, Valencia, Vega de Oropouche and Sangre Grande and in other areas in this constituency.

We completed the Valencia bypass road and I remember at the time, Dr Griffith insisted, and we have to thank him for insisting on building that road.

We upgraded recreation grounds in Grand Riviere, North Oropouche, Sangre Chiquito, Sangre Grande, and Toco, and the North Eastern Community Centre to give our youths safe spaces for sport and social activities.

A lot of work is done. I keep telling people when I am speaking that sometimes we forget what we did, but we must remember what we did because it means we have the track record, it means we can do it again to improve the quality of life. 

We have the track record of working to improve the lives of all citizens, including here in Grande. 

We started work on the Sangre Grande Hospital to ensure that modern health facilities became available to service the constituency.

We promoted tourism in the area by refurbishing the Toco Lighthouse and constructing the Valencia Visitor Centre. What is the status of that Visitor Centre now? PNM come, close it down. They are very good at closing down anything that is for the benefit of people.

We improved education by providing opportunities at COSTATT, the Technical and Vocational and Training Centre and the OJT Centre which will lead to permanent job creation for the youth in the constituency.  They’ve shut down the COSTATT campus as well. Shame! Everything for the benefit for people, shut down.

We improved utility delivery with the WASA CSR Centre.

We also created thousands of jobs and decentralised government services all to the benefit of you right here in Toco Sangre Grande.

We will do all of it again, when you return the UNC to office. We will continue to work with you and for you. 

But my first task when we return to government is to bring down the high cost of living. There is no denying that the cost of living has escalated under this wicked Government.

I know you are severely impacted. Across the board prices have increased, new taxes introduced and the government seems focused on collecting money through fines and penalties.

I know in this region you are severely impacted by the price increases as you are further away from ports and distribution centres.

However, the government claims nothing has gone up.

We had a debate in Parliament on a Motion brought by MP Vandana on high food prices and escalating cost of living, and these jokers in the Parliament get up to say nothing gone up. Everything is fine. Where are they living on Mars? Where are they living on the moon? Every person in this country knows that food prices have gone up.

The cost of fuel has gone up, rentals have gone up, interest rates and mortgages.

Everything has gone up. 

And they will sit down in Parliament and come there to really take everybody for a fool. For them all the population, we are fools. They are the only smart, bright people in the country. To try to hoodwink us again to say “aye nothing gone up”. Let us play. They claim prices have not gone up. 

PNM CLAIMS PRICES HAVE NOT GONE UP

From the minute the PNM enters office we always get new tax, new taxes. You know we created over 50,000 jobs. Under the government I led, the UNC-led Government. Over 50,000 new jobs. And we did that without increasing a single tax. In all the years we were there not a single tax was increased. 

But this Government comes now squeezing money and even more money out of citizens who are already suffering. Increasing fees, reviving old taxes. Now, as Barry has been leading that charge, the electricity rate increases. Next the water rate increases will come too. The property tax as well. 

Barry just reminded me in my budget statement, last year, in the budget statement, I talked about over some several thousands of persons, 4,000 I believe, WASA workers will be sent home. They say no not true not true, now that WASA has sent its proposals to the RIC, it’s coming down the road. So in addition to all the new taxes and the fines they are also sending home more people. I saw today Digicel is sending home 126 people.

So the rate of joblessness keeps increasing under this Government. From CSP data, NIB data, we have over 65,000 people lost jobs since the PNM came into office. And they’ve created not, as I said, a single new job for anyone. So no jobs, prices increasing, and you know what it means for your pocket to feed your families, and take care of your families. 

You remember they brought a tyre tax, they brought early-o-clock a tyre tax. Then what they do again? They brought an online tax, then they did a luxury tax. This luxury tax wasn’t really for luxury it was for apples and grapes. A luxury tax. Them fellas eating them thing everyday you know. We have one MP stand up and say there is no shortage of groceries in Tobago because I’m getting my almond milk. You all know what almond milk is? Nobody is answering me. Does anybody know what that is? That is a luxury item.

No concern about the groceries not reaching Tobago because I getting almond milk. The roaming Shamfa, that’s the MP. So they in a different level. They in a different world. 

When we look at the widespread joblessness we get upset because while we suffer, Government and eat-ah-food few, they raking in millions for doing absolutely nothing. So I said we moved that Motion in the Parliament. The minister actually stood up and said that things are cheaper now than 2015. You believe that? You hear lie? That is a big lie. 

In addition they hounding down people to pay fines for covid, fines for vehicles, fines for vending, fine fine fine. Because they don’t know how to make money except when it is to fill their own pockets. They cannot create revenue streams for this country to create jobs.

We don’t have a good road but yuh fining everybody for everything regarding vehicles usage.

When we look at the widespread joblessness we get upset because while we suffer, Government and eat-ah-food few, they raking in millions for doing absolutely nothing.

So I call on Government to stop abusing people in this country. 

ROWLEY IS A DICTATOR. 

But remember this is how dictators operate. This Rowley is a dictator Government. When faced with lessening revenues due their incompetence they begin to extract money from citizens and of course they blame everybody except themselves. Total blame game. 

In the debate last day in Parliament on the Private Member’s Motion from MP Vandana. They started off by saying “okay things bad around the world”. So they first start saying “blame the world”. But before they blame the world they blame Kamla and the UNC. So they start off blaming Kamla and the UNC then they went to blame the world and they come back to blame Kamla and the UNC. A total blame game on the part of this wicked incompetent Government. They abuse and they blame everyone and we have seen all this from this dictator Government with Rowley.

I know my colleague DPL John spoke about the puppet President. Now I see a new narrative being created that when the UNC does not attend something that they have, what they say? They say that we are unpatriotic. So patriotic to them means attending their functions and sit down and grin and clap. I’m not going to be that kind of person, I will not be that person, and we will not be that. That is hypocrisy of the highest order and they will say it more and more as we go down.

They abuse and they blame everyone and we have seen all this from this dictator Government with Rowley.

KANGALOO SHOULD FORGET PAST SPITES AND GRUDGES 

  • Because they have nothing to say. So we don’t attend their sham functions. What do they say, UNC unpatriotic. JJ Dealt with them nicely on this issue of some fake women’s group they want to set up. Imagine that puppet President says, put aside spites and grudges.
  • Yet in her first speech, that’s her first speech. Put aside spites and grudges. In her first speech in the parliament caucus with the women’s group, what was she doing? Crying crocodile tears about spites and grudges saying she and Miss Bridgid how people abuse them as women and nobody said anything. 
  • Where are you living, woman? How many times have they denigrated me, attacked me, viciously attacked me. Did I go on a platform to cry? No!
  • I am not afraid of any of them. I will continue fighting. I’ll fight with you. I am not afraid. My parents taught me, I am sure your parents taught you. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. So let them “yap yap yap” we are on to bigger business and better business.
  • In that inauguration the puppet President says, forget past spites and grudges In her second speech as the contrived women’s caucus she complains about past spites and grudges. 
  • Maybe she forgot about her own biassed and deplorable behaviour as Senate President.
  • Damian, you’ll remember that as a Senator. JJ you’ll remember her behaviour as Senate President. 
  • She forgets the behaviour of her own leader.
  • Let me remind Kangaloo and the hypocrites in their contrived women’s caucus of the behaviour of their own leaders’ behaviour.
  • It’s the most disgusting and nasty comments, and this lady, the puppet President comes to talk about who bad talked her. Set up a women’s group to do what? Set up a women’s group, have a caucus and no Opposition members. 
  • Other Parliaments where these things take place you have an Opposition representative, you have a Government Representative and where you have an Independent bench you have Independents. 
  • They created this Women’s Caucus to do what? Leave out the Opposition? Have the Puppet President speaking, have an independent senator speaking. But no one from the Opposition was asked to speak. 
  • So what is this group about? This group is…
  • {a Sham – from  the floor}
  • No,  not sham, they smart in a foolish way. This group is set up to defend the PNM.  Not to defend the rights of women in Trinidad and Tobago but to defend the PNM from  their comments that was very clear from the statements made. Yes its a sham Women’s group. It is another arm of the PNM propaganda, to come to attack everybody else except the PNM.
  • Don’t get troubled and fooled, the next time they say unpatriotic UNC. I am a proud, patriotic UNC, committed to Trinidad and Tobago, as we all are.
  • To women here, don’t look for sympathy and patronage. You must work hard. You must educate yourself continuously as you will your children. You must earn your livelihood but you have to balance it with a happy family life. 
  • You must always seek balance, you can have a successful career, get married and have a family. 
  • If you do not earn your way through hard work and merit but only rise through patronage then no one will respect you.
  • Remember I always tell you women hold up half the sky, the men hold up the other half. I always say together, we have to work together. So don’t set up as JJ calls it this sham women’s caucus in the Parliament. We will deal with them in due course, again, again.

ROWLEY’S FAILED PLAN TO BAIT THE DPP

  • The other issue that has been in the news is this whole issue with the DPP. And I see the whole machinations that went on with this was a planned by the Rowley government, a failed plan to bait the DPP. You have heard us speaking out on it. YOu have heard others speaking on it. 
  • It was a very bizarre episode last week where Rowley held what he called a media briefing – and in fact it  was more like a media bashing. I mean that’s what he does, blame everybody, blame the media. 
  • He called the media to tell the nation that this crisis we are facing where the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is under a very blatant and nefarious attack by the PNM, the Prime Minister says, that’s not really happening you know. No, no, nobody is attacking the DPP. 
  • He  failed to answer the serious issues regarding the DPP’s office and the impact on the criminal justice system. 
  • He deflected as usual, he ducked, he hid, he pulled all kinds of acrobatics but what happened he failed to answer the important questions in this matter, surrounding himself and the attacks he continued to launch against the DPP.
  • Tonight, I want to tell you what their real plan was. Their real plan was to bait the DPP into responding to their unwarranted attacks of the PM, AG and Chief Justice. They were hoping that DPP Gaspard would respond in a injudicious manner. Come out like a wajang like Rowley and get on bad. 
  • They would then get their puppet president to action an investigation into DPP Gaspard for his comments if he had made them and proceed to suspend him. Now remember whilst he is suspended for an investigation they can then appoint a puppet DPP of their  choice. The Prime Minister has the veto of the person chosen as DPP and to act as DPP. So that was the plan but it backfired, it backfired on them. 
  • They would then replaced this DPP with their puppet DPP. That was their plan because many  of their members are under active investigations both in Trinidad and Tobago and abroad. 

This was their big plan but the DPP didn’t take the bait. He didn’t swallow that bait at all.

Rowley is afraid of anything that is independent of him and his control. 

He cannot backtrack on his attack on DPP. He and his AG should apologise to the DPP!  

He lies about not criticising DPPs decisions, but at the same time, wants to reopen cases that the DPP has closed.

This is political witch hunting. 

The Government cannot decide whom to and not to investigate and whom not to investigate. 

This is unconstitutional. 

Rowley is afraid of anything that is independent of him and his control. 

ROWLEY DEFLECTING FROM HIS GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE TO DO A SECURITY EVALUATION BEFORE AGREEING TO RENT.

Why didn’t  you do the security evaluation before renting the building? Three years of rent have already been spent.

ROWLEY AFRAID OF NELSONGATE

That Nelson gate was one of the biggest scandals that ever took place in T&T.

Rowley is desperately trying to deflect from Nelsongate.

When I raised it Rowley said I am talking about Nelson Gate. 

Look at this video clip

When the truth starts to come out, Nelson has become a zero. 

This is not some random man in city gate that’s braying but the Prime Minister, the man who is charged with the responsibility of solving the myriad of issues our nation faces.

More on that we will talk about it further. Last meeting Ispoke of the 11  promises made by Faris and if that is not witness tampering then nothing else is.

Where  Faris signed this document saying he will get a presidential pardon for Nelsonif he comes and say nasty things about UNC members. 

Promising presidential pardon, promising money,11 promises which Faris had no legal authority to sign but  he signed it. 

The irony is the  same people who help Faris write up that agreement are the same lawyers defending the same man today to say it’s not valid now. 

Promising presidential pardon, promising money,11 promises which Faris had no legal authority to sign but  he signed it. 

GOVERNMENT THROUGH OFFICE OF THE AG INAPPROPRIATELY TRYING TO GET  NELSONGATE INVESTIGATION FILES FROM OFFICE OF DPP.

The Nelson gate files into the investigation into Ramdeen and Ramlogan rests in the office of the DPP. 

I have been told that persons in the office of the AG have inappropriately and perhaps illegally been trying to get the files relating to the nelsongate criminal investigation from the office of the DPP.

Why is the AG office hounding down the DPP to get these files? Again they are up to no good.

I ask the office of the AG are you  trying to access the files out  of the DPP office. 

They are inappropriately and illegally trying to access the files to get a heads up on the investigation into the witness tampering committed by members of the PNM government.

Why is the AG office hounding down the DPP to get these files? Again they are up to no good.

66 MILLION DOLLAR CABINET NOTE FOR FOREIGN LAWYERS  

I want you to take a look at this Cabinet note, dated June 24, 2020.

Ratification of approval granted by the Hon PM for the engagement for English law firms to provide professional services to the TTPS.

What does this mean? First of all it means the PM made a decision on his own. He took a unilateral decision. 66 million dollars for the TTPS to hire English law firms. 

And then he took it to the cabinet. Well they would say yes, rubber stamp. 

So the PM took this decision to create a private army of lawyers in the TTPS to investigate whom the PM wants. 

UNC ON THE MOVE – MARCH TO VICTORY

So as we close, I want to say Thank you for joining us tonight. Forgive me if I am a bit under the weather. UNC is on the road to victory!  Join us on that road to victory. There is a stark difference between UNC and PNM – UNC will always place people first!. Good night and God Bless you.