Rowley: Demand accountability!

He pointed to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) as a model of good governance that he hoped Trinidad’s local government architecture could adopt.

Rowley traced the 20 year history of the PNM’s past opposition to the then THA PNM, but said the party had eventually seen the writing on the wall, had accepted more local content in governance structures and had then began to win THA elections.

Vowing true consultation to enact new legislation, Rowley promised fundamental reform of Trinidad’s local government, and no mere tampering.

However Rowley said he was mortified to learn that Trinidad’s local government agencies had some 11,000 employees.

He said that if one sees uncut grass in areas such as Arima and Tunapuna, one doesn’t know who to turn to for remediation, but that in Tobago things are different.

Saying all community centres are properly maintained in Tobago, by contrast he complained of a rotting edifice at Lopinot, lamenting, “In Trinidad you don’t know who’s in charge.” Urging Trinidad voters to support the THA model, Rowley mused, “Is it that Trinidadians are happy with a lack of accountability?”.

Saying nothing annoys him more that the tabling of local government reports in Parliament tat are 10 or 15 years old, He declared, “I want accountability now! This year for this year!” Rowley asked aloud if the Opposition would help the Government to change or remove country’s “moribund” Services Commissions? Lamenting a poor work ethics in areas of local government, he bemoaned the piling up of three truckloads of garbage at Scorpion Alley in his Diego Martin West constituency.

Saying someone is being paid to collect it all, he said reform will improve accountability and people’s quality of life.

He vowed to do more with less funds, such as shifting some police officers from motor vehicles to bicycles.

Rowley rejected Opposition taunts about property owned by the PNM’s Rohan Sinanan, and said any donations from new Minister of Rural Development, businessman Kazim Hosein, had been approved by the PNM’s Donations Committee.

In contrast to the PNM, he said politicians of other parties often visit contractors “with a bag”.