‘What Tobago wants, Tobago gets’

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning launched the PNM’s political engine for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election campaign with a pledge that Tobago will want for nothing under his administration. “What Tobago wants, Tobago gets and we have no doubt that in the coming THA election, Tobago wants a PNM victory,” he declared to loud cheers. He was addressing the PNM’s 39th annual convention at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre yesterday. Manning also addressed two of the major criticisms being levelled at his government by the Opposition UNC — corruption and his Caricom policy. He made it abundantly clear that he was not playing “Caribbean godfather” but rather government’s policy towards Caricom reflected “astute diplomacy at work in our national interest.”

He gave the commitment that there would be no Caribbean political union unless the people of Trinidad and Tobago wanted it: “On this issue, as on all else, the people of TT will decide.” Manning said TT recognised that Caricom was its second largest market and any destruction of the Caricom economy as a result of hurricanes will have a fallout here. “So when we help Caricom, it is a combination of benevolence and enlightened self-interest.” Manning, in his two-hour long speech, consistently whipped the Opposition with the corruption stick. He said what was described as his flip-flopping on corruption investigations into the Landate matter was political astuteness, not weakness.  “They want investigation, I give it to them. They change their minds, I accommodated them. Whatever they want, they get. That is flexibility, not flip-flop,” he declared.

Asserting that his government, was “making no joke” with the national patrimony, the Prime Minister thundered: “ Nobody, and I mean nobody, shall become rich at the expense of the people of TT. There shall be no thievery. Local or global.” PM trumpeted the achievements of his government which he stated intended to “completely eradicate poverty.” Among them seven percent unemployment for the first time; 22,000 new jobs in the first half of this year alone: construction booming, while inflation remained low at 3.3 percent. No wonder, he said, the Opposition was in disarray. “They have nothing to say. Our cup runneth over. Their tea cup is empty and broken,” he said, turning and smiling in the direction of Housing Minister Dr Keith Rowley who was accused by the UNC of breaking a tea cup in an altercation.

He said when the Opposition faces the Government in Parliament, they face success. “We shine, they whine. We exercise our brains. They complain. The PNM was at the wicket and heading for a century.” the Prime Minister said, revealing that the party’s membership now stood at 53,074. It received over 16,000 new members during this year alone, he said. On question of crime, Manning said the country was seeing the results of Government’s efforts. He reminded the crowd of the “unforgiveable” act of the UNC which prevented passage of the Police Service Reform Bills, saying that blood was on their hands for the murders being committed. “Let them stew in their irresponsibility. History and the heavens will judge them. We are stronger than the criminals and will defeat them.” Manning lamented that as Government sought to house women and children the “limited minds” of the Opposition could only see house-padding and vote-banking.