Shopkeeper registers political party

Shopkeeper William Austin, 56, of Maraval is the new kid on the political block with a plan to do away with crime. “I am Dan, the man driving the van, with a crime plan,” Austin said.

Austin recently registered his party, True Patriots of the Republic of TT (TPRTT), with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and has a coconut tree as its symbol. The plan is holistic, humanitarian, people-oriented and out of the box, Austin said. “We have to go into the belly of the beast to fight crime. Just what the people are asking for.”

He told Newsday that he formed the party because of a lack of representation by Diego Martin North/East MP and Finance Minister Colm Imbert and out of protest over the high crime rate that has people living in fear of becoming victims.

A father of seven daughters and one son, Austin said, “People got to put down the guns. The way they killing out the men, my daughters won’t get husbands. I have to take a stand.”

His main aim to promote his party, he said, is through intellectual discussions and political debates. His first debate must be with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley or his representative on the crime situation, at which he (Austin) will feature his crime plan and following which, he assured, “Government will want to buy it.”

When they pay for Austin’s crime place, as they do when they hire consultants, the fledgling politician said, “I will use the money to fund my 2020 general elections campaign.”