Farley blames PNM for Tobago's problems

Minority member and electoral representative for Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/ Speyside Farley Augustine has placed the responsibility of the challenges faced by Tobagonians over the last 18 years squarely on the shoulders of the People’s National Movement (PNM).

Speaking at the Minority Council’s weekly media briefing at James Park in Scarborough on Tuesday, Augustine said while he valued the way the Prime Minister’s televised address to the nation was done, he did not appreciate the arrogance that came with it.

He said, “There are some takeaway points that I believe as Tobagonians we must pay attention to. "Firstly, we must pay attention to the fact that the Prime Minister in his ramblings was unapologetic about the ferry woes to Tobago.

'In fact, he was quite arrogant in how he reported on the ferry woes and we must understand that the ferry woes that we have are not an inheritance, as some of the things the Prime Minister would have explained, but really, it’s a creation of Prime Minister Rowley and his Cabinet.”

While the People’s Partnership government under the leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar took blame for the current state of the economy, Augustine said accountability for the Tobago situation resides solely with the PNM.

“For us in Tobago, we do not have the luxury of blaming Kamla and Kamla’s government for our issues on this island. We have had a PNM executive in Tobago for the last 18 years and notwithstanding...we have seen the destruction of the tourism industry, we have seen the ferry go down, we have seen absolutely no sense of food security and food sovereignty,” he said, adding that several other failures occurred under the current government and they could have done better.

He said the PNM would have had in excess of $40 million for expenditure on managing Tobago’s economy

“So with 18 years and in excess of $40 million and the same political organisation in power, we must ask ourselves: 'Are we better off as an island?' When we do that comparatively with what had taken place at the Central Government, we know that we have a larger issue as a country.”