Charles gives advice to PDP leader

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles says the island has been transformed under his leadership, contrary to the belief of Minority leader Watson Duke.

Charles was speaking on Thursday during the budget debate after Duke slammed the budget as a demonstration of PNM failure.

Charles said Duke's budget response left him confused and gave the Progressive Democratic Patriots leader advice on how to go about getting into power.

“It is indeed a travesty, a tragedy almost, to have sat and listened to a hot smudge of information contradictory, frivolous, vexatious, vacuous.... In fact, Madam Presiding Officer, it has left me utterly bewildered and profoundly bemused," he said.

Charles said Duke's presentation was "riddled with contradictions, characterised by a porosity of critical thoughts and downright prevarications and seasoned and flavoured with half-truths and innuendos.

“It makes absolutely no sense. It does nothing to your brand if you think the best way to come to power is by undermining and by attempting to hoodwink the people. You see, it is well known that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time...You are most welcome, but I do hope that you take the advice seriously."

Charles, dismissing the criticism, congratulated Secretary of Finance and the Economy Joel Jack for a “well presented, articulated and lucid budget presentation."

He boasted that his team had transformed Tobago's landscape.

“We have continued on the path to progress. We have been enhancing delivery, as indeed we have been strengthening partnerships and we shall continue to do that; because we are confident that the majority of the people of Tobago have begun to see the light and have begun to understand the vision and the intent of this administration as we take on the solid but complex issues facing the economy and the people of Tobago, and I can say confidently that we would succeed, we are succeeding and we will overcome.”