PEP: Deal with issues, not Marlene

IT is high time for the politicians to tackle the country’s pressing issues rather than squabble about who knew or didn’t know beforehand about the arrest of Port of Spain South MP Marlene McDonald, argued Phillip Edward Alexander, leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP).

He spoke at the launch of the party’s local government election campaign at the Croissee, San Juan, on Saturday.

Lamenting his own father could no longer run and jump but today uses a walking stick, Alexander urged citizens to reject the country’s current state of affairs and get active in politics while still fit and healthy.

He warned, “We here have a time and it is in that time we get to make here a better country. Stop pretending this (situation) is normal. Nothing is.”

Alexander urged people to bring their youthfulness and zest to join the PEP to work to bring hope back to TT.

He urged people not to be divided by race but to work together to advance TT for their children.

Lamenting children surviving on corned beef, he said, “If we were smart we should say the value of the work I do should get me more than I get. That is the conversation that we have to have.”

Alexander said people working in good jobs such as in the bank could not pay their living costs.