Lyder queries new Coast Guard patrol boats

OPPOSITION Senator Damian Lyder queried the procurement, usefulness and likely fate of two new Austal cape-class vessels delivered on Friday at Chaguaramas, speaking on Sunday at a UNC virtual briefing.

"We have no idea about the boats and if they are 'specked' properly for our waters. We have no idea of the $600 million that we spent is value for money because there was no oversight in this procurement process."

Lyder said so far the Government's alleged incompetence in managing Trinidad and Tobago's naval assets had left the country's borders porous.

He said under the past Patrick Manning administration, six Austal vessels had been bought which had not topped any procurement evaluation in terms of either technical capabilities or price.

With these old Austal vessels now deteriorating, he wondered if that would be the fate of the new Austal ships.

"One can go down now, ladies and gentlemen, in Chaguaramas by the Anchorage and you will see these six Austal vessels that are now piled up in a metal scrapheap, now sitting in this Austal graveyard now in Chaguaramas. The reason they are there is because these vessels were not fit for purpose – our waters, our conditions.

"How do we know these two new Austal vessels would not be destined for the same graveyard?" Lyder asked.

He alleged a failure by the Government to look after six Damen vessels – four patrol vessels and six utility vessels – plus an interceptor for each vessel, procured by the former People's Partnership government, especially in their fuel-supply and service level agreements.

"The question is will these vessels fall into disrepair again after sitting down in Staubles Bay?"

Likewise, he asked if the new Austal vessels would also deteriorate, if not properly maintained and supplied with parts.

Lyder queried the acquisition of the Austal vessels. He also said the Coast Guard had never requested any vessels of the specifications of the two Austral vessels.

He said the latest acquisitions had lacked transparency from the Government.

"They must answer to their statements that a grant was offered to facilitate the purchase of these Austal cape-class vessels." Lyder said former national security minister Stuart Young had once told a press conference that the Prime Minister had been told by the Australian prime minister that a military grant was available to countries to buy military-type equipment like these vessels.

He said Dr Rowley had further confirmed this in a ministerial statement in Parliament in 2009.

"However one only has to go to the Austal website to see that the Australia Defence Export Facility has made available a loan to the Government of TT to secure the cape-class vessels.

"So we ask, we want to know." Saying a grant means a gift, Lyder asked how much of the cost price was funded by a grant. "Or did the Government take a loan, backed by the taxpayers of our country to pay $600 million for the two vessels which we are not even sure will be properly operationalised?"

He accused the Government of having initially failed to secure TT's borders, allowing a refugee influx and them offering the two new vessels as a solution.

Lyder said Cabinet ministers had rushed to the recent launch ceremony for the two vessels but he dubbed this as mamaguy as these vessels could not secure all of TT.