Gary Griffith launches bid for St Joseph

GARY GRIFFITH, head of the National Transformation Alliance (NTA), launched his bid to win the St Joseph seat in next year's general election with a soup lime at the party's Mt Lambert headquarters.

Along with his wife Nicole Dyer-Griffith and party officials and supporters, he distributed cups of corn soup and party leaflets to passing walkers and drivers.

"This is our official launch."

He recalled the NTA headquarters being opened a few months ago and his past remark that he would contest St Joseph, now held by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

"Now we are actually starting our campaign. It's a visibility presence."

He said Trinidad and Tobago has never seen a political leader on the ground as much as he has been.

"People recall my time as CoP being very accessible. I was the same as minister of national security. So this is nothing new.

"In one day in the local government election, I walked more than every other political leader combined in the whole campaign. This was because of my fitness, tenacity, capability, heart and determination to be on the ground as much as possible."

Griffith alleged other politicians just want to turn up in constituencies when the election bell is rung.

"I intend to walk the length and breadth of the constituency."

He said in the local election he used to walk eight or nine hours per day, in areas like San Fernando, Sangre Grande and the East-West Corridor from Diego Martin and Carenage through to Arima.

"What you are going to see is a different type of politics with the NTA."

He said one political figure, who he said may or may not have a party, spends his time daily attacking him.

"That is not the kind of politics young people are interested in.

"Our job is not to destroy, attack, divide or discredit."

The NTA's job, he said, was to unite people and make TT a better place.

Griffith said the NTA has named "custodians" for several seats as likely eventual candidates. Custodians have been chosen for Barataria/San Juan, Lopinot/Bon Air West, Chaguanas East, Port of Spain and Diego Martin Central.

Promising to soon name custodians for San Fernando West, Moruga, Sangre Grande, La Horquetta/Talparo and Arima, he said, "There will be some eye-opening names!"

He said in the event of a political alliance, negotiations over candidates would occur but without an alliance, all NTA custodians would be set to become candidates.

Recalling the People's Partnership coalition, he said in 2010 one party took control, in turn ruining the Congress of the People.

"The country does not want to see that.

"They want to see the PNM removed, but have an alliance of parties for checks and balances. A guard guarding the guards."

He accused UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar of saying horrid things about him in alleging he had failed as police commissioner.

"The actions remind me of Napoleon. He felt he was so strong that he wanted to fight Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria at the same time. But we saw the results at Waterloo."

Griffith said TT wants a party with vision, integrity and ethics, plus the ability to make the country safer.

He expected little from the Government on the budget, saying it had failed nine times and would likely fail this tenth time.

"The Government has tried to tax its way to balance income and expenditure. It shows they lack vision and lack the opportunity to diversify."

He expected the budget to reflect the idea of the PNM being "Promises Never Materialise."

Griffith proposed to address the budget deficit by reducing corruption, mismanagement, exaggerated overheads and cost overruns.

"It is what I did as CoP. I was able to cut $300 million in expenditure by overtime corruption alone and by persons involved in corruption by fuelling their own vehicles and pretending it was based on the police (vehicles)."

He said any raising of taxes by the PNM would have a domino effect of raising the cost of goods and services, then inflation, then unemployment and in turn crime.

Griffith said his last year as CoP had seen the lowest murder rate in 17 years. He disputed Persad-Bissessar's claim the reduction was due to covid19, as during the pandemic murder rates had risen in cities across the US, as people were frustrated and households had higher levels of domestic violence.

He recalled his successes as minister of national security – the National Operations Centre, Damen Vessels, Rapid Response Unit, E999 system, and Community Comfort Patrol system. On the current crime upsurge, he said, "I give the assurance to the country, that this can turn around.

"What I did as minister and as police commissioner, I can do again with my team. This can turn around."

He said under his tenure as CoP three years ago, the police had a high visibility and people felt safe."

He said public confidence in the police had been 59 per cent, but today was just eight per cent.

"I give the assurance that upon getting into government, I will make the country safe again."