UNC MP Paray sings 'swan song' in budget debate

MAYARO MP Rushton Paray has hinted at the possibility of not being chosen by the Opposition UNC to contest the next general election.

Unfazed by this prospect, Paray said he will go down fighting as a patriot, putting country ahead of partisan political interests.

As he contributed to the 2024/2025 budget in the House of Representatives on October 7, Paray said, "This may be my swan song, but I stand here as a patriot of Trinidad and Tobago.

"I have made my stance clear. I am willing to put TT above all else, above partisanship, above politics. So let the chips fall where they may."

Paray thanked his constituents for the privilege of serving them since 2015. He promised to continue to "serve with passion and humility as long as they would have me."

Paray and fellow UNC MPs Dinesh Rambally, Anita Haynes-Alleyne, Dr Rai Ragbir and Rodney Charles have publicly questioned the ability of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to lead the UNC to victory in the next general election.

They were not invited to a UNC election preparation meeting in Chaguanas on September 1, and were moved to the bottom of the opposition's bench in the House on September 9.

Rambally, Haynes-Alleyne, Paray and Ragbir filed nominations in April to stand for re-election in their respective constituencies.

Charles announced last year he will not stand for re-election.

In the House on October 4, Rambally expressed a similar sentiment to Paray, when he said no man or woman would determine when he speaks.

Paray dismissed claims made by some UNC members that he is a PNM operative out to destroy the UNC.

While he does not support the PNM politically, Paray said, he recognised the responsibility to deal with crime transcends party lines and it was for the Prime Minister, not Persad-Bissessar, to lead that charge.

"I am prepared to work beyond party lines, to grant the Prime Minister the authority needed to provide our protective institutions with the legislative tools required to combat and suppress criminal activity – provided these laws uphold the fundamental rights of our citizens and can withstand judicial scrutiny. "

Responding to an earlier contribution by Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, Paray said the information she provided did not reflect the national reality.

Outside the challenges posed by crime, he said, "Our economy is in intensive care. There is low consumer confidence, low local investor confidence, low foreign direct investment and an overwhelming sense felt by everyone that things are not going to get better."

Paray described Finance Minister Colm Imbert's September 30 budget presentation as first in line for "an award for best fiction."