NTA candidates set lofty crime, infrastructure goals for Diego Martin

NATIONAL Transformation Alliance (NTA) candidate for Diego Martin West Marsha Walker has ambitious plans to protect victims of crime and those who live in fear of gang violence in the community if she is elected on April 28.

Walker vowed the party would implement a transformative agenda to empower youth through a free technical and digital skills training academy, specialising in graphic design, coding and culinary arts. The intention is to provide youth with alternatives to gang life and a pathway to economic independence.

She said the upcoming election is not just about election promises but about leadership that prioritises service and integrity.

"We need leadership that is prepared to say the hard things to you. Sometimes you wouldn't like what they have to say, but it has to be said," she said.

Walker announced plans to establish a community recovery and housing support plan, which includes a local displacement response fund to assist families affected by gang activity.

She said this fund will provide emergency rental support, psychosocial services and relocation assistance.

Additionally, Walker wants to empower women through the Women's Economic Upliftment Network, a programme she announced would offer small grants and mentorship to women-led micro-enterprises, with a special focus on survivors of domestic violence and women displaced by crime.

"The NTA intends to lead through service, to lead by example, to lead with integrity. Our leadership has a track record of doing the right thing, even at a great personal cost.”

Walker complained about a recent personal experience with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) as an example of the need for more efficient governance.

She described a cumbersome process of obtaining an updated voter list, which involved multiple trips and dealing with inadequate infrastructure.

Gail Gonsalves Castanada, NTA prospective candidate for Port of Spain South, urged politicians and citizens to demand and enforce real change in her brief campaign message.

She criticised a tendency by politicians to engage with communities only during election season, saying, “Too many leaders have treated politics like seasonal jobs. They show up before elections, shake our hands, make some promises and vanish like doubles vendor when barra run out.”

Addressing the concerns of communities like Port of Spain, she accused the government of broken promises on housing, jobs, and security and stressed the need for transparency in government spending.

“Nobody wants to hear, ‘Well, the money done,’ without any explanation.” She argued that accountability requires leaders to “actually show up, not just for photo ops, but for real work.”

She also called for public participation in governance, encouraging young people to get involved rather than dismissing politics as “big people business.”

Russell Chan, NTA candidate for Diego Martin Central, complained about the community’s perceived neglect and vowed to use the constituency as a model for change if given an opportunity.

“We at the NTA believe that it's not enough to make promises, which every politician does. Performance must be measured, results must be tracked, and people must be able to hold their leaders accountable, not just during elections, but every single day,” he said.

“Measurement of performance is one of the key pillars of our ‘LAMP’ model – leadership, accountability, management and measurement of performance – all grounded in accessibility. This must transcend throughout this beautiful nation, not only in Diego Martin Central.”

Chan promised to lobby for a closed quarry to be turned into a community college.

“All youths and mature persons from the area can be trained in quarry operations in this area, in the area of tractor operators, excavator operators, crane operators, banks, man-crusher operators, drill operators, mechanics, painters and welders.”

NTA leader and candidate for Aranguez/St Joseph Gary Griffith, who entered the podium swinging punches, reminded the audience about the necessity of representation outside of the “ketchup and mustard” parties, which he said are backed by millions of dollars in financing.

He accused the two major parties of doing the bidding of their financiers.

“And that's why we don't have to be in a situation where we have a rent-a-crowd, where we are trying to fool people. This is legitimate. This is real.

“I am here to be a patriot. I am here to take a bullet for you all.”