PM: Trinidad and Tobago has become 'lawless dump'

PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar has described Trinidad and Tobago as "a lawless dump," but pledged to clean it up for the benefit of law-abiding citizens.

Responding to questions from Newsday about whether government was killing two birds with one stone by doubling traffic fines to improve road safety while also raising revenue for the country, Persad-Bissessar said all the measures were presented in the national budget and the Finance Bill.

She said, "The country has no order, it’s become a lawless dump and it’s because of the entitled attitudes of some citizens who believe they can do whatever they want while inconveniencing others without consequences. And these entitled citizens span across all demographics and sectors of society."

Persad-Bissessar said her objective is to "improve the lives of law-abiding citizens who go out everyday and try to live a good and decent life. These people have been taken advantage of for too long."

She said citizens are free to live as foolhardy as they want, including "free to drive recklessly, smoke ganja, drink rum, gamble, misbehave, mash up the place, play loud music and live however they want."

However, she warned that all personal choices have consequences that must be faced.

She claimed the PNM does not have the best interest of their supporters.

"They seem to harbour no great ambitions for their supporters or citizens. I was shocked when the first thing their leader spoke of in the budget was the price of rum. Is that what she believes is important to PNM supporters and citizens instead of healthcare, education, security and sustainable jobs?

"The PNM has supported giving ganja to young people instead of laptops, encouraged rum drinking and gambling, defended Venezuelan human traffickers and drug smugglers, fought against citizens defending themselves in their own homes. They believe citizens want to be grass cutters and street sweepers instead of having sustainable jobs where they can afford a decent home and life.

"PNM MPs don’t support those negative things for their own children and families but support it for citizens."