'ONLY PNM IMPROVES YOUR LIVES' – Rowley presents 141 LGE candidates, praises reform

SAYING only the PNM brings positive change to TT, the Prime Minister asked voters to endorse the party's candidates in the August 14 local government elections and so give a show of support for local government reform to improve people's lives.

Dr Rowley listed his party's past achievements, addressing Sunday's PNM convention at NAPA, Port of Spain, after the presentation of 141 prospective candidates for 14 local government corporations in Trinidad.

He listed many past PNM innovations, some which had been opposed by critics. These were attempts at a West Indies Federation, the introduction of PAYE to fund education-for-all, covid19 measures, buying the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, creating Caroni (1975) Ltd, establishing FCB, launching the Unit Trust Corporation, building the Mucurapo-Foreshore and Claude Noel Highways, proposing Sandals Hotel in Tobago, and buying two fast ferries for the sea bridge.

While disparaging the party's political rivals as alleged "shysters and carpet baggers," he hailed the PNM's slate as "serious people, honest people, qualified people."

He said each of the 141 was a volunteer to whom no inducement, no fee or no promise had been given.

"Elections are important; elections have consequences," Rowley said.

Boasting that the PNM in its 68-year history had beaten 70 parties, he challenged, "Form them and bring them. The PNM will deal with them."

He recalled learning much from the late Gerald Furness-Smith but had disagreed with the former independent senator's view that local government was superfluous.

Rowley said management of local government could improve the quality of life in communities. He said he was now continuing a journey and keeping a commitment the PNM had made a long time ago over local government, as he asked people to support reform.

"The PNM does not act in a vikey-vie manner."

He recalled overseeing Vision 2020 but said the former People's Partnership government had dumped it "in the dung heap in the Beetham."

"I was in Balisier House when a call came from down in the ministry. One of the clerks took the call and they said 'All you come for your thing because we are throwing it away.'"

The PNM had since created Vision 2030 but he said critics want to run the country but wouldn't read a page as they allegedly believed ignorance was strength.

He said the documents did not come from rum shop limes but consultations involving ministries.

Rowley said, "While the PNM was doing this work, they (rivals) were only interested in election office. Of course the election is called, tomorrow is nomination day and they have no candidates!

"So when that was upon them they start to appeal to people (parties) who have no members: 'Let's form a coalition again and let's see if we can fool the people again and get elected."

He said if rivals were elected on August 14, the next day would bring no difference, but a PNM win would endorse Vision 2030, which he raised to loud acclaim.

"We have tilled the soil, we have looked after the field and now the fruits are available but it requires a climb (election day)."

The PM said the alternative to the PNM was chaos.

"We are inviting all the citizens to come out on August 14 and take a position on local government reform."

Rowley said TT has foreign observers for general elections but not for local and Tobago elections and would not start now.

He lamented that currently councillors were deemed part-time but worked full-time, had electoral authority but not executive authority, and served in corporations with no revenue stream but just sporadic handouts from the Ministry of Finance.

He asked why should a toilet in a primary school only be fixed after permission from Port of Spain while local corporations could do that.

The PM urged people to take responsibility for their district – by backing reform – so things could be done in an organised way.

He said corporations now say they were too under-resourced to curb any infestations of mosquitoes, rats or snails.

"What they don't have is a will, a resource base and a responsibility sheet."

He said local government reform would make a difference in everyone's life, earning applause.

Rowley said after 1979, reform had improved local governance and life in Tobago.

"Come out and take a stand for local government reform."

Rowley also chided the UNC over the section 34 affair and its opposition to an aluminium smelter.

Saying the PNM prospective candidates represented the best of TT, he questioned the background of a member of a rival party's screening committee.

He then alleged the UNC had created a document of lies which claimed the PNM wanted to introduce an inheritance tax which he said was to mislead the population that the PNM was tax crazy.

In contrast, he said the PNM was offering a secure future to TT by way of its candidate slate, one of whom he said could very well be a future prime minister.