MSJ hints at mass action in response to budget

MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah has hinted at the possibility of mass public action in response to the contents of the 2024/2025 budget.

He made this comment as the party hosted a citizens' assembly at Preysal Secondary School on September 21.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert will present the budget in the House of Representatives on September 30.

After repeating the MSJ's view that the PNM has been systematically destroying Trinidad and Tobago through its actions, Abdulah said the budget will be important for both what it says and what it does not say.

He added this may warrant a response from the MSJ and its partners in the labour movement and civil society.

Abdulah said that response may involve the politicians seeing "the power of the streets."

He refused to say what kind of action this would be or when it would happen.

Abdulah repeated the party's position that commercial and industrial customers should pay property tax before ordinary homeowners.

In the House of Representatives on September 20, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said a new deadline for residential property tax payments will be announced on September 23.

The original deadline is September 30. Imbert made this comment after the Prime Minister said consideration would be given towards extending the deadline due to the problems being faced by many people with making their payments.

Responding to questions in the Senate on September 17, Imbert said solutions are being worked on to address these problems.

Abdulah said the small turnout at the assembly did not mean the event was a failure.

"It is not quantity but quality."

Abdulah said several of the people who spoke made valuable contributions.

MSJ chairman Gregory Fernandez said the party is seeking feedback from the population about how to address the problems facing Trinidad and Tobago.

He said the assembly was the first step in a wider engagement that it wanted to have with the population.

Fernandez said the MSJ held the assembly because of "the situation that the country finds itself in."

While the party has policy positions on different issues, he continued, the MSJ believed it is important to have a wider conversation with citizens about those issues.

Fernandez added that soon, the MSJ will be collaborating with other civil society groups in other public engagements to address issues that are important to the population.

MSJ general secretary Ozzi Warwick said no political party is serious about addressing any issue facing the population.

He asked, "Is that good living?"

Warwick said there needed to be a shift in the population's thinking away from the agendas of political parties and make leaders accountable to the people.

MSJ deputy political leader Radhica Gulbance said politicians were not addressing the problems facing working-class people such as poverty.

Some of the attendees expressed a distrust for political parties, especially the PNM and the UNC.

Ken Reyes from Arima, defined himself as a socialist.

He said none of the political parties had an ideology which showed they had a vision to develop TT.

Reyes said, "No one in the PNM knows their ideology."

He added, "The UNC ideology is in a weird disarray. They don't know where they're going."

One woman named Emma Clayton said, "No government or political party can save TT."

She added it was up to ordinary people to do this.

Another woman, Carol Noel, asked whether equipment in the nation's hospitals was working.

Fidel Stewart from Diego Martin said he has never trusted any government or political party since childhood.

Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) assistant general secretary Trevor Johnson attributed the level of crime to a lack of leadership in authorities designated to deal with it.

He claimed there were vacancies at the head of the National Security Security Council and in the post of national security minister.

In the case of the latter, Johnson said the post was occupied by a "ministerial vagrant."

Ramdeo Singh from Cunupia also expressed concern about crime.

He called for legislation that would see harsher penalties against people who commit crimes using illegal firearms and for rogue police officers from the police service.