Leave the national tie's red, white and black colours alone! That's the appeal from PNM Senator Terrence Deyalsingh to Government. Deyalsingh expressed concern about the colours during Tuesday's Senate debate on expansion of maternity leave benefits from 13 to 14 weeks under the Maternity Benefits Amendment Bill.
Wearing a red, white and black striped tie, Deyalsingh said, "I want to appeal to cliques in the Government to please leave the colours of the national tie alone." Deyalsingh had earlier said there was a clique of supporters within the People's Partnership who want to change the T&T tie to be more ethnically acceptable. He said he would resist that.
He said Government had told so many "untruths" about various issues, he said "PP" stands for "Pinocchio Party"-from the childhood tale of Pinocchio-and the symbol was a nose. Deyalsingh said PNM members were now politically vulnerable and the party had to protect them.
He noted statements, including some by Airports Authority officials, that PNM operatives were thwarting the authority's work. Deyalsingh said it was loose of Government to ask various quarters to "give more" on the bill. While he said the bill was a "good political statement to make," he questioned who would bear the burden and if employers or NIS would fund it or both.
