Reshuffling the Cabinet will be a waste of time, says Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley. He expressed this view as he spoke with reporters during the PNM's annual Sports and Family Day in Manzanilla yesterday. "If you reshuffle the same cards, you will get the same hands," he said. He made the statement in response to Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar's decision to conduct a midterm assessment of ministers and state board members.
Rowley said the reconfiguration exercise would not bring about any positive change to the governing style in this country. "I don't think it will make a lot of difference...it's the same people following the same policies of disregard and disrespect for the population," he added.
On another issue, Rowley defended the signing of a deed for a Tobago villa by a close female relative. At Thursday's People's Partnership rally, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal claimed taxpayers' money funded a $3 million villa in Tobago for top executives of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (Udecott) and the deed was signed by Rowley's relative in her capacity as a lawyer.
But Rowley said she did no wrong. He said Moonilal sought to draw her into the politics and into private life business. "She is a private attorney conducting private business, who has had absolutely no business with Calder Hart and Udecott on any transaction," Rowley said.
He said Moonilal was referring to the witnessing of transactions of another person and the time that was done was in 2007. "In 2007, I had been the minister of housing for almost four years, having no responsibility for Calder Hart," Rowley said.