The return of the property tax, local government reform, the Dragon Gas deal, the state of the local economy, or resurrecting campaign promises. There is much speculation about what Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will say in his unprecedented two-day address to the nation. The speech, according to information from the Office of the Prime Minister, will be carried live today at 7.30 pm on CNC3 and continue on Monday at 8 pm.
There is little information as to what he plans to speak on, but political scientist Dr Winford James speculated that a resurrection of the property tax and granting the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) greater autonomy would be chief among the PM's talking points.
In a telephone interview yesterday, James said that the Prime Minister's New Year message was "devoid of content" which indicates that he was "leaving the big announcements" for today and tomorrow.
"If you go back to his New Year' Day address, there wasn't much material in it," James said.
James said while the country used the PM's New Year's speech to "set the tone" for the rest of the year, it may be his speech today that does it.
"I believe that the New Year's speech was deliberately slim in content because he knew that he had this two-part speech to make. He deliberately held back and therefore he is going to load this speech with the kinds of directions that the people need to hear," he said.
James said with the election campaigning set to start this year, Rowley might resurrect some of the campaign promises that were not kept.
"The question of the remodelling and restructuring of Petrotrin, the effects it is having on the community and how to enliven that place economically. I think some new ideas along those lines," he said.
James also said that he expected Rowley's speech to carry more preparation for the 2020 election.
"So he may also resurrect local government reform. When he started out that was high in his agenda but the voices in relation to that went silent," he said.
"The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to give Tobago greater autonomy is probably an issue that he might address as well. There are so many things."
James said that the Dragon Gas deal the Government signed with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro might also be a part of the PM's address. He said that considering the worsening economic situation in Venezuela, that gas deal might be on shaky ground.
"That deal is precarious, maybe he might say something about that," he said.
Deputy political leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Dr Roodal Moonilal also weighed in on what the Prime Minister might say later today and tomorrow.
"I trust that he will address the issues of rampant criminality and stop hiding behind (Commissioner of Police) Gary Griffith, address joblessness, poverty, economic decline, and the regional security involving Venezuela and Russia," Moonilal said.
Moonilal said in an ideal democracy, the "Rowley Government would have thrown in the towel and called an election".
"But as to what I expect? I expect that he will blame the UNC or (Opposition leader) Kamla (Persad-Bissessar) for his incompetence," Moonilal said.
"I expect he will blame the Partnership ministers for his government's failure. I don't expect that he would fire (Minister of Transport) Rohan Sinanan over the continuing debacle of the sea bridge or the licensing inspection mess, I also don't expect that Rowley would give an account for the corruption under his watch in the 'fake oil', Galleons Passage or Udecott secret loans," he said.
"Dr Rowley should report to the Parliament not by an address to the nation. The nation cannot talk back. In Parliament, we can accept his report and debate on it."