Former prime minister Patrick Manning yesterday dared the People's Partnership Government to lock up both him and former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) Calder Hart.Manning made the comment while seated during cross talk at yesterday's 2012 budget debate in the Parliament at the International Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain. Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan was making his contribution to the debate during the pre-tea session when Manning dared the Government arrest him for alleged wrongdoing.
He was heard saying: "Lock him up! Lock up Calder Hart and lock me up, too. Look me here, lock me up."Manning described the Government as "vacuous" and was the first to thump his desk when Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said, in his response to the budget, that the Government had based it on a high oil price of US$75 a barrel.Rowley said the figure was set that high so when the budget did not achieve the projected revenue, the Government would seek a conditional loan from the International Monetary Fund."That's correct, that's correct," Manning said.
On the eve of Monday's budget presentation, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the country would not seek any financial assistance from the IMF under her watch.Manning was later asked by House Speaker Wade Mark to withdraw a comment he made about an MP speaking the truth. Initially he did so in protest, saying he would, however, maintain his opinion.In response to a request by Mark for an unreserved withdrawal of the comment, Manning eventually acceded.Earlier, Rambachan accused Rowley and the PNM of trying to scare the population by claiming the Government was about to return to the IMF for financial assistance. He said based on the sound economic management of the T&T economy, there would be no need for such action.
Rambachan said there was investor confidence in T&T and the Government was committed to ensuring the economy was further developed in the coming years.He also pointed out that while Rowley did not wear the PNM's balisier tie yesterday, most other Opposition MPs, including Manning, did.After the Opposition questioned the relevance of the PNM tie in the debate, House Leader Dr Roodal Moonilal advised Rambachan to "tie it up."Earlier, Mark warned Rambachan against referring to any MP as the 12th man - an obvious reference to Manning.