Senior Political Reporter
Pledges to the people!
A UNC government will immediately halt any plan to increase water and electricity rates at this time. Plus, a UNC administration will act urgently to use the free collective bargaining process to resolve outstanding settlement negotiations and also work with all unions to ensure accessibility to Housing Development Corporation (HDC) housing is priority.
So said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday in Parliament, as she delivered a slew of commitments on sectors—from security to education—in her reply to Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s 2025 Budget.
Persad-Bissessar also called for Government’s proposed divestment of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, Clico shareholding and the Magdalena Grand Hotel to be placed “under the watchful eye of the Office of the Procurement Regulator.”
While Imbert’s Budget theme was “Steadfast and Resolute—Forging Pathways to Prosperity,” Persad-Bissessar’s reply was themed, “A decade of debt, deficit, destabilisation, death and destruction.”
“I dedicate this to the 99 per cent—the average citizens who this PNM Government has abandoned,” she said.
Imbert spoke for over five hours. Persad-Bissessar, who started at 10.01 am yesterday, completed her delivery in three hours and 40 minutes.
Dressed in red, Persad-Bissessar, in her tenth Budget reply, dismissed Imbert’s Budget.
“The Minister spoke for five hours and 13 minutes to announce a $2 per hour minimum wage increase to some workers and a five per cent new offer to public servants.
“He joked about doubling his speaking time to ten hours. I’d have preferred if he had doubled the minimum wage increase to $4 per hour and the offer to public servants to ten per cent instead. I take note, Minister—it takes a resolute disposition and steadfast dedication to be that tedious for five hours.”
She added, “He spent over five hours reading the PNM’s eulogy ... Five hours of talk and nothing about lowering food prices, or about senior citizens, about generating more revenue; nothing credible about fighting crime and murders or about job creation for thousands of unemployed.”
“Even if the Minister had taken 10, 12, or even 24 hours, he would still have been short on credibility. Because the Government isn’t just bankrupt for cash; they’re bankrupt for solutions ... he spent long hours ‘painting’, ‘glossing’, ‘varnishing’, and ‘putting up new curtains’, smoke screens and mirrors. This time, though, there were very few buyers,” she said citing “the decade of destruction that citizens have endured.
“Despite the five hours and 13 minutes of a madman’s rant, the population had tuned out long before Monday...”
Persad-Bissessar devoted a large section of her address to slamming Government’s performance in all sectors; as well as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s leadership and other ministers.
She presented the UNC’s alternative plans for Government in all areas.
Persad-Bissessar said funding to make this a reality would come from UNC’s Economic Transformation plan and from removing “the waste, corruption and mismanagement” occurring.
“This PNM Government has systematically been making the rich richer and the poor poorer for the past nine years, and the current budget continues this disastrous trend ... it’s time to bring back people-centred UNC governance,” she added.
No rate hikes
Persad-Bissessar said Imbert “sheepishly” addressed the previously touted increase in water and electricity rates without giving any specifics and updates on Government’s plans, “especially since the electricity rate review is currently before the Cabinet and the water rate review is at the Regulated Industries Commission.”
“This is an attempt to pull the wool over the citizens’ eyes. This comes as no surprise in an election year, despite the Government’s previous position that a water and electricity rate review was paramount to them to collect additional revenue. The population must go into the next general election with their eyes wide open on the issue of increased water and electricity rates.”
She added, “Government cannot leave this issue in limbo. Therefore, whether it’s the Minister of Public Utilities or the Prime Minister, the public must be told: how much the rate increase will be and from when it will be effective under a PNM Government.
“To do otherwise is playing smart with foolishness, since citizens are very aware that the Government has adopted a holding position on this issue until after the next general election.”
“Government’s handlers have told them to back off on the issue since it has received widespread public opposition. Should citizens forget God and vote the PNM back into office, they can rest assured that one of (PNM’s) first acts would be to increase water and electricity rates.
“The UNC commits that, upon assuming government offices, we will immediately halt any plan to increase water and electricity rates at this time. The UNC determines its policies based on the needs and circumstances of its population, not on the advice of public relations handlers.”
Settling negotiations
Persad-Bissessar also said a UNC government will act urgently to use the free collective bargaining process to resolve outstanding settlement negotiations. She pledged to settle negotiations in the health sector and consider proper/better terms and conditions for all doctors, nurses and other staff.
But she said Imbert’s offer of five per cent to public sector workers was “interfering with the collective bargaining process and a serious breach of best industrial relations practice.”
After meeting with labour leadership and formulating the UNC’s Workers’ Agenda, she added, “The UNC rejects the unjust four per cent and five per cent imposed on all State sector workers and commits to engage in the free and fair collective bargaining process through the office of the CPO.
“The UNC is committed to creating a living wage to ensure that all workers earn sufficient salaries to support themselves and their families comfortably.”
She said the UNC will commit to an improved health plan for all public sector workers and Government will also facilitate discussion on providing a contributory pension plan for daily-rated workers.
Persad-Bissessar also pledged to amend the T&T Revenue Authority legislation for the Public Services Association to have successorship rights to represent workers.
Procurement process for Clico, refinery, Magdalena
Persad-Bissessar said the UNC was committed to restarting the Petrotrin refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre.
“Upon returning to office, we’ll appoint a task force of industry experts to report to the Cabinet within 90 days on a roadmap to restart the refinery.”
She queried the three bidders for the refinery which Imbert had announced.
“None of these companies are known to have any track record in the refining industry ... and there are serious questions and allegations about improper practices by at least two ... it reminds me of the Jindal fiasco: Government didn’t have the time to do simple research,” she said.
“I think we’re going on another mamaguy run. Before every election, they’re going to find someone to lease or buy the refinery (but) elections come and go and nothing happens.”
Persad-Bissessar called for the refinery sale and that of the Magdalena Grand and the Clico divestment to be placed under procurement law. She said while there are regulations pertaining to furniture and equipment, there are none regarding the refinery’s lands and properties.
“We need to move safely and rapidly to bring procurement legislation to deal with disposal of public property as it relates to the refinery, the Magdalena and Clico—and then and only then should the Government proceed to divest and sell,” she said.
“These are huge assets and if it is that the Office of Procurement Regulator has $5 billion in contracts awarded and (recently) said things took place that cannot be accounted for, can you imagine with these massive things like the refinery, Clico assets and the Magdalena? Bring it under the Office of the Procurement Regulator!
“If you don’t do it, then we’re very clear what you’re up to in an election year: that you want to divest these properties to your friends, family and financiers without the oversight and transparency of the Procurement Regulator.
“I call on the Government to amend the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act if necessary to bring this proposed divestment of Clico, Magdalena and the refinery under the watchful eye of the Office of the Procurement Regulator. We demand complete transparency.”
Replace Energy Chamber
Detailing UNC’s plans to revitalise the energy sector, Persad-Bissessar pledged to implement a system to determine the fuel price at the pump “that protects the population and keeps the fuel subsidy manageable.”
She also said the Energy Chamber of T&T, which has existed for almost 68 years, had previously provided good service.
“However, the chamber is now dominated by large multinationals and local special interest groups and the locally owned Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the energy sector are really without an adequate voice. Many local businesspeople have stated they’re afraid to voice their true opinions for fear of retaliation from multinational companies and local special interests.”
She said a UNC government would create and fully finance the formation and operation of a new body to represent local energy service companies and contractors.
“The new body will also represent businesses that provide goods and services throughout the energy value chain. All locally owned MSMEs in the energy sector will be able to join and use this body to make representations directly to the Energy Minister and Prime Minister without going through the existing energy chamber. We’ll remove all State-owned energy companies from the Energy Chamber and create a new, separate body to represent their interests.”
She added, “I don’t believe that the current Energy Chamber represents and advocates for the best interests of our State-owned companies. These must make decisions and policies in the best interests of citizens and not for a private body mainly controlled by multinationals. Through these new representative bodies, we’ll prioritise the interests of local energy companies and local content.”
UNC 5 ignore leader
While her address received loud desk-thumping support from her frontline MPs throughout and on conclusion, the five estranged UNC MPs who support Mayaro MP Rushton Paray didn’t join in.
They arrived in the Chamber together about 50 minutes into Persad-Bissessar’s address and appeared absorbed in their own business or conversing with each other while she spoke.