Highlights from the Political Leader’s Address MNF – Brazil
We started the year with a bang, holding our hugely successful National Assembly just over two weeks ago. At that Assembly, we saw the energy, the vibrancy of our great party which continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We saw many new faces, young people ready to get our country moving forward in the right direction, under the UNC. Tonight, I see the same energy, the same vibrancy and I know you are ready to move forward.
On Monday 4th February, the party opened nominations for elections – we need to be ready, the way this government is going, an election could be called any day now. The response has been amazing! The UNC has been working hard on the ground, ensuring that we meet with you and hear your concerns, and your ideas for our country. Now is the time to step up, step forward, make your voice heard, claim your space. Don’t wait, we have so much work to do and we need your help. Trinidad & Tobago needs your help.
The UNC has never been more united and focused in our cause than we are today! The UNC is growing, changing and adapting to the needs of the 21st century. And so it must. We are a party that looks to the future. I know that there are those who find change difficult. There are those who want the comfort and security of doing things like we have always done them. But I’m sorry to say, they are living in the past. As leader of our great party I must chart the course that takes the UNC into the future! Because the future of Trinidad and Tobago depends on you and the United National Congress!
The choice: Dark days under the PNM vs Brighter Future under the UNC
The people of Trinidad and Tobago continue to suffer at the hands of this incompetent PNM Government. Never before in the history of T&T have we seen a government that so incapable of doing their job. Never before have we seen a Prime Minister who is more interested in playing golf than leading the country.
Never before have we seen the senseless destruction of every part of the Government Services. We are entering the fifth month of the fourth year of this Rowley-led Government and nothing is working in Trinidad and Tobago.
National security – in shambles; Health care system – a disaster;Our economy – collapsed; Our education system – failing our children; Flood relief – collapsed; Maintenance of our water courses – abandoned – nothing done; Our roads – in disrepair.
I have seen the PNM reverting to the use of race to campaign. I want to spend a few minutes now and tackle this issue head on.
Recently a police officer made some derogatory remarks about Indo Trinidadians, then some Indo Trinidadians made derogatory remarks against the officer. This tit for tat must stop. People who do these things speak only for themselves not everyone of their race. As a people we need to stop this constant hate and fear against each other. This is how the PNM friends and financiers maintain control, by creating chronic fear against each other and manipulating you into dehumanizing each other. We must forgive and love each other.
Over the years the policies of these elites created a divide between Africans and Indians in terms of property ownership which was then propagandized to create hate and fear between them which manifests itself as racism. Until as a country we face these realities and relevant truths, we will not be able to move forward.
The Indo-Trinidadians must acknowledge that the Afro-Trinidadians were wronged by these acts and while it is also difficult for many Indo-Trinidadians to also obtain land and ownership now it is a more difficult task for others because of historical discrimination. Government has a responsibility to make land and home ownership affordable. This PNM government turned their back on poor people.
The only way for us to reduce the crime rate and build our economy is to have a society where wealth, prosperity and property ownership is distributed to all the population and not just a selected few.
I am going to reintroduce all these land and home owing programmes and incentives when the UNC returns to Office and keep righting the wrongs of the past.
This false race bogey that the UNC is anti-African and paints UNC as a threat to the survival and prosperity of Afro-Trinidadians. They have already restarted that narrative for upcoming elections. You see it in the writings of their paid columnists and their trolls on social media. You see it on their political platforms and the songs they promote as they have no achievement to talk about so they talk about race.
You see this abject failure as National Security Minister Stuart Young playing the race card in Parliament to mask his utter incompetence and non-performance as a Minister. You see in Rowley mounting the platform and race baiting.
This government is the most oppressive government of the poor in the history of this country.
So, the PNM friends and financiers want to push racism so let’s talk about race; for too long they used propaganda to divide our population to serve their own selfish interests.
I want to give one example of how they use their propaganda to divide us – UWI South Campus Debe. The PNM propaganda machine has painted this project as the placement of this campus in Debe as some racist conspiracy to disenfranchise young afro Trinidadian from North.
It hurts me to see citizens having to stand by the mall entrances with a sheet of paper trying to get donations to save their children’s lives. That’s why I introduced the children’s life fund.
It hurt me to see people struggling to send their children to school. That’s why we increased meals, transport, books, laptops built new schools. I may have made mistakes but I always tried to put less fortunate people first and give them a hand up because I know all persons have dignity and should be afforded love and respect.
The PNM friends, financiers and elite have over the past 3 ½ years systematically stripped our UNC people centered programmes from government.
I see many young Afro Trinidadians here. You must step forward and increase the African voice in the UNC by joining in the decision-making process. Don’t let others make decisions for you and chart your future. Step up and take leadership roles in the party while I am here. I am moving this party forward no matter who may kick and scream to maintain relevance. Stand with the UNC and we will rescue our country and bring back sanity and peace.We will bring back good governance, development and growth. We have a plan to continue delivery in all areas, and to get our country working again.
A UNC Government will continue its focus on investing in people.
The UNC, in government, will focus on lifelong education for all, using the GATE program to focus not only on university education but also on skills development. We will make investments in the technology sector to grow our economy. The UNC will place technology firmly at the forefront of our education drive.
We can no longer wait until Secondary or University to what has become basic skills in the rest of the world. Science and Technology today are as essential as Maths and English.
A UNC government will also ensure that our education system keeps up with the future needs of the global economy.
We will lower taxes for young entrepreneurs to create jobs in electronics, e-waste recycling and manufacturing. We can manufacture medical, office and school furniture.
In the private sector, we will offer tax breaks to companies who are willing to pay the cost of employees’ higher education goals, within the industry that would also benefit the employer.
Our entrepreneurs need support and not oppressive taxation. It is our small and medium size manufacturers who will create jobs, jump-start our economy and move Trinidad and Tobago forward.
The Way Forward Under UNC
The UNC is ready to work to return our country to stability and growth. The current government does not have the best interests of the people of Trinidad and Tobago at heart. They have done nothing to create a safer environment, to ensure that your health is taken care of, that you have a stable, well-paying job, and so able to take care of your loved ones.
I want to make a pledge here tonight to the people of Greenvale and the other flood-prone areas – we will not abandon you like the PNM did. In the UNC we feel your pain. We understand your fears, your uncertainty. As your brother’s keeper, we abide by the principle of ‘do unto others’. We know what love is.
It is absolutely unacceptable that four months after the devastating floods of last October, there are still families who have not received any kind of assistance from the Government
The UNC is a party for all of Trinidad and Tobago. Just our national Anthem says; ‘here every creed and race find an equal place”. So too in the UNC Every creed and race has an equal place!
Real leadership – leadership that remembers it is the Government who is servant and the people are its master! Not the other way around! That is the kind of leadership we need.
The UNC worked hard to improve the lives of all citizens, and we remain committed to doing this when we return to Government.
I have never wavered in my focus on people-centred development, and this is why my team was working to ensure that young people were able to access numerous opportunities which enabled them to go as far as their efforts and abilities will take them.
I am committed to our party’s original vision, which has always been to create a better future for all citizens. And I am ready, willing and able to take on once again the mantle of leadership necessary to move our country forward.
If you believe in that vision, I ask you to join me and stand with the UNC! Let’s come together, all citizens; one people, to work to make our country safer, for ourselves and our children.Are you ready to move with us?
Are you ready to rescue Trinidad and Tobago from this incompetent Rowley government ?
Well lets UNDO THIS!
Att’d/… The Complete text of the Political Leader’s Speaking notes PL Speaking Notes MNF Feb 11 2019