PM Address at UNC Mobilization Meeting Debe June 23, 2015
So each week begins with a more bizarre wild and delusional statement and claims echoed by sidekick Mr Rowley and stemming from tag team Mr Warner. I do not intend to play out their script. My lawyers will deal with their lies and fabrications. I will not play into their script because this is now becoming like ‘stay tuned’. You remember the series on TV, Peyton Place? They say stay tuned next week.
“Coming soon to a theatre near you” is the latest in the episode in the series of a man on the list of the most wanted man in the world. He brings you a bizarre story each week. I’m not getting into that script you know why, I have to stay focus, my lawyers will deal with their lies and allegations but I remain focus on what we have to do to continue building the new Trinidad and Tobago.
And I want you to remember this man is like a jack in a box who is trying to jump out of the box and that box is that he must answer for racketeering, he must answer for wire fraud transfer, he must answer for money laundering and those charges are not by us here, those charges come from every country around the world.
One thing about Mr Warner is that he does not discriminate. He took money from every continent in the world including right here in the Caribbean from Haiti. He does not discriminate. So let’s give him that. He does not discriminate. But for me as I say we remain focus on the work we need to do.
As we have said and I repeat it without any sense of apology, we have delivered ninety percent of our 2010 manifesto pledges. That is why I believe, and my team believes that when we made those promises in 2010 and any time we make a promise with the people that is a contract, a binding contract we make and therefore we must carry through with the terms of that contract.
And so when we came into office we came with a plan and I want to ask him today where is your plan? They have no plan, they have no policy, they have no programme. And Dr Moonilal told you that even when they had the opportunity to have those, they delivered none and there was no action. So they have no policy, they have no plan, they have no programme to improve lives of people of Trinidad and Tobago, none. But we have, we had a plan in 2010 and we followed through and fulfilled many parts of that plan and that is why my government has outperformed every single government in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.
We have been building a new Trinidad and Tobago where we have delivered more prosperity for all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. Our country now rise very high on the International Happiness table because we have delivered goods and services, hospitals, water supply, housing we have delivered in every area. Right here in Oropouche East, you all have nothing to complain about because you have some of the largest projects that you have ever seen in this part of Trinidad and Tobago. I am so proud that the University, the south campus is right 2 minutes away from us. You have seen the flatten land, you have seen the buildings growing out of it ready to open in the new school term for the University in September of this year.
You remember when we announced the plan to build this University campus here what did they say? Why you building campus in Debe? The only thing Debe famous for is doubles. Well I’m proud of the doubles of Debe because i never miss these Debe doubles. Most persons coming down here they stop first or second to make sure and get Debe doubles. Not true Jerry? You have to collect those doubles before you go.
But we are also resilient people. And I ask Mr Rowley, what does he have to say about the statements made by one of his members when he talked about people like alligators in a lagoon. What do you mean by alligators in a lagoon? You never condemned the Calcutta ship statement in Tobago. And today now your members are speaking about alligators in a lagoon. Well let me tell you I planted rice like many of you in a lagoon. It doesn’t not matter where you come from what matters where you’re going and where you are. And that is my plan for everyone. Whether you from the hills of Laventille, whether you cross the water in Castries in Scarborough, Charlotteville, whether you down Point Fortin, down In Cedros, back up into the east into Mayaro, further up east on the north east in Toco/Sangre Grande, my plan, my policy, my programme is to lift the lives of everyone in Trinidad and Tobago.
And so we are very high on the international happiest table because we have delivered. In schools, hospitals, in health care, in new health centres in the roads and bridges and infrastructure, in every arena of our lives. Even in crime the statistics will show you that serious crimes at the lowest they ever were since the pnm were in office 2008/9. So even if there are issues and yes there are, priority remains with us to deal with issues of safety and security and issues of crime, yes we continue to focus on that. But we must also acknowledge with all sincerity and honesty that serious crimes are down. Even as we acknowledge that one crime is one crime too many, one murder is one murder too much and that is why my government has put in place a plan to help us deal with crime. There are several initiative which already off the ground; the cctv, rapid response unit, comfort patrol, increase in number recruits coming in police service, gps in police cars, I promised that in 2010 to put cctv and gps in police cars, those have happened and now we have 2 state of the art vessel ships that will help us to lock down our maritime borders; 2 of 12. The next will come next month.
So we are working in all these areas and no wonder I always repeat to you that up in the world index we are on the top three of the world’s happiest people. Take a bow for that. And while all of this is happening, our economy has expanded. Minister Yetming in his time as finance Minister helped us when the economy was done. In this round we have 2 other finance ministers, Dookeran and Howai also helping us to expand the economy as we continue to diversify, to produce new business, new jobs and new opportunities. We provide skills and training and we have invested in technology and when they say we discriminate, we are not like the other guy who does not discriminate in taking people money. We do not discriminate when we give a laptop to every child regardless of where you from or which party you belong to. When you come to our children hospital every child will be given health care regardless of where you come from, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, no discrimination in this regard.
And so I’m seeing the new Trinidad and Tobago that we are building, there will be opportunity for everyone regardless of your background, regardless of where you come from, regardless of which party you may or may not belong to there will be equal opportunities. In this new Trinidad and Tobago I tell its ok to want a better house, I tell you it is ok to want a better job, I tell you it is ok to want a better income and it is ok to want the best for your children from their education. In this new Trinidad and Tobago that we are building your gender, your background will not matter, will not count. It is not, as I said before, from whence you came, it is where you’re at and where you want to go and where you will result in. And so we are a country equipped for the future with a just society, a new politics, and a clear understanding of our role in the world. And that brings me back to the Jurassic park fellas, the dinosaurs Rowley and jack. From Jurassic park, dinosaurs. Most of Mr Warner anger seems to be directed to the fact that I fired him, and that I’m a woman and that I’m strong, he cannot handle that. The first female prime minister I am of this very great nation, and so he resents my gender, he does not respect the office I hold and that is not an insult just to me it is an insult to people of Trinidad and Tobago and every woman of Trinidad and Tobago.
And so He is delusional because he knows for a fact that he cannot overthrow me and I have refused every of his attempts to control and to *inaudible* And let me make it very clear, the week before I left Trinidad and Tobago, when I went up to NY and Washington, it’s not in my speech but I will share it from my heart with you, Mr Warner came to the diplomatic centre, the same centre he is now maligning with his lies, with a letter of resignation, he gave me the letter which I still have, He was resigning from the government and he cried, he cried that night. And I said I will look at this and when I come back we will talk about it. But you see, he knew something I didn’t know. He knew the David Simmons report was coming out the very days when I was out the country, so he took front with it, came and cried and said hey if you want this I’ll give it to you, keep it whatever.
And I went away and during that week when I was away I am now being told about reports of some ganja plant like substance found at the residence of Philippine, whilst I was away and again very interesting that report is being made, they say, on the day just before I returned to Trinidad and when I returned I fired him the very next day because the David Simmons report had come out. And when I asked him I want your resignation, given these allegations go and clear your name, you know what he cried again, *inaudible* said please give me 7 days. You know now seeing how all of this is playing out I want to ask why did he want 7 more days to stay in office? What did he plan to do in those 7 days? How many more tapes will he have fabricated? How many more files he would have concocted? I don’t know why he wanted 7 more days but I thank you Lord when I fired him then in April 2013, just 2 days after his alleged finding of substance, I fired him for the very reasons for which I am totally justified now, they are the very reasons for which the fbi is now looking for him.
And so I’m saying the kind of language that he uses now is a language of the Jurassic park and the dinosaur age which we left behind. Women of this country have come too far to go back into that age of the Stone Age. And so his utterings are becoming more incredible, more far-fetched and more bizarre and totally contradicting and wiping out themselves but you see what, he will do for himself, we don’t have to do for him. The truth will always prevail.
You know, to put it in a funny way. Later this week, guess what, as I say every week, every few days more and more bizarre utterings, later this week I may be accused of knowing the sister of a cousin of a friend who was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy of United States. Who knows! This is where this thing is going. Perhaps I will be accused of visiting the home which is owned by someone who once met someone who knew someone who is a villain in Scooby doo. You never know, how this thing is playing. And so I am just waiting to be accused of taking free flights on Warner’s new flying squad which clearly is navigating the mansion of Mr warner himself. And so, I make it into humour because if you don’t laugh you will cry, and I tell you, this woman no cry. This woman will not cry, will never cry. So I speak of Mr Warner, Jack is in a box, he is now like jumping jack trying to climb out of the box that has enclosed him with the charges brought not by me or my government but brought by the United States and US Attorney General and the FBI, let him jump out that box and he is doing everything else except clearing his name which is all I had ever asked him to do. And he did not do that then. And once we had fired him, constructively fired him, I demanded his resignation, he gave it, he then asked for 7 days and I refused the 7 days and he swore he will do everything he could to take down my government.
But we have stood strong, we have stood tall we will continue to stand and we will not only stand we will come September 7 and we will be purest again. And lets come to the other half of the tag team, Mr Rowley. Why Mr Rowley so bitter? You know why one of the reasons? Because I fought him back with emailgate when he made out lies about me and members of my government. I went to the supreme court of California, I cleared my name on this vile attempt to try to overthrow our government. Google confirmed that all emails that Mr Rowley cited was fake and yes that’s why he is so bitter.
Recently he tried to bully the president, you remember? He tried to bully the president over the integrity commission appointment because he couldn’t get his away and then guess what? He had to boil down like bhagi after his colleagues told him he was wrong and he had to apologise. So, look, I am sorry to all the people who have ever met me in my 40 years of service to this country, I am sorry for you in one way because you will be accused by jack and keith, the gruesome twosome, jack and Keith, you will be accused of impropriety and wrongdoing just because you happen to speak with me, just because you happen to meet me somewhere, just because you happen to live next door to me, I sorry for all my neighbours on that street.