UNC’s 29TH ANNIVERSARY INTERFAITH SERVICE
Highlights of the Political Leader’s Address:
INTRODUCTION
- This is a significant milestone for our party, having been born out of the struggle of people who wanted better governance, a safer country, better educational opportunities for their children, better health care, and a better Trinidad and Tobago.
- I am proud to have been involved in our great party at different levels, and to have worked, as your leader and as Prime Minister, to fulfill the vision of our founding fathers of improving the lives of the people of our beloved nation.
- Over the past 29 years many persons of different religious backgrounds, different ethnicities and different walks of life have seen our great party as a beacon of hope, as a symbol of unity and as an avenue for development whether personal or national.
HOLY WAR
- The state has embarked on a very dangerous road. The state has engaged in a holy war with our Muslim brothers and sisters as they continue to single out followers.
- The state has declared war on our Hindu brothers and sisters as they attempt to demolish a temple. The state is attempting to destroy a Church declaring war against our Christian brothers and sisters.
COUVA Children Hospital
- My friends you know how much the welfare of the nation’s children mean to me. I have spent over 25 years in public life fighting for the causes of children in this country. As Prime Minister children were one of my primary focuses and today with or without the office of Prime Minister attached to my name children remain at the centre of everything that I do and envision for this country.
- Therefore the Prime Minister’s recent statements about the Couva children’s hospital left me and many others stunned and baffled. The Prime Minister appeared to be suffering from split personality disorder. He spoke one thing in London and then came home and said something different to the nation.
- The Couva Children’s Hospital was intended to be a self-contained, centralized medical facility equipped with the most modern and high-end equipment..
Digital Hospital
- One of the important and distinctive features of this facility – it was intended to operate as a Digital Hospital. What does this mean? Your government, the People’s Partnership government, understood that the use of digital healthcare would lead to better service quality, improved efficiencies and saving on key medical resources
Special Purpose Company to manage Couva Children’s Hospital
- It has come to my attention that Cabinet deliberated on setting up a Special Purpose Company – I have here a copy of Cabinet Note H(18)33, dated 11 April 2018 and Cabinet Minute dated 12 April 2018 which reveal that the Government accepted the recommendations of the Minister of Health in paragraph 8 of the note.
- We are very concerned about what the Government is doing with this Couva Children’s Hospital. They must answer to the people as to what their plans are.
- What share exactly of the Special purpose company (CMMF) will be allocated to the UWI (a regional body), in other words TT assets paid for by TT taxpayers being vested in UWI? How exactly will the arrangement between UWI and the Operator work ?
- Will the offshore medical school give preference to TT nationals who can afford it ?
Preparing to return to Government
Over the past two and a half years under this Rowley-led government, we have witnessed the collapsing of all sectors.
People are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet – food prices continue to rise; more people are being sent home and have no income; you can’t walk out your door without worrying if today is the day you get robbed or worse; and you can’t even get basic medication in the health centres and hospitals. We need to fix this, we need to return good governance to our beloved nation.
Your party has been hard at work – we’re on the ground hearing your concerns, we’re finalizing our vision and plan, we are working for you.
We have appointed coordinating teams in the marginal seats where we do not have a UNC MP; they have been had at work and we thank them.
We will continue to speak on your behalf, and on behalf of all citizens who are fed up, unhappy, angry with this wicked PNM Government.
Today, I applaud my team, a lot of good work has already been done, but we need you to support us, and to join with us.
LG Bye elections are long overdue
Nomination forms are available at UNC Headquarters
Constituency Executive elections will be held during the period May and June.
Now, more than ever we must make the commitment and renew and focus our energies on building and strengthening our party.
Let us pledge today to remember the vision of our founding fathers, and to work towards shaping a better future for our party, for our people and our country.
The voice of the people is the voice of God. Not only is he turning away from God… he is turning away from the people. Retroactive Property tax on our poor, cancellation of grants and support for children and adult with special needs…
Speak out
Stand up
Thank you, my UNC family. May God bless each and every one of you.