Padarath: Credit Kamla
Princes Town MP Barry Padarath in a press release said that he had noted comments made by Olympic Medallist George Bovell III and the Minister of Sport Darryl Smith in the news about the great value the national Aquatic Centre brings to the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Padarath stated that the vision of former Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar was being realised through the Aquatic Centre and several other flagship sporting facilities developed and built by the Partnership administration.
Padarath added that Persad Bissessar’s plan for the young people of Trinidad and Tobago through sport had real tangible benefits. These benefits he said included opportunities for sport tourism, job creation and recreation.
The Princes Town MP said that the recent comments made by both Bovell and Smith about the Aquatic Centre was testimony that the leadership of former Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar had borne fruit. He added that the facility was just one in several undertaken by the partnership administration that could be revenue generating for
Trinidad and Tobago as well.
Padarath stated that while Persad Bissessar was engaged in developing over 200 recreation grounds throughout the country and establishing cycling, tennis and aquatic centres to develop the sporting and tourism industries during her tenure as Prime Minister the current administration had nothing to show for sport and youth affairs after 9 months in office and 63 billion dollars budgeted.
He added that the former Prime Minister must be credited for these flagship projects that would bring tremendous opportunities to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and that her vision was a long term one. Padarath criticised government’s move to spend an additional 90 million on the Brian Lara stadium that has been mired in controversy. The Princes Town MP stated that to add insult to injury the government was now investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to have a “dancehall” on a cruise liner that would yield little or no results. Padarath stated that the government was devoid of any serious innovative plans to develop the sport and tourism sector.
He stated that the recent announcement made by the government that the Prime Minister would now head the Tobago Tourism Development Committee indicates that he had no faith in the current minister. He urged the Prime Minister to break his silence on the removal of the former TDC Chairman and to explain why his Minister was at war with the TDC board. He called on the PM to tell the country why he was playing referee between the TDC board and the Minister of Tourism.
Padarath said it was sad that the Prime Minister injected himself into the Tourism sector while he has taken “a hands off” approach to national security. He called on the Prime Minister to give equal or more attention to the national security matters of the country and further urged the Prime Minister to say whether he agreed with the National Security Minister’s comments that their crime plan was yielding positive results.
Padarath congratulated former Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar for her vision and foresight in developing the sport and tourism sectors of Trinidad and Tobago and indicated that it was measures like those that would change the culture of the society with a life away from crime.
Padarath added that the Prime Minister should consider taking the Ministry of National Security under his portfolio in light of the national security environment with the increase in homicides and serious crimes.