Category Archives: People’s Partnership

NACTA: PP leads PNM

Newsday – August 30 2015

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarThe latest North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) tracking poll finds the 2015 General Election still to be going down to the wire with the outcome in a few marginal seats determining who will be the prime minister.

The poll also found that Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been consistently leading her main challenger, Dr Keith Rowley, in voters’ choice for Prime Minister as well as in approval and favourability (likeability) ratings.
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Half truths and manifestos

By Raffique Shah
August 25, 2015

Raffique ShahI don’t know that the majority of people in the country are influenced in any way by the manifestos presented by various parties-in our case two, one from the UNC/PP and the other from the PNM.

In fact, I believe few people, likely less than ten percent of the electorate, read these voluminous documents. In my case, I sought the synopses of the presenters because I know they will have highlighted what they saw as the fundamentals of what they would implement if elected, and certainly their most marketable offerings.
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Clarify property tax

Newsday Editorial
August 25 2015 – newsday.co.tt

HouseUNFORTUNATELY all of the barbs being exchanged in relation to the question of a proposed property tax have distracted us from the deeper question: what is the policy of both of the major parties on the imposition of taxes on property assets generally? The property tax was a proposal of the last PNM administration and it would have introduced a brand new regime of taxation which would be tied to the rental and taxable values of property.
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SS Trinidad Sinking

By Raffique Shah
August 19, 2015

Raffique ShahAmidst the din of election campaigning—hundreds of ‘Kamla has a plan’ ads on all television stations during prime time, DJ music systems scouring the country daily, public meetings broadcast nightly on almost every radio and television station, more ads popping up every time you click on the Internet, assaults via phones and emails—I have yet to hear one frontline politician tell the people of this nation of the grim times the country faces if oil and gas prices keep tumbling, as they have done over the past two months.
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The Laptop Scandal

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 18, 2015

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI was at Maloney on Wednesday evening when Dr. Keith Rowley analyzed the Government’s laptop program. Dr. Rowley did not have to do much work since he read from a document that pointed out the introduction of laptops and the incorporation of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in our schools “had no statistically significant impact on student performance.” It also found that staff and student groups registered “a relatively high dissatisfaction with the provision of internet service” and the implementation of the laptop program.
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PP candidates superior to PNM’s—Kamla

By Richard Lord
Monday, August 17, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarIn the face of significant inroads into territory of its (UNC) coalition partners, political leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Kamla Persad-Bissessar told party supporters yesterday that the People’s Partnership could not be in better shape to seek a second mandate from the electorate as the coalition presented its 41 candidates for the September 7 polls.
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Reckless endangerment

By Terrence Farrell
Aug 14, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

FinancialWhat has been the impact on energy sector revenues of the fall in oil and gas prices? Data published by the Central Bank indicates that in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, energy sector revenues have declined by $3.3 billion or 27.5 per cent. Total Government revenues declined by only 1.7 per cent because the proceeds of the tax amnesty and NGC special dividend helped to offset the fall in oil revenues.
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An issue more important than crime

By Raffique Shah
August 8, 2015

Raffique ShahWE columnists are on a roll during “elections season”, but in my 34 years of writing commentaries, I have never enjoyed a long, scandalous, comical campaign as the current one.

It’s so good, or bad (depending on one’s perspective), readers have taken to telephoning or emailing me with suggestions as to what I should address.
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PM’s powder puff question time

By Keith Subero
August 04, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-BissessarIf the Prime Minister, her PR handlers, and state-owned CNMG television intended to produce 90 minutes of absurd theatre then they should claim last Thursday night a “brilliant success”.

The concept of the Theatre of the Absurd is recognised for its seemingly meaningless and repetitious dialogue. Its plots are usually confusing, empty, disjointed, unrealistic, and intended in some way to identify futility in the human condition.
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Blunder after plunder: Kamla discusses Reshmi, LifeSport and Vikings in odd Q&A

By Mr. Live Wire
Friday 31, July 2015 – wired868.com

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar“Have you ever seen a TV show called Vikings?” Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar asked Dr Morgan Job, who was one of her three interviewers last night.

‘Vikings’, in case you don’t know, is an Irish-Canadian television drama that is not short of historical inaccuracies but big on sacking and plundering. It was a simpler time when tendering policy was usually “take what you can carry” and ship captains never asked to see CVs.
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