Category Archives: PNM

UDeCOTT Improper

By Andre Bagoo
December 29, 2009 – newsday.co.tt

PM Patrick Manning and Calder HartCHAIRMAN of the Commission of Inquiry into Udecott Professor John Uff QC has hit back at the State-owned enterprise for making what he described as “improper” allegations against him in a High Court lawsuit the Calder Hart-chaired company has brought to challenge the proceedings.
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Imbert’s Nonsensical Fire and Brimstone

By Stephen Kangal
December 27, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

Colm ImbertHere was Minister Colm Imbert at his arrogant worse spewing loud and rapid dragon-fire and non-supportable and baseless brimstone in the House as he wallowed in half-lies, untruths and innuendoes in his PT speech on Monday. As I sat in the public gallery and was inflicted with this spectacle, I agonized loudly: How could Mr. Speaker allow his House to be brought into such disdainful odium and total disrepute in the eyes of citizenry by sanctioning Imbert’s loud shouting, his comic antics, his peacock arrogance and his demeaning undiplomatic remarks directed at the Opposition members? His behaviour was nothing short of “waganry” at its sordid and obscene worst.
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PM pledges better life for citizens

December 25, 2009
guardian.co.tt

PM Patrick ManningBetter roads, health, security, water electricity supply is Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s gift to the nation for the coming year. In his Christmas message to the nation, Manning said the Government understood the needs of citizens but patience was required to accomplish some of its goals. He said despite international turbulence, T&T had been able to make progress and remained a further fortified democracy. “We have weathered the most severe international economic crisis since the 1930s, one whose effects continue to persist in most countries,” Manning said. He said in the midst of the effects of the economic crisis still being faced by most countries and despite T&T’s significant loss of revenue, this country had been able make a “turbulent crossing with greater steadiness than most.”
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Backing Bas …or Ramesh

Basdeo Panday, Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj
Basdeo Panday, Kamla Persad-Bissessar & Ramesh Maharaj

By Raffique Shah
December 20, 2009
trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

As a Christmas gift to my colleague of many, many moons ago, I am backing Basdeo Panday for leadership of the UNC in the upcoming party elections. I have taken this decision, not after long and hard examination of the issues at stake, or any analysis of the future of UNC, but purely because Bas is a man. And this country of warped minds where people are whimsical in their outlooks, man must back man.
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Rowley hits property tax

By Sean Douglas
December 20 2009 – newsday.co.tt

Dr. Keith RowleyDIEGO Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley believes that people from all walks of life are angry at the Government’s property tax which they blame on squandermania. Rowley was speaking on Friday in the Lower House on two bills to bring the new tax, the Property Tax Bill 2009 and the Valuation of Land (Amendment) Bill 2009.
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Crime shift from urban to rural districts

By Raffique Shah
December 13, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

ViolenceI WISH I could take comfort in the marginal drop in the number of murders this year when compared with last year, the way Acting Commissioner James Philbert does. At a recent year-end function, (Acting) Assistant Commissioner Gilbert Reyes sought to assure citizens that soon we shall not only hear talk about further crime-cuts, but we shall have less crime to talk and write about.
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Property Tax Bills Need Constitutional Majority

By Stephen Kangal
December 13, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

HouseI am now convinced that the two draconian property tax bills No 23 and 24 of 2009 must receive the requisite constitutional majority before they can be legitimately passed in the House of Representatives on Friday 18 December without public input. These bills are clearly being introduced in clear defiance of the wishes of the majority of people of T&T. They also are geared to demonstrate sadistically who is the ultimate boss here in the face of rising and widespread dissent.
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Ministerial inexactitudes

By Reginald Dumas
December 10, 2009

Kennedy SwaratsinghThere has been a recent rash of quite extraordinary ministerial utterances. First, the scholarship issue. You already know the basic facts. What astounded me among other things were the various government attempts to gloss over the matter with comments that defy my powers of comprehension. Thus the Minister of Public Administration, Kennedy Swaratsingh, could wearily say-‘for the umpteenth time’, he complained, as if speaking to a bunch of not very intelligent first-former-that the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs (MCDCGA) awarded bursaries whereas his ministry awarded scholarships.
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Lords, hear ye my prayers

By Raffique Shah
December 06, 2009
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

Patrick Manning and Basdeo PandayFROM today and until such time as I lose faith in the many manifestations of God that most people believe in, I revoke my agnosticism in the interest of my country. Given the multiple blights that seem to have overrun this country, I have no choice but to turn to the deities in a bid to restore some semblance of sanity to the only nation to which I bear true faith and allegiance.
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UNC Support for the Property Tax In the Manday Accord?

By Stephen Kangal
December 05, 2009
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog

Patrick Manning and Basdeo PandayPolitical observers are duty bound to pose the question, in the face of recent bizarre public posturing of the UNC towards the property tax (PT) whether non-opposition or neutrality towards the PT would appear to be a condition of the Manday Accord. In the post- budget debate the UNC, except for the MP for St. Augustine, has been lukewarm in its limited opposition to the PT even though its current and potential political support base stands to bear the brunt of the expected $7bn punitive revenue windfall.
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