PRIME Minister Stuart Young said the PNM general election manifesto made no multimillion dollar “wild promises” allegedly unlike the UNC, but listed actions to actually be carried out.
The PNM chairman spoke at the manifesto launch at Balisier House, Port of Spain, on April 16, alongside PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley, lady vice chairman Camille Robinson Regis and general secretary Foster Cummings.
Rowley declared, “The manifesto was not driven by populism.”
The manifesto is titled A bold, new chapter.
Newsday asked Young about implementation of the previous 2020 PNM general election manifesto.
These plans included, “Commence an aggressive drive in the construction of housing, targeting the construction of 25,000 new homes over the next the years”, “timely release of VAT refunds”, “transform the CSO into the National Statistical Institute”, “the imminent introduction of the Beverage Containers Bill”, “appointment of a permanent Commissioner of Police” and “expansion of Milat (and) reintroduction of youth camps.”
Asked if they were familiar, Young said, “Absolutely. And I am happy to see that historically you have gone back and followed a proper PNM manifesto.
“If you go back through those items, the vast majority of them were either implemented or in the process of being implemented.
“Look at the last one – Milat and the reintroduction of youth camps. Let’s not forget why we had to reintroduce youth camps – because unfortunately despite all the benefits of properly-run youth camps, an administration decided to shut them down.” He said Cummings was trying to have the camps reopened, amid some delay due to deterioration since being shut. Young said Milat has grown.
“The Beverage Container Bill is a complicated piece of policy to be implemented.”
“So I am proud to stand here as a member of the government and say that is our past manifesto, but you will realise we have done quite a lot of those items or they are in the process of being implemented.”
Rowley added his voice. “Just in case you thought Sean was ambushing us, eh? I am putting it that Sean is assisting us, because for us to have put in a manifesto the appointment of a permanent CoP, it is only because we have had an acting CoP – what was it? Five or seven years?
“For years. For years, and approaching the date of that manifesto this country had an acting CoP, who every three months got an extension.”
Rowley said the PNM government had to ask Parliament to pass legislation to initiate the process to begin to search to appoint a CoP. “So that is what has happened there, and we have done that. So, today, you can have appointments of CoPs from the (Police) Service Commission, because at that time in 2015 that was not on the cards.”
Rowley addressed the non-conversion of the CSO to a National Statistical Institute.
“We could not convince our colleagues in Parliament to vote for that legislation, because we only had 22 seats and something as simple and straightforward as that, has been languishing in the Parliament, because a block of pa
