PRIME MINISTER-designate Stuart Young shared two anecdotes from his overseas trips on government business with outgoing Prime Minister that showed a softer and more humorous side to Dr Rowley.
Young was addressing the PNM presentation of candidates rally at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, on March 16.
"So we had gone to Washington and in one day, he had to speak to five different groups of people – five different groups of their politicians – from the Republican Party and the Democratic Party."
Young said it was important for the TT public to know what has been done on their behalf, including talking to US law-makers.
Recalling one politician not wanting to hear much about TT, he said he and Rowley stuck with it to make their case.
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"In the middle we spotted an opening. By the end of the meeting this Republican law-maker said, 'I will support TT'.
"So don't listen to them out there!
"Now, this is the embarrassing part for me: As we are leaving the meeting now, the man (Republican law-maker) said, 'Thank you very much, Prime Minister Rowley. It was a great pleasure. You have my support. I will speak to my colleagues to see what we could do and we will support TT.'
"He said, 'But forgive me. Minister Young, I want to offer you a job to come and work for me.'"
Young delivered his punchline.
"So, I am waiting for Dr Rowley to run the man and tell him no.
"But Dr Rowley ain't say 'No, Stuart ain't going nowhere.'"
Young gave a second wisecrack, regarding Rowley's humour, regarding an official visit to China.
"When you go to the People's Republic of China, it is crowds like this (PNM rally crowd-size). So it is plenty, plenty people.
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"So we were walking – myself and Dr Rowley and Mrs Rowley – and I saw him looking around. I said, what is Dr Rowley watching, boy?
"He called me up and you know what he told me? He said, 'Stuart, stay close you know, because if I lose you here, I ain't finding you to take you back to Trinidad.'
"That is our Dr Rowley!"
