PM: Kamla cannot handle tariffs

Your Vote, Your Future

PRIME Minister Stuart Young says Trinidad and Tobago cannot trust Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the UNC to protect its interest on serious matters such as the recent imposition of a ten per cent tariff on some of its exports by the US.

Young claimed all the UNC was interested in was gaining political power at all costs.

He made those comments at a PNM public meeting at Exodus Pan Theatre, Tunapuna on April 5.

US President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on 180 countries, including TT, on April 2. The reciprocal tariff rate being applied to countries ranged from ten to 50 per cent.

Earlier in the day, during a tour of a $35 million fishing centre in San Fernando, Young dismissed Persad-Bissessar's claims that the tariff was imposed on TT because of his and former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley's interactions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with respect to cross-border energy projects such as the Dragon and Cocuina/Manakin projects.

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In Tunapuna, Young told PNM supporters that over the last nine years, the PNM had been a responsible government and TT was well respected by its regional and international partners.

He said because of the relations which he and Rowley had developed over time with Democrats and Republicans in the US, the way was paved for bilateral talks in Jamaica with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which had resulted in agreements with the US on national security and energy matters (the latter including no change at this time to the 30 year OFAC licence for the Dragon gas project).

Young asked PNM supporters who they would want to negotiate important matters like this on their behalf.

"Someone who is always sober. Someone who they can't find anything on. So they literally have to create videos and lies about or you want someone who cannot even string a sentence together unless they are reading it from a piece of paper?"

Young said the tariffs were a serious matter and many world leaders were talking about how they would affect their economies.

He added potential increases of goods in the US "could affect all of us, and it will."

But Young said as the leader of a responsible government, he could tell the population that "we are prepared to do what is necessary to protect not only TT, but the whole Caricom region, and you have proof of that."

He added the population could see that when it compared the respective records of the PNM and UNC.

Young said only the former had "credibility, reputation, stability, intelligence and most importantly respected."

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He told PNM supporters he was never deterred or afraid because he was always fighting hard for TT's best interests.

Young said he was unfazed by the UNC's attempts to brand him as the "minister of everything" because his efforts over the years had resulted in solid international partnerships that had helped TT.

Young said Rowley was instrumental in arranging meetings between Caricom leaders and US government officials.

"Regardless of who is in power there, we have access to the decision-makers, because they know with this PNM government, they know there is credibility, and we have reputations that are stellar."

He claimed neither Persad-Bissessar nor any member of the UNC commanded that respect from anyone anywhere.

"Take God out of your thoughts for a moment. Imagine Kamla Persad-Bissessar going to that meeting (with US government officials). Imagine Anil Roberts next to her. Imagine (Dr Roodal) Moonilal next to her. Imagine if you make the mistake and Jack (Warner) jump on the plane to go to the US. Imagine if some of their financiers who avoiding extradition for 20 years. Imagine if Barry Padarath goes with her. That is what you have to consider."

Young asked the crowd, "Is that who TT wants representing them?"

The crowd replied, "No!"

While Young said the PNM had delivered for TT over the last nine years, he said Persad-Bissessar was yet to give a credible and detailed explanation about how the UNC would finance its plethora of campaign promises without devaluing the TT dollar, 15 to one.

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He scoffed at Persad-Bissessar's claim the UNC would do that by cutting down waste and expenditure and gave no specifics as to how that would happen.

Young reminded the population that many people in the UNC had roots in the now-defunct National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) coalition government which cut jobs and increased prices of commodities across the board, despite claiming it would do neither of those things.

He said the population faced the same problem with the UNC's "coalition of interests" should it win the election.