PRIME Minister Stuart Young said he will be forming an Arts and Cultural Innovation Council to harness the skills and competencies of young people in the creative sector and entertainment industry, in order to monetise the cultural arts of this country.
He said this plan was a recognition that there are many young people – both with formal education and those with other skills – who are unable to find meaningful jobs.
Young spoke at the PNM's general election campaign at the Mt Hope/Mt Lambert community centre in the Aranguez/St Joseph constituency. He spoke one day after the UNC held its economic town hall meeting at the La Joya Complex which is also in this key general election constituency.
Saying he had spoken to many youths while on his walkabouts and in doing so, he realised many youths who have formal education and many more who have other tangible skills, are unable to get jobs.
"So tonight I have taken a decision to tell TT one of the plans of the new PNM government on April 29. I intend to establish a council of young artistes, young entertainers and cultural leaders to bring their vision, their talent, their patriotism to help the PNM government, under me, to help develop the arts and culture in this country."
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Young said this country was replete with "tremendous talent" in the creative sector, in the entertainment industry and this council, working with the government, will convert skills, talent and ideas especially from young people, into "millions of dollars in foreign exchange."
He said this country and its people export their skills, talent and ideas overseas and this can be seen in Notting hill Carnival and in other carnivals in other countries.
"I intend to harness that to work with them, this Arts and Culture Innovation Council, to work with us...because we need to find a way for our young, talented people to find that way to turn that into hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign exchange."
Speaking at his first public elections campaign since being sworn-in as the prime minister, Young promised to fight for all of the country and that he wanted to foster national unity, but to do so, he needed permission from the nation by way of the PNM returning to the corridors of power after the April 28 general election.
He boasted that the PNM was the first and only political party that has presented a full slate of candidates for all 41 constituencies up for grabs in the election.
He said the country had important decisions to make on election day, the first of which was to actually go out and vote.
"Don't stay home and take anything for granted. So for the future of the country, this is for them, on April 28, the first decision I ask of every citizen who is interested in building the country, go out and vote."
He boasted that the Government had built a solid foundation over the past ten years and this was why the population should give the PNM the right to return to government.
He said voters had to take a conscious decision as to which party to vote for.
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He said in voting for the PNM, the people will write a new chapter for the country and a new chapter in terms of creating and fostering unity.
He promised that the limited and growing resources of state will go to those who require it the most.
Young spoke highly of new Minister of Finance Vishnu Dhanpaul – who is not an election candidate – but whose decision to leave his ambassador role to take up the mantle of being a senator and minister, shows there are right-thinking people willing to join the PNM to build society.
Young reiterated his call for national united and inclusion.
"And that is why you have so many decent citizens coming forward and willing to support the PNM. It is important for supporters to come out and vote. If we do that, and when we do that, we will be able to get the requisite number of seats to get the Government."
Young said under his leadership of the government, he had been meeting with people, with leaders in society, so that he and his government could understand what are the things that are needed to get done to build on the foundation created over the past ten years.
He said it was not by chance that his first meeting as PM was to meet with heads of the leaders of the various denominational boards to understand from them what was needed to change in the education sector.
He also reminded that another hot bread issue for the government was the forex shortage.
He slammed the UNC meeting of Thursday and a speaker at that meeting who was slamming the PNM government for the forex crisis, when it was that person, who while in government, could only negotiate one, measly energy contract.
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"We all know about bank charges and fees. So when you hear the stupid talk from those on the other side that your prime minister is fighting for big business, it is action that matters. And I have been walking for the past ten years.
"So I have been walking for the past few months so that I can meet with the people who matters most, the common man. You have a choice in a leader who is willing to walk and meet with people at their doorsteps."
He asked if the woman who wanted to lead the nation (Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar) would have been able to walk and meet with the people hours after coming home at midnight from a trip to Jamaica and then after chairing cabinet.
Earlier in the meeting, National Security Minister Marvin Gonzales urged the nation to give the PNM a minimum of 26 seats in the House of Representatives to allow the government to pass the necessary legislation, without need for Opposition support, "so we can take the country forward."
