PRIME Minister Stuart Young touched down at the Point Fortin Secondary School on April 8, armed with a bag full of commitments ranging from 3000 houses for first-time owners, opportunities for youth employment, and a request for a mandate to deliver on those promises after April 28.
Young arrived to a rousing welcome, greeted by fist bumps, hugs, high fives, waves, selfies and smiles from all genders, races and ages of the PNM.
In an hour-long speech, he explored the possibilities of resuscitating the Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina cross-border gas fields with Venezuela, reforming the education system to better meet the needs of a modern world, and housing initiatives that could see young people becoming first time homeowners.
He also assured senior citizens their pensions were safe.
Taking the stage shortly before 10 pm, Young started on a somewhat sombre note engaging the audience in ‘serious’ discussions.
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“I recognise that our young people are crying out. I recognise that our young people across TT are looking for direction. They are looking for leadership. They are looking for a sense of purpose. They are looking for people to believe in them.
"Young people of TT, our young citizens I stand here tonight and give you my commitment that I will work with tireless energy, and I would fight who I need to fight with to ensure that our young people of TT have a future ahead of them.
"Only a PNM government would do that,” he said.
The tone of his meeting, he shared with the audience, stemmed from a conversation he had with a CAL attendant on a flight back from Tobago, where he met with key stakeholders on a second chance for Sandals to establish roots in the sister isle.
He said the conversation centered on the perils the attendant faced in getting a job after being educated, and the difficulty of securing a home after he became employed. He said the young man's experience mirrored that of young people across the country who were asking about government’s plan for people with that dilemma.
Saying he was particularly concerned about the youths, Young called on them not to lose hope as there were people like himself, fighting for them.
Young shared with the audience – which was also addressed by candidates for Moruga/Tableland, Lisa Atwater, Point Fortin Kennedy Richards Jr, and La Brea Randall Mitchell – that reform of the education system, with more emphasis on technical vocational skills was priority.
“We recognise education system is outdated,” he said, adding he had already engaged Barbados prime minister and Caricom chair Mia Mottley, from whom there was consensus, in reviewing the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) syllabus.
“I stand here tonight as your Prime Minister asking for your mandate. We will focus and prioritise our spend, your spend, your tax money, on ensuring schools have the resources for the technical vocation. Every citizen at some point needs a plumber, a mason, a joiner, some tech-voc skills.
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“Government cannot provide jobs for everyone and neither do I want our young people to say they want a government job.”
More resources, he said will be provided to the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service to train young people to become entrepreneurs. The establishment of a job data bank where individuals can register and be matched with jobs according to their qualifications.
Asserting there is no easy solution to housing, “and who say otherwise is leading y ou down a garden path of no return," Young rolled out the housing initiatives.
“As the next government you vote in on April 28, I give the commitment as PM, we are going to start a programme across Trinidad, where on state lands across TT, we are going to develop, starting with 3,000 lots.
“We will provide electricity connection, water connection and the house plan for young people as first-time owners to purchase and build your own houses according to those house plans.”
He said they would be tapping into the data base of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to select persons who are on the waiting list and are qualified for a mortgage of between $1 to $1.5 million for a two- or three-bedroom starter home.
Promising that the PNM’s Manifesto 2025 was coming soon, Young said the plans rolled out would be done responsibly.
“No PNM minister will stand on a platform and promise $20 billion worth of goodies they are unable to deliver.”
On the issue of the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) revocation of licences between TT and Venezuela for the development of both the Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina fields, Young said it was just another hurdle on the road.
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“We have crossed many hurdles getting as far as we have and I stand here tonight and give you my commitment and you give me and the PNM the mandate, I will continue to fight for our children and for you, TT. We will fight, we will fight for what is right. If you give me the mandate on April 28, I will continue to lead on April 29 and will bring home what is best for TT.”
Denying that all their energy eggs were placed in the Dragon basket, Young assured, “there are plenty, plenty, plenty projects going on out there.”
Included is the Manatee field, which should be coming on stream by 2027. He said he recently met with the BP global head of gas, to discuss plans for Manatee.
“Do not give up hope. You would have given up hope in 2019 when sanctions were imposed, you would have given up hope when we got the first OFAC licence.
“To those who say Maduro (Venezuelan President) vex, I could tell you on my way down here (to Point Fortin) I got in touch with the government of Venezuela and there is commitment. I also had conversations with some of the decision makers we need to speak to.
“Give us the mandate and I will bring it home in some form or fashion for us.”
He called on the people to reject the UNC and OWTU President Ancel Roget promise to reopen the refinery, reminding the audience of Roget’s ‘take your rig and go’ statement which severely affected the sector and opportunities for the country.
He said did does not possess the finances or the crude to restart the refinery.
Given the mandate, Young said, Nigerian energy company Oando PLC, the government’s preferred bidder for the lease of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, had committed to employ local workers and to provide crude oil to refine products.
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