It was a surprise and perhaps something of a mark of appreciation that Noble Philip reminded readers of what I said in 2000, while I was in the Senate, about the shameful conditions at the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital. Insightful commentator that he is, Noble Philip lamented our lack of …
Read More »Noble: How TTPS raids in Arouca and Lady Chancellor differed; and what it says about our society
Mary Elizabeth Chancellor, the wife of our seventh governor, Sir John, gave her name to the road we now call Chancellor Hill. Sir John was the one who assented to the Shouter Baptist Prohibition Ordinance because ‘a Shouter meeting would make the neighbourhood where it took place unfit for residential …
Read More »Demming: Do the right thing for T&T’s harassed women and release the Darryl Smith report, Mr PM
On 9 April 2018, I blogged: “How would things have been different for the minister of sports had the GOTT implemented a sexual harassment policy throughout all state enterprises and ministries and piloted relevant legislation? Women’s rights are human rights and once again this government is failing us.” Eighteen months …
Read More »Ase, Mama: Her Africanness, Ella Andall—unplugged
In a way, it was typical Ella Andall. In other ways, it was Ella extraordinaire two Saturdays ago at Hotel Normandie where, as an insertion into Calypso History Month, she sat with an intimate audience for an evening of conversation and music. A singer-woman whose body channels ancient rhythms, Ella …
Read More »Daly Bread: Asking answers; mall crime, decommissioning St Ann’s Hospital and wrecker audit
Mall Panic screamed this newspaper’s front page very shortly after my column on malls becoming hotspots. Next, an editorial, acknowledged what its editors and commentators already knew: “Today, the failure to stem the tide of crime has made mall-shopping as vulnerable as shopping on the roadside.” The editorial linked crime to …
Read More »Noble: Shame proof Trinidad and the TTPS’ farcical Transformed Life Ministry raid
As a primary school child, rearing aquarium fish was a joy. Of special delight was one called a ‘fighter’, which would flare its gills and spread its fins when it saw itself in a mirror. You could not put two in the same space because they would bite each other. …
Read More »Gilkes: Youth don’t need approval to be agitators, kudos to that outspoken CIC student
At a post-budget discussion this week, a St Mary’s College student chided a panel of present and former government officials, including Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte and Public Administration Minister Allyson, for how they handle youth issues. In the following guest column, Corey Gilkes comments on the public debate …
Read More »Fixin’ T&T: Dr Rowley, taxpayers deserve to know contents of ‘Darryl Smith report’
“No, Dr [Keith] Rowley, the ‘Smith Report’ must be made public. Taxpayers’ money [is] involved.” The following press statement was issued by civic watch group, Fixin’ T&T, in response to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s decision not to release independent report on MP and former Sport Minister Darryl Smith, who …
Read More »Daly Bread: Our true potential in the creative industries; what gov’ts continue to miss in culture and tourism
In last Monday’s budget statement, there were glaring omissions common to the two brief statements relating to the creative industries and tourism respectively. The following is the sum total of what was said about the creative industries sector: “Carifesta XIV, hosted by Trinidad and Tobago, underscored the strides we have …
Read More »Demming: State failure to blame for Arouca rehab facility
Leave alone … zap … seems to be the preferred management strategy being deployed throughout this country. It is a very unhelpful strategy to leave any situation to fester then swoop down and try to zap it out of existence. The recent furore over the 69 or so people being …
Read More »Noble: White Knights or Piranhas? Examining the Petrotrin sale
On 18 October 2018, almost one year ago, a doleful Mr Ancel Roget was pictured, in a photograph supplied by the OWTU, between two prospective partners, announcing their bid to acquire the Petrotrin assets. One company, Sunstone Equities, appeared from the news report to be a facilitator of government-private sector …
Read More »Daly Bread: Are the malls becoming crime hot spots? T&T’s state of anxiety is growing
Two ladies in the early afternoon—to which we refer colloquially as after lunch—park a vehicle in an area, not isolated from one of its entrances, and enter a shopping mall. An hour later, as they are exiting the mall, they see a man standing adjacent to their vehicle. They have …
Read More »