If Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and Minister in the Office of Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Stuart Young, are right, the People’s Partnership Government spent more on legal fees in five years than Julian Assange, OJ Simpson and the late Michael Jackson could spend in three lifetimes. And, to be …
Read More »The Hatuey experience: Did the Budget miss Culture?
There is a hole in the Budget presented to Parliament on Monday last. There is scant acknowledgement of culture, particularly of our performing arts despite their huge potential for assistance in diversifying the economy and its significant contribution to social stability. Presumably the new Minister of Culture, who is a …
Read More »Consultation conundrum: Sheila ponders a long-standing Gov’t tradition
Civil society, perhaps more than any other sector, knows only too well that a healthy serving of scepticism inside the doubles is necessary when governments talk consultation. In T&T, “consultation” is sometimes political-speak for “we eh touching that,” “we eh know what the hell to do with that” or “we …
Read More »Is Imbert working with gas or full of it? Live Wire looks at the Budget in brief
The good news is that Trinidad and Tobago citizens are about to have their country open up more than ever before as traffic lights come down, highways continue to expand and sea ports go up. The bad news is we may not be able to afford to drive to see …
Read More »Budgeting Beyond Waste: The PNM’s financial challenge
Today, when Finance Minister Colm Imbert unveils his budget, we will see whether the Dr Keith Rowley-led administration, too, is guilty of confusing the private sector with big business and big business with entrepreneurship. If this government, too, is locked in the conventional economic paradigm, we might as well pucker …
Read More »Weathering the storm: Raffique gives his financial forecast for T&T
Tomorrow’s Budget presentation by Finance Minister Colm Imbert is the most eagerly anticipated Appropriation Bill in many years. The main reason for heightened interest is the depressed state of the economy. With low oil, gas and commodities prices, hence lower-than-normal revenues accruing to government, citizens are waiting to see just …
Read More »Participation paralysis; Daly considers our reluctance to speak to power
We have peacefully changed another Government. Having been disappointed yet again by a previous choice of Government, the prevailing mood of many citizens is that we hope once more for better and fairer governance. It swiftly became the cliché of the day that we “exhaled.” There is however something striking …
Read More »Memo to Dr Rowley: Somebody’s watching you, PM
The new Government deserves time to settle in. Dr Keith Rowley is a first time Prime Minister, he is leading a team of wide-eyed inexperience and it has been a long, tense campaign getting here; we are all tired and bruised. Alas, after eight years of Patrick Manning and Company …
Read More »Filbert Street spies new Opposition crime plan
Scene: Wired Towers, the offices of Wired868. 37th floor, corner suite. Office of Publisher/Editor-in-chief, Lasana Liburd. Secretary: “Mr Liburd, your 10 o’clock is here to see you.” Lasana Liburd (LL): “Thanks, Destra, bring him through. And Destra…” Secretary: “Yes, Mr Liburd?” LL: “Put some clothes on. Yuh so damn loose!” Secretary: …
Read More »Party gone! Colm leads PNM conga line out of Parliament
It was the biggest and best coordinated mass evacuation of a Trinidad venue since Machel Montano finished singing “Like a Boss” at the 2015 Soca Monarch final. If the next General Election does not go as planned, PNM MP Colm Imbert could at least look forward to a future with …
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