“I know regardless of what I do, there will always be people who are passionately against me,” said Minister of Communications and Public Administration Maxie Cuffie. “And there will be people who are passionately for me. And Christ didn’t satisfy everybody.” Cuffie, the MP for La Horquetta/Talparo sat down with …
Read More »Off the Cuff-ie: Maxie talks corruption, PNM ‘arrogance’ and the ‘vomit comet’
“You can look at several laws that have been passed over the years that made absolutely no difference,” said Minister of Communications and Public Administration Maxie Cuffie. “The integrity in public life act has not made us more honest. It has not dealt with corruption. And it is because we …
Read More »Off the Cuff-ie: Maxie talks decentralisation, gov’t bottlenecks and La Horquetta/Talparo
“Port of Spain is a city and for it to work it requires a certain number of (foot) traffic,” Minister of Public Administration and Communications Maxie Cuffie told Wired868. “You have stores and businesses that depend on it and property rentals (too). So it is important that we bring people …
Read More »Rowley sacks Marlene; Randall Mitchell gets Housing portfolio as PM acts
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has revoked the appointment of Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Marlene McDonald. Rowley’s decision, which was communicated to President Anthony Carmona, follows intensified scrutiny on her behaviour during a previous stint as minister under the Patrick Manning administration and as an Opposition MP under …
Read More »A familiar depression: Daly bemoans PNM’s poor communication and belligerence
This time last week, a familiar depression settled on me. It is best described by referring to some of what I wrote in November 2010, six months after the so-called “People’s Partnership Government” was in office. At that time, I suggested: “The bottom line is that a mere six months …
Read More »Is just a PNM movie: Best look at what politicians are saying but NOT doing
“Life is a stage and we are the actors,” calypsonian Lord Valentino sang in the 1970’s. Three or four decades later, endorsement came from the novelist Earl Lovelace, who declared that (Politics in T&T) “…is just a movie.” “Everybody have a part to play,” Valentino also sings. Including Faris Al-Rawi. …
Read More »Vasant makes Stacy his deputy, Mrs Bharath mute; Plus Maltese Falcon soars
Former Oropouche West MP Stacy Roopnarine has been announced as ex-Minister of Trade Vasant Bharath’s “Deputy” at the upcoming UNC internal elections on December 5. There has been no comment yet from Mrs Bharath although Mr Live Wire was unreliably informed that Nicole Dyer-Griffith phoned her to offer support and …
Read More »Sunity: Why old information culture survives; and new GISL won’t work
Under the deluge of data and detail, Trinidad and Tobago remains a society run by the old privilege of “contact” with power rather than the individual’s right to information. Know the right person and all is yours; demand your right to know and chances are you will hit the wall …
Read More »MATT queries PNM policy regarding post-Cabinet meetings
Changes in the format of the post-Cabinet press briefing announced by the Honourable Maxie Cuffie, Minister of Communications, have understandably raised questions by journalists. Over several administrations, the post-Cabinet press conference has been used as a forum where ministers of government made themselves available, on rotation, to answer the media’s …
Read More »Keeping Gov’t At Arms Length: Sunity challenges the Creative community
Political patronage is like a sno-cone with plenty syrup and heavy condensed milk. Even when it is bad for you in the long run, it feels so good as to banish all thought of the long run. For as long as it lasts, it is delicious—until it becomes dangerous. Then, …
Read More »Signs of the times, Kamla’s minority report and Jack lectures teachers
On Friday afternoon, John “Amigo” Matthews, 54, was walking along the Eastern Main Road in Barataria when a sign for The Gate Church fell and immediately took him to meet his Maker. An eyewitness said it was nobody’s fault but rather a tragic accident prompted by high winds. Yet, Mr …
Read More »