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Civic watchdog group, Fixin’ T&T, today slammed Stuart Young, the Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister, for “vacuous” promises regarding campaign financing legislation.
(Courtesy IRCP.Gov.TT)
Young vowed to present legislation before the next general election. However, Fixin’ T&T, which is headed by businessman Kirk Waithe, insisted that the PNM should put legislation in place before the upcoming local elections and suggested that: “the PNM and the UNC are two sides of the same filthy coin.”
The following is the full press statement from Fixin’ T&T:
Fixin’ T&T finds assurances attributed to Minister Stuart Young of “Campaign Finance Legislation before the next general election” to be vacuous and reminiscent of rhetoric spewed by the People’s Partnership.
The energy and vigour expended on the troublesome SSA Bill would have been better invested in plugging the holes through which the wastage from corruption and inefficiency has freely flowed for decades.
If the PNM Government were truly committed to protecting our patrimony and guarding our treasury, the ‘effective implementation’ of meaningful legislation to govern Procurement, Campaign Financing, Party Financing and Whistle Blowing would have been the top priority: job one.
If Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Young et al are serious, campaign Finance Legislation can, should and must be ‘effectively implemented’ ahead of the local government elections due this year; but they apparently are not.
(Copyright Reuters)
Our so called ‘leaders’, all of them, refuse to appreciate that to fix criminal activity at all levels we must first fix crime at the very top.
We very deliberately use the term ‘effective implementation’. Our politicians enjoy speaking of ‘putting legislation in place’.
Legislation to govern the accrual of points on the permits of errant drivers was passed and assented to since the year 2000. The ongoing failure to put the requisite infrastructure in place has prohibited the ‘effective implementation’ of this law.
Procurement law had been discussed, bandied about and promised for almost fifteen years before the Kamla Persad-Bissessar led Administration had it brought to our Parliament. Again, the absence of the infrastructure necessary makes ‘effective implementation’ of even the watered down version eventually passed, impossible.
Only a few days ago the infrastructure was finally put in place for the ‘effective implementation’ of laws governing speed on our nation’s roads.
(Courtesy News.Gov.TT)
FIXIN’ T&T maintains our position that the PNM and the UNC are two sides of the same filthy coin.
Our current economic situation is much more the result of the failed policies of successive administrations than it is depressed oil and gas prices.
The recent and many downgrades by various agencies all speak to that fact as well as the lack of confidence that anything will change.
In most cases it’s the same old story; jobs and appointments based on political friendship rather than merit. As such Malcolm Jones, who failed spectacularly as Petrotrin’s Chairman, can be appointed to an advisory committee on energy.
All of our socio-economic challenges are symptomatic of poor economies; crime, healthcare, education and more.
Trinidad and Tobago is a wealthy nation. We’re too rich to be so poor.
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I find it interesting that when the PP was in government and Fixing TnT was criticising them Kirk Waithe was called ‘ah PNM” by PP supporters, now that the group is criticising the current government he is “ah UNC”.
The fact that both sides have criticised Fixing TnT is probably a sign that the group is doing something right. Keep up the good work Kirk Waithe.
I always wonder who they’re fixin’ T&T for. Hold your horses, nah. You want everything now for now?! Just the other day people were complain that the PP were passing laws without consultation and with vaps. Now this one doing things “by the book” and allyuh still complaining? Is either fixin’ T&T don’t know what they want or they have an agenda.
Again i ask fixin t&t in whose image and likeness
We need to fix ourselves first then all will fall in place but we want the government to do an impossible job
9 months in and a stink sinking economy and this is what they on about. Like ppl really not reading the international news about the financial crisis going on. Look no further than venezuela and brazil. We in serious crisis and they on about campaign finance reform?
This fix’in T&T ‘dude’ seems to think that ONLY politics needs fixin in sweet T&T. Their silence on the Thema Williams and Dick scandal was aggravating. These bloody opportunistic guys keep coming in the public domain and issuing statements about stuff that irk balanced thinking individuals who wonder where they were on other matters of state interest. You have lost considerable credibility with me Good Sir.
Who did the HDC rent those luxury vehicles from again?
You mean, dem still alive ???
Whoaaa … did they really expect the new administration to do anything serious and meaningful? Clearly these Fixing TT people are smoking some really bad crack…..
Wow even after bowling an even line and length for the Public Interest on both PNM and UNC wickets people still don’t know how to shrug off their own political affiliations and see what is in front of them. Renting cars is not illegal last time i checked. renting empty building for millions of dollars is. I feel sorry for all of you but still you are young and can change. After you are screwed for another 54 years from failed politics and corruption perhaps your grand children will be more enlightened than youall. Aah so there is hope, looking forward to the offspring growing up to realize that there might actually be tiny groups like Fixin T&T that are actually independent of tribal politics.
Are you in LA LA land Kurt has never been and will never be an impartial commentator, HD is being handled by tantie KAm and her bunch
Really Cathal…really?
Since that “BMW car raffle” thing ain’t work out it’s back basics PNM groveling at the feet of the business elite.
FIXIN’ T&T maintains our position that the PNM and the UNC are two sides of the same filthy coin, F
“The energy and vigour expended on the troublesome SSA Bill would have been better invested in plugging the holes through which the wastage from corruption and inefficiency has freely flowed for decades.”
That quote sums up the stupidity of this release. Let’s forget attempts to strengthen law enforcement because that’s ‘troublesome’ and focus on campaign finance reform. Really smart.
Fixin T&T, like the bad money lender who brought up the due date on a debt is now trying to break the legs of the poor debtor. Filthy, yes. Unfair, certainly…and indeed these words are referring to that org is that doing its level best to lose the little credibility they have left. Carry on as smartly as you can, if you can.
STEUPS… have NO TIME for such ignorance!
And it’s a small point but your thinking seems to be colonised by the 2010 to 2015 regime. Who cares whether a coin is “filthy”? Counterfeit? Perhaps. Flawed? Perhaps. False? Perhaps. But “filthy”? A political party? Perhaps. A coin? Please!
While one may agree with a lot of what is said in this piece, I find it hard to endorse the stance taken by Fixin T&T here.
I think our business is not to dictate what the govt’s priorities should be but to allow it to set its own priorities. That done, however, it behoves us to ensure that we pressure them to adhere to the “agreed” schedule and keep their promises.
We all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and the road from election to election is littered with broken promises and ignored assurances. But how, Kirk, will we ever move forward if we start by assuming that our elected representatives, our NEWLY ELECTED representatives at that, are speaking publicly with forked tongues?
Even if that is a defensible position, how is it going to solve our problems and help fix T&T?
CREDIBILITY IS EARNED, FIXING T&T IS YET YO EARN THEIRS
Fixing t.t get fix 5yrs ago
That’s not the same word Dr.Morgan Job say about them and their policies.
A bit early don’t you think Kirk Waithe?
FIXIN’ T&T maintains our position that the PNM and the UNC are two sides of the same filthy coin. How come FIXIN TT did not know this when they were receiving all the taxpayers money “ad hoc” for their luxury cars they provided the previous regime. SHUT UP CLEAN YOUR BUSINESS FIRST.
Still awaiting their relentless call for the opposition members ,who broke the parliamentary rules in hiring family members in their constituency offices, to step down.
That you will never see. No more contracts with HDC so it came down to GET MARLENE AT ALL COST…
Fixin’ T&T has no credibility to slam anyone anymore.
Fixing TNT could F off for all I care…why fixing not bringing evidence of all this corruption we suffered at the hands of the PP ? ???
Because the PP prepared a space at the feeding trough for him.
Remember the rental of the RR and Mercedes Benz to the HDC that the former CEO failed to explain, up to this day
If he were so interested in morality in public office, why wld he rent such luxury vehicles to a govt ministry.
Money talks…
Dirty money has such a powerful influence on muzzling well intended public watchdogs.
Are we sure that the luxury vehicles were rented for the Ministry ? Rumour says it was for use by a private individual but paid for by the Ministry!
hmmm… seems to me that given what/ when the civic watchdog group Fixin’ T&T decides to focus on specific issues, it is also a fairly good representation of that “two sides of the same filthy coin”…
Wet did u contribute to the Inc over the years