View Point

“[…] More recently, the Opposition Leader suggested that, should her party form the next government, all off-duty police and prison officers will be issued licensed firearms provided by the State.  There are an estimated 7,000 police officers and over 3,000 prison officers in the country. “Let us, therefore, be very …

“[…] Over the last five months, four law enforcement officers were involved in incidents with their licensed firearms.  Three of these were robberies in which two of the officers lost their lives. “The fourth, also resulting in the death of an officer, stemmed from an argument. Two firearms were stolen …

Akeal Hosein, the latest West Indies cricket sensation, described his father, in an interview published on CricInfo, as “the perfect role model” who worked two jobs and one evening collapsed with exhaustion upon walking through the door. He was a man who spoke to him with respect and as an …

I was in Barbados last week. For five days, I was relieved of the need to think about the possibility that someone might try to hold me up or invade the minimally fenced home in which I was staying. Many readers who travel abroad will be well aware of that …

Last week I closed by referring to our democracy’s dysfunctional concentration on personalities and tribal loyalties. This dysfunction acts as a distraction and an excuse for our politicians having to propose policy-based resolutions to our problems. It is a dysfunction with a long history. In July 2003 I asserted as …

“[…] The police, they’re going after the young kids on the streets…the big fish don’t come to do deals directly. “The big fish are […] politicians and businessmen; them is the men, and they’re the ones who are bringing the drugs in, too. Dem is the men who behind the …

One of the panel discussions at the recent Bocas Lit Fest focused on the fate of newspaper columnists in today’s environment. Themed “They Don’t Write Them Like They Used to: A Discussion on the Present and Future of the Newspaper Column,” it ended up with a rather bleak prognosis. Among …

With increasing frequency, our editorial writers and commentators treat with our dismal crime situation, which is now oppressing the entire country. The Trinidad Express newspaper has emphasized the link between deadly gang warfare and government make-work contracts that have been issued without credible accountability and safeguards for 40-odd years. This …

Last week’s column quoted an INTOSAI (the global body of auditors general) statement: “Independence does not mean an adversary relationship… Collaborative spirit must be the governing rule. “Good relations can help […] to obtain better results. Independence is not only a privilege—it also entails obligations and should not be viewed …

With great dismay last Tuesday, I read the lamentation of three government ministers concerning the state of crime in Trinidad & Tobago and the incidence of drug use amongst youths. One of them, Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, felt “helplessness” in the face of violence. The obvious response is to invite her …

The ongoing saga of the auditor general and the understatement of the country’s revenue reveal the quality of our leaders. Did Dr Keith Rowley exhibit due diligence in approving the nomination? We have long harped on the notion of seniority in promoting leaders. But is that the best approach? In …

“[…] Many people in Trinidad are apprehensive about insurance. This is because there is a belief that all insurance agents are just salespeople who are only interested in one thing: the commission. They don’t care about you—you’re just a sale. “[…] Not all insurance agents are like that… The genuine …