By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE population would not have known about a consideration by government to increase taxes had the issue not been raised by the opposition.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Thursday night, that was proof that the opposition was working in the best interests of the people maintaining that she possessed “documentary evidence.”
“You would have never known if we didn’t raise it,” she told supporters while speaking at a United National Congress (UNC) STAR team rally at Hillview College in Tunapuna.
Persad-Bissessar said the other slate in the UNC internal election, the United Patriots, was not talking about that issue and warned that many may cross the floor to the People’s National Movement (PNM).
She also chastised the Members of Parliament of the United Patriots team for not contributing to the mid-year budget review debate in Parliament last week when she first said that government had intention of raising taxes including the Value Added Tax (VAT).
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Her statements were denied by both Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Finance Minister Colm Imbert even after she produced a document shared in the public domain.
On Thursday, Dr Rowley said, “All the conversation about being careful, beware the government is about to do this, that is not true.”
But Persad-Bissessar said, “Rowley must tell the country what is the later date that they are considering. Is it after the general election?”
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She paid emphasis to the document labelled Cabinet note 1032, page 23, paragraph 47 which states, “As a consequence, further revenue generating measures are under consideration and may be instituted at a later date.”
Persad-Bissessar said she was berated in the Parliament for her statements and now, the tune was changing.
She said, after the document was shared on social media, “they agree that the document exists now…but we did not discuss it. But then they go on from did not discuss it, to no it is at later date…”
“Here it is in writing, black on white paper. It is there, it exists it is real,” Persad-Bissessar insisted.
She said, “Remember first Rowley said there is no such document, then Imbert acknowledge the document is real, Camille (Robinson-Regis) then said they never discussed it. Rowley knows about the tax increases because the note was discussed in that Cabinet and approved.”
Her opponents in the upcoming internal election had nothing to say about that and nothing to say about what measures and policies they will put in place for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago but were “abusing and insulting” the membership, she said.
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“I wonder if you could do that before the election, how much worse it will be after the election,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She maintains she will continue to love the membership of the party and fight for them, along with her STAR team members as they have been doing all along.
About the UP team, Persad-Bissessar told supporters, “They have no love, they have no loyalty for you. Their behaviour is steeped in selfishness.”
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She said, “After this internal election, mark my words you may see many of them where? On the PNM platform. They gone back home for the next general.”
The UNC leader ended the speech with the words, “Let me remind you, you have had leaders before me, you will have leaders but after me, but you will never ever have a leader as much as I do.”
