Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the opposition’s team of attorneys will be compiling a database of job losses under the PNM Government.
Persad-Bissessar addressed the issue of Housing Development Corporation (HDC) managing director Jearlean John and seven other members of senior management being sent on leave by the board, during a Christmas “toy drive” in her Siparia constituency.
“They have just been summarily sent away. What is the cause? What are the reasons?” Persad-Bissessar asked. “I do believe some of the job losses and some of the sending home is to do with political victimisation. They are politically motivated and there are matters that we will be looking at.
“Our team of lawyers, they’ve been gathering a database of job losses, causes and reasons and we will take it up appropriately.”
Commenting on the state of the economy, she slammed the PNM administration for playing the ‘blame game.’
“I think what we are seeing is a lot more old talk, more blame rather than prudent fiscal management of the economy at this time. I am not seeing the management level that one would have expected from a Government who said, look they are coming there, they in charge, and it is just not happening.”
She said the economy was beginning to contract because the Government has put all major projects on hold.
“The economy is at a standstill, the economy is contracting and when that starts happening that takes a long time to kickstart. The Government has really put everything on hold, no projects are taking place and therefore there seems to be no plan to grow the economy.”
Comparing how her former People’s Partnership administration started its term of office to how the current administration has done so since September, Persad-Bissessar said, “In our 100 days the first thing we did was to establish the Children’s Life Fund. Now they are consulting and reviewing and consulting, name me one project in the first 100 days that has been beneficial to the country.
“What we have seen is the budget and then cuts in terms of people’s jobs, freezing wages and so on. I have not seen one positive project coming out of the Government in the first 100 days.”