Frisco Junction, Point Fortin Meeting

10^th August 2009

Minister of Planning, Housing and the Environment: Senator the Hon. Emily Dick-Forde

Mr Party Chairman and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Senator the Hon Conrad Enill

Mr Political Leader, MP for San Fernando East and Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago the Hon Patrick Manning

Other Party officials

Senator the Hon Hazel Manning, Minister of Local Govt

The Honourable Indra Sinanan Oja Maharaj MP for Toco Sangre Grande

The Youth Speaker representing PNM Youth League and the future leaders of our nation

Cabinet Colleagues,

Parliamentarians,

Faithful members of the PNM,

Ladies and gentlemen in the audience and citizens who are hearing us by radio, television or via the internet. 

Good evening to all.

This is the sixth of the PNM’s lecture series being held at the Campus and colleges of the University of Woodford Square. And I am especially humbled to have been asked to take part in this very rich tradition of the PNM, and of all great movements, that is, the tradition of educating the public towards a brighter tomorrow. 

From the 1950s Dr Eric Williams presented his ideas to the colony of Trinidad and Tobago, ushering in a new era of self rule, growth and development based largely on the political and formal education of the masses.  The power of this tradition is clear from the movement to independence and the great strides that we have made in the growth and development of our people and our nation.  In other words the PNMs focus on educating the public moved Trinidad and Tobago from a colony to an independent nation.

And that is the primary objective of these series of lectures by the great PNM- educating and learning toward a brighter future for all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, as clearly stated in our national strategic plan vision 2020.  We are indeed getting ready.  And as we get ready public education becomes important.  And so the aim of these lectures on Monday nights is to educate the population so that we can move from developing country to developed country status.  Public education is central to moving a people from their current state to the desired state. 

All of the topics covered at these Monday night lectures are consistent with the Vision to achieve developed nation status on or before the year two thousand and twenty.  Effective governance, one of the pillars supporting the development strategy requires reform of the local Govt system and of the Constitution.  The Hon Prime Minister’s professorial stance and his masterful delivery of very difficult concepts, in a simple, yet scholarly form earn him the title of distinguished professor of Government. Professor Patrick Manning, has, in my opinion, set a new standard for leadership in our country. And so I am honoured to join the team of lecturers supporting Professor Manning to engage the minds of our citizens at these lectures.

Here at the College of Eastern Main Road Sangre Grande I have the responsibility to educate you further on the areas under the portfolio assigned to me with a focus on the housing program.  I know when people hear the name Planning Housing and the Environment they really hear Housing.  But under this Ministry we also have the responsibility for overseeing the implementation of Vision 2020. Additionally the Ministry has responsibility to influence changes in our behaviour patterns, through motivation and reinforcement measures, so that we can change the self-defeating attitudes that try to weaken the country’s determination to transform to developed society. 

Let me give you some examples of the self defeating attitudes.  There are those who aspire to lead this nation but spend all of their time speaking negatives- bad talking the country- they are in the media begging for a recession, and predicting that murders will be 500.  We in the PNM promote possibilities, not doom, we search for solutions as we understand the problems and we speak hope to the nation.  That is what leaders do. PNM leaders speak truth and hope, all at once.  We look for, work on, and promote what is good in Trinidad and Tobago, while working to improve on those areas that need attention.  Always aspiring and achieving together as a nation. 

To aspire is to vision with hope while counting our blessings.  We are a nation blessed with an abundance of natural resources, a well educated, creative and innovative people, a rich diversity which Michael Jackson is quoted as using as an example of a diverse state where people live in Harmony- in his own words he said in December 1984 “The main thing I hate most is ignorance, like the prejudice problems of America.  I know it is worse in other countries.  But I wish I could borrow, like from Venezuela or Trinidad, the real love of color-blind people and bring it to America.” End of quote. 

This quote is taken from Ebony Special Tribute to the greatest entertainer of all time.  He would have seen this unity in Trinidad and Tobago when he came to our nation just once.

We have a lot to thank God for and even the things that require fixing, we are to say “thank you God” because it is a principle that in everything we must give thanks.  Thankfulness is one of the attitudes, values and behaviours we need, to ensure that we succeed in our move toward developed country status.  I have to ask this question, do we really understand what V2020 is all about? 

Vision 2020 is about us as a people, striving for personal excellence, building our strong families, contributing to the maintenance of safe and sustainable communities and being a responsible citizen, taking a role toward the achievement of developed country status.

The other values and attitudes include simple things like showing respect- for other people’s property, respect for human life, respect for those in authority- whether parents, teachers, police, elders.  A spotlight must be placed on obeying traffic laws. 

Greater emphasis on improving family life and a focus on the importance of work to promote self esteem and self reliance, are central to achieving the vision. Don’t stay at home or on the street idle.  Get up and take responsibility to access decent work and make a meaningful contribution to build our nation.

We must all take personal responsibility to be good citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.  We are all to strive to be law abiding citizens, and be the best father, mother, child, husband, wife, sibling and neighbour that we can be.  Personal responsibility means leading yourself to take up all opportunities for self development, so that you can be a part of the solutions and the future leaders of the nation.  Who would have thought little girls from Laventille like Donna, Marlene, Alicia and I and little boys like NiLeung and Peter among others from very humble backgrounds, would be a part of the leadership team of the greatest political party in Trinidad and Tobago? Who would have thought it possible? And yet, here we are. 

Simple poor people’s children sitting up here on the platform because our parents believed, and then we too believed what the PNM said, that the nation’s future was in our book bags. 

So from different routes- some through fire, some through floods, some with ease and some not, we are here on this platform through disciplined personal leadership, having taken hold of every opportunity given to us and working hard to achieve.  Every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago has the opportunity to do the same.

Now, what does all this have to do with housing?  We have a housing program that is without equal in this part of the world. Because, as a Government we take great care to provide for the vulnerable in society and as we do that, we also secure the future prosperity of our nation.  And we are in good company when we take care to meet the needs of the people. In a book titled the Politics of Jesus, the author, Obery Hendricks Jr. states that Jesus had 7 political strategies.  I am going to tell you about one. Strategy number one was “Treat the People’s Needs as Holy”

Hendricks Jr. explains further that “Jesus didn’t found an institution, he started a movement [sounds familiar]...Jesus simply taught the men and women who heeded His call to put their love for God into practice by loving their neighbours as themselves.  All Jesus had was a movement, plain and simple, and all who followed Him in His lifetime were not only disciples, they were also partners in that movement.” End of quote.

We are a part of the People’s National Movement.  A Movement founded on the principles of caring for the most vulnerable, and creating an environment where all can realise their full potential. 

The clear instruction given to all Ministers by the Honourable Prime Minister in November 2007 was to fix the services under our portfolios, so that the people can access them and receive quality goods and services from the Government.  Simply put, help the people.  That is what it means to be in politics- to provide for the needs of the people.  In the PNM we understand that, because we make ourselves available to hear from you the citizens on a regular, predictable basis. You know where and when you can find us.

And so we have worked tirelessly to address service delivery in all agencies and Divisions under our watch.  In Housing while we are working on stronger governance systems to ensure that the HDC maximises its revenue receipts we are also getting the construction program right.  A recent audit of all HDC projects revealed that 29 projects are close to completion. It was determined that the pace of work was too slow.  With the change program going on in the HDC systems have been put in place and put to work right away to correct all issues that affect completeness of units for sale such as waste water, utilities, and quality of workmanship, among other thing.

So when you see HDC units that appear to be completed yet still unoccupied, they are usually awaiting some action to allow a quality affordable unit to be transferred to you the citizens.  Through the quality of the services and products we deliver, this Government is raising the standard and making the vision real. 

We take great care to hand over units as soon as they are ready for occupation and so we have units in four housing developments being distributed over the next few weeks.  Tomorrow at Oropune in the East we have over 100 units ready to deliver.  Some Persons at tomorrow’s ceremony will receive keys to their new homes, while others will be still going through the qualifying process. On August 19^th the final units at Peas tree in Tunapuna will be handed out to beneficiaries.  On August 26^th units will be handed out in Carlsen Field in Central Trinidad and on September 9^th houses will be delivered to citizens in Harmony Hall in the south.

Ladies and gentlemen, by mid to late September houses will be completed at a faster rate than occurred earlier in the year, partly due to the change program at the HDC, and also due to the fact that over 9 months of work has gone into these developments bringing them closer to completion.  There are currently 64 large projects and the goal to deliver 7,700 is occupying the focus of the HDC. 

Last Friday I got the assurance from the HDC that thousands of units will be available by October and November as the 29 sites are worked on to ensure completion of houses for sale.

Our new housing development plan includes three large 5,000 unit communities with all social and health amenities including schools.  These large sites will be in south, Central and the East West corridor.

This government is committed to building houses to meet the needs of citizens. To do this we have completed developments in communities throughout the island, Sangre Grande being no exception. There are two new developments in communities in Sangre Grande and one housing development should be ready for occupancy within the upcoming weeks. While some of these units are to be used by the Land Settlement Agency for squatter relocation, others will be occupied by some of the most needed citizens who were victims of fire among other special and emergency cases, all being members of this community. The beneficiaries of Government housing must do their best to be good neighbours and responsible citizens for the full benefit of the vision for a nurturing and caring society to be realized.

Other developments planned will target well over 6000 units in total, spread over various locations including high rise apartments on smaller plots.  We plan to increase the number of units available as rental.  This is based on a deep understand of the housing needs of citizens.  Rental units currently total 6293 and have not been increased for over 10 years.  A draft social housing policy has been produced in a collaborative approach between the Min of SD and Min PHE.  A part of our discussion includes a plan that we are implementing in all new developments.  That plan calls for Rental units to be integrated into developments to promote community care, where senior citizens and young persons living on their own are integrated with families in a nurturing manner that facilitates the vision for our nation.  

This Government’s plan to satisfy the housing demand is not a dream.  It is a reality, and increasingly so, as we modernise and transform systems to give to you the citizens a better quality house and a better quality of life.  Fellow citizens, Vision 2020 is real.

Despite the many issues we have addressed in housing, we still encounter other barriers to quality affordable shelter when we meet and listen to you the people. 

Some of our citizens are still unable to get a mortgage and we are therefore increasing the availability of the rent to own option, where a family allocated a Govt house can pay a rent for five years, a part of which goes toward the purchase of their home. 

At the end of five years and having retrained using many of the education programs on offer by this Govt, a person with a better salary is expected to be able to get a mortgage.  Even then, if a person still cannot qualify for a mortgage then another three years is given under rent to own.

From meeting with citizens, and with the HDC team working to finalise mortgages with persons in HDC houses under the LTO arrangement, we realise that some people get into trouble because of poor financial planning.  Once you have applied for a Govt house you should make the sacrifice to save toward that day when you receive your home.  My friends, while you wait save your money so that when, not if, when you are allocated, you have a financial advantage to make a significant downpayment toward the house and thus speed up full ownership of your home.  Also if you are in the temporary LTO arrangement please do not take out loans and get into debt.  It changes your financial assessment and when the time comes to convert to a mortgage you then cannot afford the house, and it may be taken away from you.  Responsible financial behaviour is important in the life changing decision to purchase your own home.  Developed country status mean you and I are responsible citizens in all of our actions.   

So, we encourage all citizens to catch the vision and partner with us in the PNM to pursue developed country status.  Regardless of your race, creed, past, or affiliation, let us live according to our watchwords, and as we aspire together around Vision 2020, our national strategic plan, and as we work to achieve together, we shall attain our vision.  This is the legacy and the future that the PNM has facilitated in Trinidad and Tobago.  The PNM is a great party through our legacy; the PNM is a great party because of what we have laid out for the future. So when we say “Great is the PNM” it is not a boast, but a truth.  It is a truth based on past and present realities.  It is also a prophetic declaration, based on the hope that we have in the young leaders coming up in the Party and those still to come.  So as I close I pray that God will continue to bless our nation and I declare the words that speak truths from our past and present realities; words that prophesy to the hope for future generations of Trinidadians and Tobagonians- a declaration we all believe to be true, so let us say it together-

That: Great is the PNM,

Great is the PNM,

Great is the PNM and it shall Prevail.

Thank you for your attention.