{"id":819535,"date":"2025-01-13T10:12:15","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T16:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/13\/kamla-claims-victory-in-exposing-deceit-local-news-trinidadexpress-com\/"},"modified":"2025-01-13T10:12:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T16:12:15","slug":"kamla-claims-victory-in-exposing-deceit-local-news-trinidadexpress-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/13\/kamla-claims-victory-in-exposing-deceit-local-news-trinidadexpress-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Kamla claims victory in exposing \u2018deceit\u2019 | Local News | trinidadexpress.com"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n <\/p>\n

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has claimed victory in exposing the \u201cdeceit\u201d of the Government, forcing them to withdraw a bill intended to amend the criteria for accessing senior citizens\u2019 pensions and public assistance.<\/p>\n

The former prime minister visited the Parliament yesterday to sign the condolence book in honour of Government minister Lisa Morris-Julian, who died in a house fire on Monday along with two of her children.<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar was questioned on Attorney General Reginald Armour\u2019s announcement yes\u00adterday that the controversial bill\u2014The Miscel\u00adlaneous Provisions (Senior Citizens\u2019 Pension and Public Assistance) Bill 2024\u2014will be withdrawn because a public servant inserted a pension criterion of a savings clause of $25,000 which the Cabinet did not approve.<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar re\u00adminded that she had dubbed the AG \u201cLieMore\u201d and, therefore, she does not believe anything he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe a word that he says. This bill was laid in the House on the 9th of December, today is the 18th; you now discovered that you made an error?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also ridiculed Armour\u2019s explanation that he was out of the country when the bill came before the Cabinet.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, okay, he (Armour) was out of the country. Was the minister also out of the country? Minister Cox, it was laid in her name, as far as I can remember, she was here in the Parliament on that day when it was laid. So why is he trying to fool us?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Like a thief in<\/p>\n

the night\u2019<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar warned that the Govern\u00adment will continue to oppress the people with this legislation, as well as pending increases to public utilities, if they return to office.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as they will do with the property tax, just as they will do with electricity rates, water rates, all these utilities\u2014win elections and then come back and drop it on the people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She took credit for exposing the AG, saying the Government would have pushed forward with this bill had she not raised an alarm about it at the United National Congress (UNC) meeting at the party\u2019s headquarters on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI claim victory…we will continue to expose them for their deceit. If I had not raised that Monday, you think they withdrawing anything today? No, No, No,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said the Government came like a \u201cthief in the night\u201d and laid the bill and then adjourned the House for a date to be fixed and delivered Christmas greetings, bringing the Parliament to a close for the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will continue to do this and we will continue to expose them! We stand on the side of the people and we will continue so to do!\u201d she exclaimed.<\/p>\n

Sad state of affairs<\/p>\n

Speaking with the Express earlier yesterday by telephone, Persad-\u00adBis\u00adsessar had called on the Government to withdraw the bill, saying the Opposition will object to it.<\/p>\n

She said the legislation impacted the ability of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people to receive Senior Citizens\u2019 Pension and public assistance.<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar said she has been overwhelmed with calls and messages from concerned people about this move, adding there is a fear that accessing both the senior citizens\u2019 pensions and the public assistance grants will become a nightmare.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a very sad state of affairs. Why is the Government going after these people, the needy and most vulnerable in our society?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Persad-Bissessar said she understands that there may be a need to weed out people who should not be receiving these funds, but there must be a better way to deal with that issue.<\/p>\n

She pointed out there are complaints from the elderly about the delays when it comes to applying for the Senior Citizens\u2019 Pension, and these vulnerable people are left wanting.<\/p>\n

The Government should look at reducing their own salaries and pensions before making any such move, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is preposterous. They are looking after themselves but want to take away from the people. Only a leader who is cold-hearted and lacks compassion can do something like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this has been the pattern of the Rowley Government for the past nine going on ten years, oppressing the people, giving them pittances in salary increases, cutting pensions and public assistance, imposing the wicked property tax, but making sure to look after his future well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has claimed victory in exposing the \u201cdeceit\u201d of the Government, forcing them to withdraw a bill intended to amend the criteria for accessing senior citizens\u2019 pensions and public assistance. The former prime minister visited the Parliament yesterday to sign the condolence book in honour of Government minister Lisa Morris-Julian, who died<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":819536,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2602,45379],"tags":[5264,45378],"class_list":{"0":"post-819535","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-claims","8":"category-kamla","9":"tag-claims","10":"tag-kamla"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/819536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}