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Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell. Photo by David Reid

TOURISM, Culture and the Arts Minister Randall Mitchell described Opposition Senator David Nakhid’s claims about the Prime Minister being under police investigation as nothing more than “a madman’s rant.”

Mitchell said all Nakhid and other UNC members continue to do through their actions is prove to the population that their party is no longer relevant to the future growth of TT.

Mitchell made these statements during his contribution to the budget debate in the Senate on Friday.

In the Senate on Thursday, Nakhid alleged he had been called as a witness by the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau in a probe into allegations of misbehaviour in public office by Dr Rowley.

Rowley dismissed the claim. He lamented that the budget debate had descended into a UNC search for scandal and that its strategy was: “When you have nothing to effectively assail the actual budgetary provisions, invent and invoke or revel in scandals, real or imaginary.”

As he supported Rowley’s position, Mitchell said, “When the honourable senator was speaking – Senator Nakhid – a calypso came to my mind, one by David Rudder.”

He did not remember the name of the calypso initially, but said, “I know within there, he sings ‘Vote for we and we go set you free.’”

Responding to an inaudible comment in the Parliament Chamber, Mitchell replied, “A madman’s rant. That is what came to mind (with Nahkid’s contribution).”

He recalled Nakhid “went on to say the Prime Minister is being investigated or something or the other.

“What he (Nakhid) would not say is that every single day, he has been writing the commissioner of police, harassing the CoP.”

He described Nakhid’s actions “as something I can only describe as pestilential.”

Nakhid, Mitchell continued, does not understand the Constitution or the powers it gives a prime minister.

“That brings me back to (opposition) Senator (Wade) Mark. I saw it (Mark’s contribution) as envious petulance.”

He dismissed Mark’s description of the new building being constructed at the site of the PNM’s Balisier House headquarters as a “Tower of Babylon.”

Government senators thumped their desks as Mitchell countered, “It is a tower of strength. It is a tower of intellectual capacity and prowess. It is a tower of moral rectitude.”

He challenged UNC members to ask themselves why their party has no home of its own to date.

Mitchell declared it was not the PNM’s fault the UNC was evicted from a rented accommodation at Rienzi Complex in Couva, later occupied a space above a grocery in Couva and now has its headquarters “upstairs a rum shop.”

Acknowledging that many devout Muslims are members of the PNM and that Nakhid is a Muslim, Mitchell said, “If (that description) offends this honourable senator (Nakhid), we will describe it as a restaurant and bar.”

Should Nakhid dislike the word “rum,” Mitchell added, “We will describe it as liquid elixirs that contain propanol and ethanol, that when regularly consumed, can cause one to become inebriated.”

He reiterated that Nakhid’s contribution was nothing more than a vitriolic diatribe which demonstrated the UNC’s growing political irrelevance and lack of understanding of the budget.

Recalling that he cut his political teeth in the House of Representatives as San Fernando East MP between September 7, 2015 and August 2020, Mitchell said the population understands the only substantive opposition comment about the budget had come from Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal. But he claimed Moonilal’s contribution this year lacked any substance.

“No buss mark, no allegation of corruption. Nothing at all he could put to the stain of this government.”

Mitchell said this proved the opposition was politically irrelevant and its only desire was to bring TT into disrepute.

“You know the opposition has lost the plot.”

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Randall Mitchell, Tourism and Arts Minister – Photo by Roger Jacob

TOURISM, Culture and the Arts Minister Randall Mitchell is confident Trinidad and Tobago will experience a boost in its tourism and culture sectors next year, after having to endure the covid19 pandemic, along with the rest of the world, for the last two years.

In his contribution to the budget debate in the Senate on Friday, Mitchell highlighted hotel investment, festivals and increased airlift as some of the reasons for a brighter outlook in 2023.

“We will turn the sod for the start of a 152-room, Sheraton-branded hotel at the Piarco Aero Park. This hotel is estimated to cost $156 million and construction will begin shortly thereafter.”

Mitchell disclosed that a local group had recently bought the Maracas Bay Hotel. Pending the relevant approvals for its plans, he said this project will be “a $35 million investment into the 40-room hotel. This translates into 100 construction jobs and 50 permanent ones once completed.”

Mitchell said the Asa Wright Nature Centre recently signed a ten-year lease with an “accommodation operator” for redeveloping and running the eco-lodge.

FILE PHOTO: The main house and other buildings at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, Blanchisseuse Road, Arima.

“This lease will represent a $10 million investment into the property. Work has already begun and is expected to be completed and (the centre) ready to be opened on March 1, 2023.”

The Radisson Blu Hotel in Port of Spain will add 79 apartment-style suites to its current room stock.

Mitchell said hotel occupancy rates this year “have also been slowly returning to the pre-pandemic levels of between 65 and 70 per cent for TT.”

He was encouraged that visitor arrivals to TT are steadily returning to pre-pandemic levels as well.

Mitchell praised international airlines such as British Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Copa and JetBlue for continuing their flights into TT. He said British Airways will fly directly to Port of Spain next year while continuing its flights to Tobago.

He added, “There is a very strong prospect on the horizon of a new airline flying into Trinidad from Toronto.”

He was confident that Tobago’s carnival this month will offer a much-needed stimulus to the island’s economy. Mitchell said Government fully supports the Tobago House of Assembly’s efforts to promote the festival and build on it.

Mitchell described this year’s “Taste of Carnival” as a success and a platform for the return of Carnival next year. Reminding senators the event cost $20 million, Mitchell added, “It was not about making a profit.”

The idea was to allow Carnival stakeholders an opportunity to work and devise strategies towards staging a better, safer Carnival 2023.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell – Photo by Jeff K Meyers

From the perspective of airline and hotel bookings to date, Mitchell said Carnival 2023 is almost sold out.

He added that UNC claims that Government was not paying attention to Carnival were false. Mitchell reminded senators that Carnival is part of TT’s culture, its biggest festival and brings great economic benefits.

Touching on sport tourism, he highlighted the Commonwealth Youth Games and the continuation of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket amongst several major sports events TT will host next year.

Against this background, Mitchell declared, “We have no time to waste on the Opposition. We have work to do.”

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola is convinced that midtable Liverpool remain Manchester City’s biggest threat in the Premier League this season ahead of their game at Anfield on Sunday.

The City manager has warned his players they face defeat if they are as “soft” as they have been in recent encounters with their rival.

Second-place City sit 13 points ahead of Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp conceding his team is not in contention for the title after its early-season struggles. But Guardiola insists last season’s runner-up is still the main challenger to defending champion City.

“Always has been, always it is and always will be,” Guardiola said Friday. “I know the quality they have, they know the quality we have. So if I was asked this question with five or 10 games left, I will say I think Liverpool cannot catch the top of the league — in that case Arsenal.

“But being in the position that we are, with the World Cup, everything can still happen.”

Guardiola has only managed one win at Anfield since taking charge of City in 2016 — a 4-1 victory in 2021 with no fans allowed because of COVID-19 restrictions.

But Guardiola dismissed suggestions that Anfield, and its famously intense atmosphere, has been a significant factor in his struggles to win there.

“Of course the crowd is involved in every stadium, but basically because they have a good team,” he said. “It is one (of) the biggest ones (for atmosphere), the nicest ones, and it’s a joy to be there … But as I said before it is a football game, it’s Liverpool and what is important is the quality that they have.”

Liverpool beat City 3-1 in the Community Shield in August and also won 3-2 in last season’s FA Cup semifinals.

“Maybe in the last two games we were a little bit soft for different circumstances,” Guardiola said. “You have to win duels. When they push you, you have to push. When they are there, you have to be there. The semifinals of the FA Cup, it was tough to recover the incredible effort we had done in Champions League. In the Community Shield, still we were not ready. They were in one pace higher than us and without that, against that team, you cannot compete.”

Meanwhile, Klopp says Liverpool cannot afford to concentrate too much on City striker Erling Haaland, who has scored 20 goals already this season.

“Like always when you play against the best striker in the world, you have to make sure he doesn’t get that many balls,” Klopp said. “But against City the problem is if you close Haaland down with too many players, then you open up gaps for all the other world-class players, so that will not make life easier.”

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