Tomorrow is decision day for the people of Tobago as they move to elect a new Chief Secretary for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).
One of the contenders for the position is political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) and controversial union president of the Public Services Association, Watson Duke.
He is contesting the Roxborough/Delaford seat. In the September 7, 2015, general election, Duke contested the Tobago East seat as an independent candidate and lost.
Among the items topping his agenda if he is victorious this time around are crime and healthcare for the people of Tobago.
The Sunday Guardian interviewed Duke on Wednesday on his plans for the island. This is what he had to say:
What will you do to develop Tobago and improve its contribution to national GDP?
It is believed the Tobago’s total contribution to the national GDP has never been properly tabulated. This has fuelled the perception of an insignificant contribution. Our definition of Trinidad is similar to Trinidad’s definition of Tobago; that is, all the land space plus six nautical miles out to sea. We believe that all revenue received from economic activity within our territorial waters but outside the six-mile radius has to be equally attributed to both islands. Also, we believe that all revenue collected from economic activity of the Tobago diaspora in Trinidad must also be assigned equally to both islands. This notwithstanding, we have identified the following three areas and developed specific targets, which when achieved will spur development and increase economic output in the various sectors of the Tobago economy. These areas are:
• our human capital;
• physical environment and;
• economic environment.
What are the three main challenges facing Tobago/Tobagonians?
From our island-wide consultation with the people leading up to this election, different groups identified the following issues as requiring immediate action to improve:
• Crime—It has spiralled out of control with low levels of detection and prosecution, thus causing Tobagonians to live in fear.
• Healthcare—Many Tobagonians have died while awaiting the ambulance to go to the only hospital and others have died while waiting to be airlifted to Trinidad. This needs to stop and Tobago must have an all-inclusive healthcare system that allows all citizens to have their health issues be treated fully within Tobago.
• The cost of living—This was and is linked to our current inability to import directly, non-existent manufacturing sector, and our lack of food security. The construction of a commercial port, developing incentivised manufacturing zones, and the bringing 600 acres of agricultural lands at Hope into cultivation are but three projects identified to reduce this index within the first four years of a PDP government.
• Transparent and people-focused governance—Our governance model will be based on our mantra “child by child, family by family and village by village.”
Under this model, every village will be assigned a specific budgetary allocation for the development and maintenance projects to be identified and executed at the community level.
• Autonomy—Our vision for Tobago is that, in the shortest time possible, it will be one of the states in a two-state federal Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in which administrative responsibilities will be distributed among the State of Tobago, the State of Trinidad, and the Federal Government, with each State having its own cabinet/executive and legislature, as well as jurisdiction over all of the same kinds of matters, and with the Federal Government having jurisdiction over different select matters, including foreign affairs and the judiciary. In this regard, Tobago will be self-supporting and will be the best-developed and best-run island in the Caribbean in accordance with every index of efficiency.
What is at the top of the agenda for Watson Duke, if elected?
Crime, healthcare, job security for my people and total responsibility and control of all areas enumerated under the 5th Schedule of the Tobago House of Assembly 40 of 1996.