PNM
support for smelters
By Louis B Homer South Bureau
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
01 21 07
The
smelter issue in Trinidad took a new dimension yesterday
as thousands of People's National Movement supporters
descended on the seaside village of Vessigny to
pledge their support for the building of smelter
plants in Trinidad and to hear government's plan
for the industrialisation of Trinidad and Tobago.
In
his hour-long address at a specially convened convention
of the party, held at the Vessigny Secondary School,
Prime Minister Patrick Manning said government had
received requests from several interest groups in
the area indicating their support for the plant
at Chatham.
"The
farmers in the area are saying for the first time
that their crops will be protected from praedial
larceny when the proposed fence is constructed by
Alcoa."
Manning
said he received similar requests from the beekeepers
and the Point Fortin chamber of Industry had indicated
their disappointment that government had intended
to abandon the project at Chatham.
Manning
also dispelled fears that the aquifer would be affected.
"We have been advised by WASA that all this
talk about poisoning the aquifer is false,"
said Manning.
Manning
said "all over Trinidad and Tobago we are getting
support for the government's industrialisation policy...
Let the mice play, but when the people speak we
speak for the people of Trinidad and Tobago."
Manning
accused the anti-smelter groups as people who oppose
the idea for opposing sake. He then asked the crowd,
"Did the people hear the voice of the PNM,
do you support it?" this brought loud and sustained
cheers from the crowd.
"I
want to leave no doubt as to where the PNM stands"
said Manning.
The
Prime Minister said what started as opposition to
the smelter plants was really opposition to the
policy of industrialisation in Trinidad and Tobago.
"If
not industrialisation then what? asked Manning.
Manning
said in the industrialisation programme, Tobago
has not been left out.
"We
are looking at the development of the Cove Estate
in Tobago which will be brought back to its pristine
condition." (See report on this page)
Manning
dismissed the notion that the government behaves
in an arrogant manner and does not listen to the
voices of the people.
"It
is not that we are arrogant it is that we think
things through before we act," said Manning
Manning
said at the rate in which the country is being developed
it will be necessary to import more labour from
abroad."
He
said already there are Guyanese labourers now working
in the sugar industry in Trinidad.
As
for criticism made against the Chinese labourers
Manning said, "the Chinese workers work all
day and give a high productivity and they don't
drink on the job."
Speaking
on the proposals to develop the Oropouche Bank Offshore
Industrial estate, Energy Minister Dr Lenny Saith
said tenders for designs services which had been
put out in November last year will close this month.
He
said the island would allow for a large-scale cluster
of gas-based industries and the site would be separated
three kilometres from the coastline .
Saith
said studies are already on the way to enhance fishing
in the area and avoid disruption of marine activities.
He
said one of the benefits of the offshore island
is the fact that there would be no flooding.
But
even as Manning defended government's plan to build
the smelters there were scores of people in the
Otaheite area showing their rejection for building
any smelter plants in Trinidad.
There
were hundreds of posters attached to the light poles
for a distance of some two miles on the road to
La Brea. the signs read, "No smelter Island.
Yes fishing industry and healthy environment".
Trinidad
Express
Sunday, January 21st 2007
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©2006 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
