Morning Edition: 01st May 2024

CCNTV6

Watch Morning Edition: 01st May 2024 - CCNTV6 on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00:00 (upbeat music)

00:00:02 - And a very special good morning Trinidad and Tobago

00:00:13 and the rest of the world.

00:00:14 I'm Marlon Hopkinson.

00:00:15 As always, welcome to the morning edition.

00:00:17 It's Mayday everybody.

00:00:19 It's May 1st, 2024.

00:00:21 Thank you very much for joining us this morning.

00:00:23 I know that back in the day,

00:00:25 I would look forward to these days, you know, like Mayday.

00:00:29 Yeah, because at that time I had to cover

00:00:32 the Mayday march and so on.

00:00:34 So it was a very exciting time for me

00:00:38 as a young member of the media at that time.

00:00:42 I don't know that there's such great excitement today

00:00:45 for me anymore, but you know, I've had my time.

00:00:48 So again, I believe this morning in San Fernando,

00:00:50 there's going to be a Mayday march, all right?

00:00:53 So it's going to be very interesting to see

00:00:55 what happens there today.

00:00:58 And of course you'll see a report

00:01:00 in the news this evening, all right?

00:01:02 So how have you been?

00:01:04 I hope that you are well.

00:01:05 I hope that you had a very good night

00:01:07 and that you're with us this morning,

00:01:09 safe and sound and in good health

00:01:12 and everything is going well for you, all right?

00:01:14 We had a good day yesterday, not too much dust.

00:01:16 So it was a good day for me, but very hot.

00:01:19 It was very, very hot, not breezy at all, very still.

00:01:23 And, you know, I don't mean to be too dramatic,

00:01:28 but it was a bit stifling yesterday.

00:01:32 I just went outside for a little while

00:01:34 and had to return to my air conditioned room, yeah?

00:01:39 (laughs)

00:01:40 That's how it is these days, you know?

00:01:42 But thank you very much again for joining us this morning.

00:01:45 Let's check out to see what's happening

00:01:46 in the Daily Express today.

00:01:48 On the front page, Auditor General threatens to sue AG

00:01:51 if state does not pay her legal costs.

00:01:53 I'm under political attack.

00:01:56 Armor turns to senior counsel for advice.

00:01:59 And in the picture, two cars burn in the city.

00:02:02 Gutted fire officers attempt to extinguish two cars

00:02:05 but caught on fire at the corner of George Street

00:02:07 and Independence Square in Port of Spain

00:02:09 yesterday afternoon, all right?

00:02:12 Let's move to some sport now.

00:02:14 Matthews carries team on her back again in nail biter.

00:02:18 Western needs women's security 20 series

00:02:20 after narrow two run win in third match versus Pakistan.

00:02:24 Western needs women earned a three O lead

00:02:26 in their T20 international series against Pakistan women

00:02:29 after another player of the match performance

00:02:31 from Captain Haley Matthews

00:02:33 spurred them to a dramatic two run win yesterday.

00:02:37 The 26 year old all-rounder folded up a top score of 68

00:02:41 with two wickets inside the final five overs

00:02:43 of the contest at the National Stadium

00:02:46 as the Pakistanis narrowly failed to get over

00:02:48 the finish line after they appeared on course

00:02:50 to overhaul a gettable target of 133.

00:02:55 All right, congratulations to the women, okay?

00:02:59 So we're moving on, right?

00:03:00 So it's time to remind you of our Trinbago,

00:03:02 your nice feature.

00:03:03 We will put up the information for you, yeah?

00:03:06 And the numbers, yeah?

00:03:08 And again, thank you to all of you

00:03:09 who continue to send videos and photographs to us.

00:03:13 This is a beautiful picture, right?

00:03:15 It's a picture that you can frame

00:03:16 and put up in your maybe veranda or kitchen.

00:03:20 So when you get up every day,

00:03:23 you know, you can take a look at this.

00:03:25 (laughs)

00:03:26 It's a bit of therapy.

00:03:28 But thank you to the person who sent that to us

00:03:31 this morning.

00:03:32 Again, we'd like to have your name

00:03:33 so we can say a very special good morning to you.

00:03:36 All right?

00:03:37 So we are going to a very short break.

00:03:38 We're coming back, everybody.

00:03:40 ♪ Every time, yeah ♪

00:03:42 ♪ From the time I take a sip, I'm ready to go ♪

00:03:45 ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

00:03:47 ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

00:03:50 - It's finally here.

00:03:52 La Vega pre-Mother's Day sale from April 26th to May 5th.

00:03:56 Enjoy 20% off everything at both branches.

00:04:00 Beautify your home and garden

00:04:01 with a wide variety of indoor plants,

00:04:03 fruit trees, local and exotic, soil, pots, and more.

00:04:07 There will be double shakolias, gardenias,

00:04:09 anthuriums, medellinas, and bougainvillea,

00:04:12 just to name a few.

00:04:14 This is one sale you don't wanna miss.

00:04:16 - Inspiration through song makes our souls rejoice.

00:04:25 ♪ Go out and tell the world of Jesus ♪

00:04:30 ♪ Tell of the wondrous things he has done ♪

00:04:32 - Inspiration through dance is fueled by the spirit.

00:04:35 ♪ Go out and spread the gospel ♪

00:04:37 ♪ People, children, and the young ♪

00:04:37 - Inspiration is found in the diversity of nature.

00:04:41 ♪ Go tell the world ♪

00:04:43 - Inspired word of God.

00:04:44 - Directed by the Father.

00:04:47 - Join us every Monday morning at 8.30 a.m.

00:04:50 right here on TV6 for our many moments of inspiration.

00:04:54 - They said that vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes.

00:05:01 - They said it has no health risks.

00:05:03 - They even said that it's just like water.

00:05:06 - They lied.

00:05:09 - Research suggests that vaping is harmful

00:05:12 to both your heart and your lungs.

00:05:14 - And e-cigarettes are just as addictive

00:05:17 as traditional ones.

00:05:19 Consider the consequences.

00:05:20 Don't vape.

00:05:21 - Your word is your bond.

00:05:29 If you say it, mean it.

00:05:32 How are those feeling people promise something

00:05:34 and then bail out, especially with money?

00:05:37 Not nice, right?

00:05:38 So why we don't do it till we turn?

00:05:40 - Keeping your word is an essential aspect of parenting.

00:05:45 Make sure that what you say lines up with your actions.

00:05:52 If you promise your child something,

00:05:54 follow through on that promise.

00:05:57 This consistency shows your child

00:06:00 that they can rely on you and trust your word.

00:06:03 At the end of the day, do your best.

00:06:09 Share if you found this useful.

00:06:11 Like and follow CTA's profiles for more parenting tips.

00:06:15 The letter of the day is W.

00:06:18 W is for word.

00:06:20 ♪ I said well partner everything that you just said was true ♪

00:06:26 ♪ Money today have no value ♪

00:06:28 ♪ And if you argue people going to say that you're funny ♪

00:06:32 ♪ And tell you how you can eat the money ♪

00:06:34 ♪ It's true you can push the money down your throat ♪

00:06:37 ♪ But people still not getting the money's worth ♪

00:06:40 ♪ And the vendors are damn so fierce ♪

00:06:42 ♪ They just raise the price when something gets scarce ♪

00:06:45 ♪ 90 cents a bunch of gristle ♪

00:06:47 - Yeah, Kaiso boy, Kaiso, Kaiso boy.

00:06:50 You know, I always ask myself,

00:06:51 I wonder if I could write a song like that boy.

00:06:53 I'll try to do that this year, right?

00:06:55 And I'll come and perform it right here one morning.

00:06:57 How you think about that?

00:06:58 Yeah, but a very special good morning to Relator.

00:07:01 Relator, it's a long time we haven't seen

00:07:03 or heard from you, yeah?

00:07:04 So a special good morning to you

00:07:05 and thank you for the work that you have done

00:07:08 over the years in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:07:10 All right, so we're moving on

00:07:11 because we do have a lot on our program today.

00:07:13 So first up this morning,

00:07:15 business chimes in on the controversy

00:07:16 between Finance Minister Colin Minberth

00:07:18 and Auditor General Jaiwanti Ramdas.

00:07:21 With us today, Chairman of the Confederation

00:07:24 of Regional Business Chambers, Vivek Charan.

00:07:27 And we also have a former president

00:07:29 of the Public Services Association, Mr. Clyde Weatherhead.

00:07:32 Gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us this morning.

00:07:36 Hi, good morning, Marlon.

00:07:37 Thanks for having me.

00:07:38 Yeah, all right.

00:07:39 So let's get right into it, gentlemen.

00:07:42 Mr. Charan, let's get to you first.

00:07:44 So I don't know if you would have seen

00:07:46 the Daily Express this morning.

00:07:48 We would have shown that to our viewers a little earlier.

00:07:52 Auditor General threatens to sue AG

00:07:55 if state does not pay her legal costs

00:07:57 under political attack.

00:08:00 So again, as I've said yesterday and for this week,

00:08:04 since this story dropped,

00:08:07 things seem to be changing by the minutes,

00:08:09 by the hours, by the days

00:08:11 concerning this controversy, Mr. Charan.

00:08:13 Good morning, Marlon.

00:08:16 Good morning to you and your viewers.

00:08:18 Just a small issue of $2.6 billion, Marlon.

00:08:23 The stuff of dreams, $2.6 billion.

00:08:26 However, the amount of money involved

00:08:29 and the magnitude of the discrepancy or error

00:08:34 when we're talking about our national accounts,

00:08:36 it seems to have led to this very ugly public conflict

00:08:41 between the government,

00:08:42 the independent office of the Auditor General

00:08:44 and the independent office of the AG.

00:08:47 Now, this is not a good look.

00:08:48 It brings to bear the perception from business

00:08:51 and perhaps from the public that something is amiss

00:08:53 or that something is not adding up, quite literally.

00:08:57 And therefore, public confidence in the national accounts,

00:09:01 that's very important for business.

00:09:04 We have here, what has been described

00:09:07 as an understatement of $2.6 billion,

00:09:09 which could have resulted in, from, sorry,

00:09:13 the new electronic clearing system.

00:09:15 However, that has sort of escalated into the conflict

00:09:19 between the Auditor General's office,

00:09:20 the government and the AG.

00:09:22 This is because the finance minister says

00:09:26 that the fiscal outturn for 2023 was supposedly

00:09:30 or is supposed to be better

00:09:32 than what was actually reported in the budget.

00:09:34 Now, when it comes to data,

00:09:35 'cause this is also a question of data,

00:09:37 data is important because it signals to the economy,

00:09:40 it signals to investors, both local and foreign,

00:09:44 how we should proceed.

00:09:46 So it's akin to, let's say, a traffic light system.

00:09:48 Red means stop, green means go,

00:09:50 and amber means proceed with caution.

00:09:53 Except in many cases like this, Marlon,

00:09:56 we can't see the traffic light.

00:09:58 So we depend on those people who are overseeing things,

00:10:01 but the government in particular,

00:10:03 to tell us what are the colors of the traffic light.

00:10:06 And obviously, if the color of the traffic light is amber,

00:10:09 proceed with caution, or red,

00:10:10 and then someone says it's green,

00:10:12 then it's gonna lead to, you know, perhaps some accidents.

00:10:15 So the reality is, when it comes to the data

00:10:18 coming from the national accounts,

00:10:20 clarity one is important,

00:10:22 and accuracy two is also vitally important.

00:10:24 And I think, you know, behind all, you know,

00:10:28 amidst all the conflict that's happening right now,

00:10:30 that is really the key,

00:10:33 one of the essential aspects of what is happening.

00:10:38 - Yeah.

00:10:39 Mr. Weatherhead, the finance minister has said

00:10:42 the root cause for the motion,

00:10:45 where he was asking for an extension

00:10:48 for the auditor general to lay that report, or to, yeah.

00:10:52 The root cause for the motion was the detection

00:10:55 by public servants of a significant variance

00:10:58 in the revenue for 2023,

00:11:02 was understated by $2.6 billion.

00:11:04 Inbert said public servants came to him in embarrassment

00:11:07 as they felt it would be improper

00:11:09 for revenue to be understated by $2.6 billion.

00:11:13 Mr. Weatherhead?

00:11:13 - Well, Marlon, let's just set up

00:11:18 the framework of the exercise.

00:11:21 - Yes.

00:11:21 - This is an audit exercise.

00:11:24 So to audit, you have to have accounts.

00:11:28 And these, there's a timetable set between the constitution

00:11:33 and the Auditor Next Checker Act.

00:11:35 So the first timeline is that the accounts

00:11:40 have to be submitted to the auditor general

00:11:45 within four months from September 30th.

00:11:49 So that brings us into January.

00:11:52 The end of January is your first deadline.

00:11:54 - Yeah.

00:11:55 - So this is a deadline set in law.

00:11:58 The auditor general is an office created

00:12:02 by section 116 of the constitution.

00:12:07 And the auditor general is the only officer

00:12:11 in the whole state arrangement

00:12:14 who can sign off on the public accounts,

00:12:18 the national accounts, as we've called it just now.

00:12:21 So this is a serious constitutional duty

00:12:26 of the auditor general.

00:12:29 The auditor general, having received the accounts

00:12:33 by the January deadline,

00:12:36 proceeded to do the auditing, which he's required to do.

00:12:41 Then she's told there may be something wrong and so on.

00:12:46 This is based on the timeline,

00:12:48 as the Minister of Finance says he corrected the timeline

00:12:51 - Yes.

00:12:52 - during the Senate debate this week.

00:12:54 And he says, well, here's what.

00:12:57 The members of staff in his ministry then told,

00:13:01 because the law requires that the treasury

00:13:04 submit the accounts to the auditor general.

00:13:06 They then said, there appears to be a problem.

00:13:11 That's the initial thing.

00:13:13 So the, and then there's some back and forth

00:13:16 and so on and so on.

00:13:18 - Yes.

00:13:18 - The auditor general, who by the Exchequer Act,

00:13:25 section 10.1, which says that the attorney general

00:13:30 is to give written advice to the auditor general

00:13:36 if she has a question stated to him in writing

00:13:40 about anything regarding the law,

00:13:45 regarding her performance of her functions.

00:13:49 So having received the accounts by the deadline,

00:13:53 and now being aware that there's a possibility

00:13:55 of receiving new accounts beyond the deadline,

00:13:58 the auditor general approached the AG

00:14:01 as she is required to by law to get advice.

00:14:06 And the law says the AG shall give written opinion.

00:14:10 - Yes.

00:14:11 - Or that he may.

00:14:13 But then he tells her, listen,

00:14:14 I already advised the Minister of Finance,

00:14:16 so I can't advise you.

00:14:18 And he said in his media conference

00:14:20 the day of the Senate this week,

00:14:23 that he felt he would have a conflict of interest.

00:14:27 This is two arms of the government

00:14:29 in an exercise to audit the accounts.

00:14:33 - But Mr. Weatherhead, for the layman out there,

00:14:37 is the AG correct in saying that there may be

00:14:41 a conflict of interest, although he is duty-bound

00:14:46 to give advice to the auditor general?

00:14:49 But if he is giving advice to the auditor general,

00:14:52 and also the Finance Minister on the same issue,

00:14:55 is there a conflict of interest?

00:14:57 - Not necessarily in my view.

00:15:00 - Yes.

00:15:01 - This is a matter of an audit

00:15:04 involving two departments of the state.

00:15:07 This is at the stage where he is being asked to give advice.

00:15:12 There's no litigation going on, and so on.

00:15:15 Somehow the Minister of Finance convinced,

00:15:19 well, he must have given instructions,

00:15:22 as the Minister of Finance said,

00:15:23 in referring to the letter from Freedom Chambers,

00:15:27 and he accused the auditor general of lying in the Senate.

00:15:31 He said she must have instructed them to say these things.

00:15:34 Similarly, the AG can't just issue

00:15:36 a pre-action protocol letter,

00:15:38 which is the beginning of litigation.

00:15:41 So this is pre-that.

00:15:44 If you are asking for advice, an opinion is not litigation.

00:15:49 So if the AG is bound by law to give advice,

00:15:53 this is not a situation where there's conflict

00:15:56 and some contentious issue and some matter before the court.

00:16:00 This is a question of advice.

00:16:02 In my view as an attorney at law,

00:16:03 I would say that I would not see it as a conflict.

00:16:08 In any case, in this country,

00:16:10 we have no history of any two departments of state

00:16:14 suing one another.

00:16:16 - Yes.

00:16:16 - We have no history of that.

00:16:18 So there's no conflict.

00:16:19 There are two parties belonging to the state

00:16:22 who are involved in what the minister says

00:16:24 is a team exercise to have the national accounts audited.

00:16:29 What is the conflict of interest?

00:16:30 Let me advise them.

00:16:31 If they then choose to do something else,

00:16:34 then, and there's litigation,

00:16:36 like I have instructed the issue of pre-action protocol,

00:16:39 that is a different situation.

00:16:41 But at the point where one is asking for advice

00:16:43 and the other is, I would think,

00:16:45 in the interest of resolving the situation

00:16:49 or assisting them, that is my duty also as an attorney.

00:16:53 - Yes.

00:16:53 - And as an attorney general.

00:16:55 - Mr. Charan, since this controversy broke out,

00:17:00 I'm sure that you would have had the opportunity

00:17:03 to discuss this with some of your members

00:17:05 and other people in the business sector.

00:17:08 How is this being viewed by them?

00:17:10 - Well, to be honest with you,

00:17:13 it's being viewed as, there's a lot of public,

00:17:17 you know, venom and vitriol being spewed.

00:17:20 But it gives the perception that there's a lot of tension

00:17:24 behind the scenes.

00:17:25 And, you know, where is this tension coming from?

00:17:28 Is the tension actually coming from,

00:17:30 because there is, you know, the bigger picture

00:17:34 is where are we heading with our economy?

00:17:37 I mean, Marlon, who does the economy belong to?

00:17:40 Does it belong to the PNM or the UNC or the NAR

00:17:43 or anybody else that's been in administration?

00:17:45 Or does it belong to the people?

00:17:46 The fact of the matter is the economy belongs to the people.

00:17:49 And the government has the task very much of a CEO

00:17:52 in a public company of trying to be just profitable

00:17:57 as possible and please all the shareholders and so on.

00:18:01 But the reality is our bigger picture is,

00:18:04 we need to know where the economy is heading.

00:18:06 And right now, for most of us,

00:18:08 the economy is not in a great place.

00:18:10 If you have deep pockets, if you're selling a necessity

00:18:14 that, you know, during these bad times

00:18:16 could bring your company huge profits and so on,

00:18:18 then you're in a good place.

00:18:19 If you're like the rest of us, including myself,

00:18:21 'cause I'm not of the former, then you're in debt.

00:18:26 You're trying to make ends meet

00:18:28 and you're trying to make your business a great concern

00:18:30 since that unexpected occurrence that happened in 2020,

00:18:34 2021, which was COVID.

00:18:36 And the fact of the matter is that,

00:18:39 there's a myth that people think that

00:18:40 if you're not supportive of the government,

00:18:42 then you want everything the government does to fail,

00:18:44 including the economy.

00:18:46 And that is not true because for all of us,

00:18:48 particularly those of us that aren't doing very well

00:18:50 at the moment, if the economy does well,

00:18:54 then we all do well and we all do well together.

00:18:56 And that's really what we want to see.

00:18:59 And this public spot does not give confidence

00:19:02 in also the management of the economy.

00:19:06 I mean, other than the characters involved,

00:19:11 the individuals, there's also the question of the pressure

00:19:15 to show that there's an improvement.

00:19:19 As the finance minister said,

00:19:21 well, these accounts in 2023 were supposed to show

00:19:25 that there was an uptick or there was an upturn as such.

00:19:29 And there was an upturn greater

00:19:31 than what was reported before.

00:19:33 Now, if that isn't indeed accurate,

00:19:37 then if it comes out,

00:19:38 then what would it signal to the economy?

00:19:39 What would it signal to investors?

00:19:41 What would it signal with regard to how the government

00:19:45 is actually managing the economy?

00:19:47 It would all be positive.

00:19:48 If however, it does not do that,

00:19:50 if however, the accuracy of the data is now in question,

00:19:55 then what does it also signal?

00:20:00 So, we must always be mindful

00:20:02 of what the bigger picture is, Marlon.

00:20:03 The bigger picture for us is what is coming our way.

00:20:08 Is it a passing cloud?

00:20:09 Is it a tropical thunderstorm?

00:20:11 Is it a tsunami?

00:20:12 Is it a category four hurricane?

00:20:14 Do you understand?

00:20:15 And we are not always in the driver's seat.

00:20:16 The government's in the driver's seat.

00:20:17 They have all the facts before them

00:20:20 and they're gonna know what's coming our way

00:20:21 when it comes to our economy.

00:20:23 How is it performing now?

00:20:25 What are the plans and what's the future outlook?

00:20:28 And something as, well, it's not that small,

00:20:31 but something as small as an item on perhaps a report

00:20:36 that is now in conflict.

00:20:38 What is, is this just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak?

00:20:44 - Mr. Weatherhead, I just want to put this on the table

00:20:48 because I want to get your perspective on it.

00:20:50 So, the Auditor General indicated

00:20:52 that the ministry wanted to amend the national accounts

00:20:53 to reflect this higher revenue figure.

00:20:56 However, she said the ministry admitted

00:20:57 that while it could account for some of this money,

00:21:01 it could not be accounted for,

00:21:03 some of the other money that they're speaking about.

00:21:07 Ramda said she received the amended national account,

00:21:10 but noted that there was no amendment

00:21:12 to reflect the increase in the revenue figure.

00:21:14 The ministry had simply replaced the old revenue figure

00:21:17 with a new increased amount.

00:21:19 She was therefore faced

00:21:20 with two sets of conflicting accounts.

00:21:23 Now, she's saying that she expressed concern

00:21:26 that the ministry had also backdated the amended account.

00:21:30 This, she contended, was unethical.

00:21:33 - Well, that last piece there,

00:21:37 that is what Mr. Inbert spent a good bit of his time

00:21:41 winding up the motion in the Senate,

00:21:43 claiming that that is a lie,

00:21:45 and he had documents to show that the amended accounts,

00:21:50 that they were dated April something, 16th, I believe,

00:21:55 and not January 31st.

00:21:57 So that is an issue of fact.

00:22:01 It is also a fact that the Auditor General

00:22:05 is the only public office that can sign off

00:22:10 on the audit of the national account,

00:22:13 not even another officer in the Auditor General's department,

00:22:16 only the Auditor General herself.

00:22:18 The other thing is, this is a situation

00:22:22 where you're trying to correct something during an audit.

00:22:25 - Yes.

00:22:26 - This is not our war zone.

00:22:28 So why did the Minister of Finance escalate this

00:22:32 by instructing the Attorney General

00:22:35 to issue a pre-action protocol letter?

00:22:38 The Minister of Finance also had the opportunity

00:22:44 long before last week to bring a motion to extend the time.

00:22:49 And having brought the motion, what is he asking for?

00:22:52 Four more months from the original deadline

00:22:56 to submit the same accounts.

00:23:01 So up to this time, up to the Senate meeting this week,

00:23:04 according to the Minister of Finance,

00:23:08 there is no complete set of documents

00:23:11 to justify the change in the accounts.

00:23:16 And that is what the Auditor General said

00:23:19 in what the Minister and they were careful

00:23:21 in the Senate to say, "Well, the report is not

00:23:24 "laid in the House, so it's not a public document,

00:23:27 "or the one newspaper quoted from it."

00:23:29 And there was a management letter

00:23:31 in which the Auditor General said,

00:23:33 "Well, listen, I saw the new accounts,

00:23:35 "but I do not have proof."

00:23:37 The law says the Auditor General must see everything

00:23:40 down to a voucher in order to audit the accounts.

00:23:44 - So Mr. Weatherhead, is it safe to say,

00:23:47 judging from what you are telling us this morning,

00:23:49 you believe that the Auditor General

00:23:51 has not acted improperly in connection with this matter?

00:23:56 - Well, the Auditor General is constrained

00:23:59 by the Constitution and the Audit and Exchequer Act

00:24:01 to do certain things.

00:24:02 She is saying, "I have done those things,

00:24:06 "including I have audited as best as I could

00:24:10 "in the absence of supporting documents,

00:24:14 "the revised or the amended accounts."

00:24:17 That is what she is saying.

00:24:19 The Minister of Finance is saying the opposite.

00:24:22 And he is admitting that basically,

00:24:25 the amended accounts are not even yet

00:24:28 completely accounted for.

00:24:32 And they require four extra months to complete that

00:24:36 in order to submit it properly

00:24:38 and have the supporting documents.

00:24:40 So who is acting properly or improperly,

00:24:43 that is not for me to decide.

00:24:44 That is, if they head in the way of litigation,

00:24:47 a court will decide that.

00:24:49 The Minister of Finance says,

00:24:50 "No, I have a pre-action protocol letter.

00:24:54 "I'm answering it in the public,

00:24:55 "in the Senate or in the media and so on.

00:24:58 "And where are we going?"

00:25:00 As I said on a Facebook post this week,

00:25:04 if the Minister receives a pre-action protocol letter,

00:25:07 you don't go in the public to answer it.

00:25:09 Why didn't you simply reply to the letter?

00:25:12 Why is he escalating this thing all the time?

00:25:14 And now, I mean, you're reading today

00:25:18 that the Auditor General is saying--

00:25:21 - She's on the political attack.

00:25:22 - For illegal fees, and it's a political attack.

00:25:25 Now, when she went to the AG to ask for advice,

00:25:29 as the law requires her to do,

00:25:31 and he's required to advise her,

00:25:33 he said, "Well, listen, I'm already advising

00:25:34 "the Minister of Finance."

00:25:36 Like it's two parties belonging to some conflicting groups

00:25:40 that he's advising.

00:25:42 And he says to her, "Well, you go and get independent advice

00:25:45 "and I will pay for it."

00:25:47 Then he turns around and says, "You go and get bad advice."

00:25:51 Now, where are we going with this, Marlon?

00:25:53 This is a trend out of Tobago.

00:25:54 This is our national account.

00:25:57 This is our public account.

00:25:59 And if, as the Minister of Finance

00:26:01 was very careful in the Senate to say,

00:26:04 "This thing could have far-reaching implications.

00:26:07 "International institutions could be looking at us

00:26:09 "and they're worried about this."

00:26:11 No, aren't they worried that we're proposing

00:26:14 to be eight months down the road submitting our calls,

00:26:17 when we should be there four months?

00:26:19 - Yes.

00:26:20 - And we're already there at the end of January?

00:26:22 - Yeah.

00:26:23 Well, Mr. Charon, this issue has a number of moving parts.

00:26:28 We saw earlier this week where an investigation

00:26:32 has been launched into what transpired here.

00:26:36 You believe in this investigation that has been launched?

00:26:41 - Well, yes, but as Clyde rightly pointed out,

00:26:44 one of the issues with the investigation, perhaps,

00:26:47 and the looming court matter, as it were,

00:26:51 is when will it actually be settled?

00:26:55 Because this actually is an audit and exercise.

00:26:58 Audits and exercise are very frustrating.

00:27:00 Even in the private sector and so on,

00:27:02 audits and exercises can be exceedingly frustrating.

00:27:05 From what we heard today, what Clyde spoke on,

00:27:11 could the AG have perhaps diverted this entire issue

00:27:16 from becoming what it is in the public light,

00:27:23 simply by mediating between the Minister of Finance

00:27:27 and the Auditor General, and answering, perhaps,

00:27:30 or giving her advice as to the question that she asked?

00:27:34 Could that have prevented us from being where we are today?

00:27:39 The second thing is, if this continues, Marlon,

00:27:43 when, again, as Clyde rightly pointed out,

00:27:46 when will we finally have clarity

00:27:48 on last year's national accounts?

00:27:50 Because these are, after all,

00:27:51 the national accounts of the country.

00:27:54 And when will we have the final report actually laid?

00:27:57 So, there seems to be so many elements unfolding quickly,

00:28:02 but as quickly as the actual factual elements are happening,

00:28:07 there's also the conflict

00:28:09 that has now become quite personal,

00:28:12 that is continuing to unravel before our eyes.

00:28:17 - Yeah.

00:28:18 Mr. Weatherhead, I want you to, if you can,

00:28:21 shed some light on this for us this morning.

00:28:24 Now, I'm reading a statement here

00:28:28 that was issued by Freedom Chambers,

00:28:35 who, or which is representing the Auditor General.

00:28:38 Our client quite properly viewed this as an unethical attempt

00:28:41 to backdate the original national accounts

00:28:43 which were submitted to her

00:28:45 to cover what was a financial mistake

00:28:48 of unprecedented magnitude

00:28:51 with grave financial, economic, and political implications.

00:28:56 On this last statement here, Mr. Weatherhead,

00:28:59 could you shed some light on what may be

00:29:02 these grave financial, economic,

00:29:04 and political implications?

00:29:06 - Well, as the Minister of Finance said in the Senate,

00:29:10 these are the public accounts,

00:29:11 the national accounts of Trinidad and Tobago.

00:29:14 They are international financial institutions.

00:29:17 They are banks and other institutions of finance

00:29:21 that the country is dealing with.

00:29:23 And like, as Vivek, I'm sure, would tell you

00:29:26 as a businessman, if he's dealing with a bank,

00:29:28 they would want to see your accounts

00:29:29 to see how your business is going.

00:29:31 So that is the importance of it in that sense, right?

00:29:36 And also, we as Trinidadians and Tobago-ians,

00:29:40 we need to know where our economy is going.

00:29:42 And the government has a duty to account to us on that issue.

00:29:47 Now, the Minister of Finance has said

00:29:50 he is putting in place an independent investigation

00:29:55 into what, his own ministry and the Auditor General?

00:29:59 And who is this independent investigation

00:30:02 going to report to?

00:30:07 To himself?

00:30:07 And he says, "Well, when they finish and they do the report,

00:30:12 "I will send it to the Public Service Commission

00:30:17 "and anybody else who may be aware of it and act on it."

00:30:21 Now, Section 117 of the Constitution says,

00:30:25 the Auditor General shall be appointed by the President

00:30:27 after consultation with the Prime Minister

00:30:31 and the Leader of the Opposition

00:30:33 and shall hold office in accordance with Section 136.

00:30:37 Section 136 deals with the issue of disciplining

00:30:43 such a public officer, which includes judges and so on,

00:30:47 right?

00:30:48 Even the DPP and others.

00:30:50 So the Auditor General is not under the jurisdiction

00:30:55 of the Public Service Commission.

00:30:57 So what is the Minister of Finance

00:31:00 going to send this report

00:31:03 to the Public Service Commission to do?

00:31:06 And in the Public Service Commission,

00:31:10 if there's a complaint, if the Finance Minister is saying,

00:31:13 well, he says what the investigation is going to get

00:31:16 to the bottom to is whether she is lying or he lying

00:31:19 about the date of the amended accounts.

00:31:24 - Yeah.

00:31:25 - Judgment and you're saying--

00:31:26 - If you get a complaint to the Public Service Commission,

00:31:28 they would have appointed an investigating officer

00:31:31 and so on and so on.

00:31:32 But that is not the route.

00:31:33 Section 136 says,

00:31:35 the Prime Minister may complain to the President

00:31:38 or the President on her own volition,

00:31:41 may appoint a tribunal to investigate anything

00:31:45 if there's an issue to deal with, quote unquote,

00:31:49 disciplining the Auditor General.

00:31:51 - Yes.

00:31:52 - So I don't know where the Minister of Finance,

00:31:55 maybe he got some really bad advice himself

00:31:57 as to where he's going with this.

00:31:59 Because this is not the first time,

00:32:00 you remember the issue with Sports Minister Mr. Smith

00:32:04 and the government has now developed a modus operandi

00:32:08 that where there are issues in ministries

00:32:11 and public institutions,

00:32:13 they are appointed investigations outside of the public.

00:32:18 - Yes, gentlemen, I just have about two minutes again.

00:32:22 Mr. Charan, your final comments,

00:32:24 and then we'll get back to Mr. Weatherhead

00:32:26 for his final take on it.

00:32:28 Mr. Charan.

00:32:29 - Again, I'd like to reiterate, it's not a good look.

00:32:33 It's not a good look for business,

00:32:34 it's not a good look for our country,

00:32:35 and it's not a good look for foreign investors looking in.

00:32:38 It would have been a good thing

00:32:40 if this thing could have been avoided through mediation.

00:32:44 However, once personal attacks have started

00:32:46 and rocks and bows and arrows start slinging

00:32:49 from one side to the next,

00:32:51 are we past the point of no return

00:32:53 when it comes to mediation?

00:32:54 It may appear on the public face that that is so.

00:32:57 So therefore, how long is this gonna take to resolve itself?

00:33:01 And again, how long is it gonna take

00:33:02 for us to actually get those reports?

00:33:05 - Yeah, Mr. Weatherhead, as I said,

00:33:07 I only have about one minute again,

00:33:09 but Mr. Weatherhead, how is this going to end?

00:33:11 One, and this controversy that we're seeing here,

00:33:16 does it speak to, how do we prevent something like this

00:33:19 from occurring in the future?

00:33:21 - Well, how it's going to end depends on what the parties do.

00:33:25 And they seem to be on a course saying,

00:33:28 we're heading for litigation, we're going to court,

00:33:31 or we're having this independent investigation,

00:33:33 and then we'll look to seek to discipline

00:33:36 the auditor general, which I, like I said,

00:33:40 will fall under section 136 of the Constitution.

00:33:44 How do we avoid this?

00:33:47 People who are officers of the state must understand

00:33:51 that they are officers within a single machinery,

00:33:54 whether they're different ministries or institutions,

00:33:57 and they should be working for the national purpose,

00:34:00 for the good of Trinidad and Tobago,

00:34:02 and not trying to settle scores among themselves.

00:34:07 - Yeah, Mr. Weatherhead, thank you very much this morning.

00:34:09 It's good to see and hear from you, Mr. Weatherhead,

00:34:12 and also Mr. Charron,

00:34:14 it's always a pleasure speaking with you.

00:34:16 Gentlemen, have a good day,

00:34:17 and thank you very much for your contributions this morning.

00:34:20 We do appreciate it.

00:34:21 - Thank you very much, man.

00:34:22 - Good to see you too, my man.

00:34:23 - Yes.

00:34:24 All right, so we are going to a very quick break, everybody.

00:34:27 We have this for you, more cherries, boy.

00:34:30 Delicious West Indian cherries, yeah?

00:34:33 We're coming back, everybody.

00:34:35 (upbeat music)

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00:34:47 ♪ Salaries today are not enough ♪

00:34:49 ♪ You notice up to now I have not mentioned the grocery ♪

00:34:52 ♪ That is more headache and a fresh set of money ♪

00:34:55 ♪ Apart from that is light bill and rent to pay ♪

00:34:58 ♪ God alone know how people are making out today ♪

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00:35:35 (upbeat music)

00:35:40 (speaking in foreign language)

00:35:44, thank you.

00:35:45, thank you.

00:35:46 (speaking in foreign language)

00:35:49, thank you.

00:35:50 (speaking in foreign language)

00:35:54 (upbeat music)

00:35:57 (speaking in foreign language)

00:36:25 - I just came here to be slaved.

00:36:27 - Shut up, shut up!

00:36:29 I've had enough of all of you.

00:36:31 You ungrateful, bad enough for you.

00:36:33 You took us from our countries,

00:36:34 and of course pretend I was working day and night

00:36:37 like slaves and expect us to be grateful.

00:36:40 (speaking in foreign language)

00:36:44 Just allow us to leave.

00:36:52 Please, give us our passports and allow us to leave.

00:36:56 - You can find our things are free to leave.

00:37:00 If you step one foot out of here,

00:37:04 I will see to it that immigration sends you back

00:37:08 to whatever hell you came from.

00:37:10 - If you know of or suspect human trafficking activity,

00:37:15 call the counter trafficking hotline at 804 CTU or 804288.

00:37:22 Human trafficking is a crime.

00:37:24 Identify it, report it, stop it.

00:37:27 A message from the counter trafficking unit

00:37:29 of the Ministry of National Security.

00:37:31 (upbeat music)

00:37:50 - All right, so welcome back everyone.

00:37:52 So we are discussing right now a very serious issue

00:37:56 that we have in Trinidad and Tobago,

00:37:57 and that's the issue of child pornography.

00:37:59 So joining us now, we do have psychologist,

00:38:02 Dr. Khadija Khan, to discuss the reported child pornography

00:38:05 ring in Trinidad and Tobago and the emotional

00:38:07 and psychological impact on the victims.

00:38:10 Doctor, it's always good to speak with you.

00:38:12 Thank you very much for joining us this morning.

00:38:14 - Good morning, Marlon.

00:38:16 Thank you for having me and good morning

00:38:17 to all of you as in listeners.

00:38:19 - Yeah, doctor, if you'd allow me to begin this way,

00:38:22 of course there was a recent matter in the courts.

00:38:25 There was a judgment and just for our viewers this morning,

00:38:28 the matter involved a constitutional motion

00:38:30 brought against the attorney general of Trinidad and Tobago

00:38:33 by the Humanitarian Foundation for Positive Social Change,

00:38:36 which sought to compel the state to investigate

00:38:39 the dissemination of child pornography.

00:38:42 Now there was a judgment, Dr. Khan,

00:38:46 where Justice Frank C. Posad said that the countries

00:38:50 or who cited the countries insatiable appetite

00:38:54 for pornography over the past two decades

00:38:58 and the unsolved sexual violation

00:39:00 and murder of Akhil Chambers.

00:39:02 And that's where I'd like to begin this insatiable appetite

00:39:06 for pornography in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:39:08 - I think that's a good starting point, Marlon.

00:39:14 But first I'd like us to recharacterize the problem

00:39:16 that this is not just a problem of child pornography.

00:39:20 I think this is an endemic problem of child sexual abuse

00:39:25 in our country and there are many facets to it.

00:39:28 And the exploitation and child pornography

00:39:32 is just one facet of it.

00:39:34 With respect to the consumption of pornography

00:39:37 in the country, yes, we do have the data for that.

00:39:40 And I think that speaks to a number of things.

00:39:43 And first let's understand that we're not saying

00:39:46 that all pornography is bad or that an adult

00:39:50 is not free to have choices to consume

00:39:52 and to have healthy sexual activity.

00:39:55 But what we are seeing here is a very heinous,

00:39:58 harmful and insidious practice of child pornography,

00:40:02 which has huge detrimental effects,

00:40:06 not just on the child while they are children,

00:40:09 but these are often long lasting effects

00:40:12 and drawing well into adulthood,

00:40:14 affecting many areas of someone's life,

00:40:17 not just their psychological and emotional health,

00:40:20 but also their physical health

00:40:22 and they're able to function

00:40:24 in a healthy and productive way.

00:40:26 So this is a massive problem

00:40:28 that we need to keep on the front burner.

00:40:30 - But you know, Dr. Khan,

00:40:32 I mean, if we are truthful this morning,

00:40:35 the abuse of children by even their relatives,

00:40:41 their father, you name it,

00:40:44 by very, very close people,

00:40:47 people who are close to them.

00:40:48 This has been happening in Trinidad and Tobago

00:40:52 from time immemorial.

00:40:54 But when you look at the issue,

00:40:57 have you seen an increase in these sorts of incidents

00:41:01 over the years?

00:41:02 - Well, and I think that when the Children's Act

00:41:06 was proclaimed and the Children's Authority

00:41:08 put in facilities to allow people to report,

00:41:11 and of course people could always have reported

00:41:13 to the police as well,

00:41:15 then they were able to capture statistics.

00:41:17 So now we have more numbers that are available to us

00:41:20 to help us gauge an idea of the size

00:41:22 and scope of the problem.

00:41:24 But I would like to say,

00:41:26 yes, I think this is a pressing problem,

00:41:29 but this is the kind of problem

00:41:30 where even one case is too many.

00:41:33 And we are living in a country

00:41:34 where we have multiple cases.

00:41:37 So as I said, this judgment that came down

00:41:39 was a very important one.

00:41:41 It was much needed,

00:41:42 and I hope it helps to spur more action

00:41:45 and response to this problem.

00:41:47 But yes, this is a massive problem

00:41:50 that we have in the country.

00:41:51 And whether it's one case,

00:41:53 hundreds of thousands of cases,

00:41:55 we have to have a zero tolerance

00:41:57 for any kind of child sexual abuse.

00:42:00 - But Dr. Khan, let me ask a very simple question.

00:42:04 Why is it that we can't see people's children

00:42:07 and leave them alone?

00:42:09 I mean, you can see a young man,

00:42:12 a young woman and say,

00:42:13 you know, that's a handsome young man.

00:42:15 That's a beautiful young lady.

00:42:19 But it's a totally different thing, Dr. Khan,

00:42:23 where you feel that you want to take action now

00:42:27 and interfere with that individual.

00:42:30 Something has gone wrong here, Dr. Khan.

00:42:34 - Well, let me say it like this.

00:42:37 Sometimes when we think about

00:42:38 what kind of individual will abuse a child in that way,

00:42:43 and we'd like to think that this is some kind of monster.

00:42:46 This is somebody who has something wrong with them.

00:42:49 But Marlon, these are people who live amongst us.

00:42:51 They are our neighbors.

00:42:53 They are our coworkers.

00:42:54 They're in our community.

00:42:55 And I'd like to share that oftentimes behaviors

00:42:58 like these don't exist in a vacuum.

00:43:00 It's not just about the person

00:43:01 and what is wrong with that person.

00:43:03 There is a whole ecosystem we have to consider

00:43:07 about things that reinforce a culture

00:43:10 that makes it easier for somebody to have these views,

00:43:13 act on these views, and find a community

00:43:17 that they can indulge in these views.

00:43:19 And there are many aspects in our Trinidad and Tobago society

00:43:22 that unfortunately encourages these things.

00:43:25 This most recent case you spoke about

00:43:27 was speaking about a specific ring.

00:43:30 But Marlon, I want to challenge our viewing public today,

00:43:34 right, including yourself.

00:43:36 I want all of the men who belong to a WhatsApp group

00:43:41 or any other group, what we call these homosocial groups,

00:43:44 groups where it's majority men.

00:43:47 So whether it's your school group, football group,

00:43:51 some other group where it's a majority men,

00:43:53 and the purpose was for something legitimate, okay?

00:43:56 I also want women to turn to

00:43:58 and ask their spouses and family members, the males,

00:44:01 and ask them if they're part of that group.

00:44:02 And ask the men in that group,

00:44:06 how many times has someone shared

00:44:09 pornographic images of women?

00:44:13 And let me, oh, in fact, let me not say women.

00:44:14 Let me say females,

00:44:16 because oftentimes you don't know the source of that image.

00:44:19 You don't know that you have permission to share that image.

00:44:22 You don't know the person in that image,

00:44:24 whether they are a child,

00:44:26 whether they gave their consent

00:44:28 for these images to be shared.

00:44:30 So we have a lot of that behavior currently going on.

00:44:33 So when it starts off like that in these legitimate groups,

00:44:35 and people think it's okay to share,

00:44:37 and I didn't create it, I just share it.

00:44:39 So therefore I don't have to take personal responsibility.

00:44:43 But you're also complicit,

00:44:44 because you cultivate and contribute to a culture

00:44:48 where women are sexualized and objectified,

00:44:52 where it's commoditized.

00:44:54 And therefore people now feel

00:44:56 that they can act with impunity by sharing images,

00:45:00 and also taking it further along that continuum

00:45:03 of doing things that are now illegal, abusive, exploitative.

00:45:07 - Yeah, and Dr. Khan, I hear you quite clear,

00:45:11 but I just want to put on the table,

00:45:12 I haven't been a part of such a group.

00:45:13 I just want to put that out there.

00:45:15 But you think, Dr. Khan,

00:45:18 that when it comes to this sort of abuse,

00:45:23 that we have adopted a sort of slap on the wrist

00:45:28 approach to things,

00:45:30 because Dr. Khan, we have spoken about issues such as these

00:45:34 in the past, people such as you,

00:45:37 and members of your team,

00:45:39 and similar like-minded persons and organizations,

00:45:43 they continue to speak about it.

00:45:45 But to be honest, Dr. Khan,

00:45:48 when we walk around this country,

00:45:50 we can see signs of human trafficking everywhere.

00:45:55 We can see signs of people being abused,

00:46:00 whether it is women or children.

00:46:06 And I specifically want to speak about

00:46:08 the women and children.

00:46:09 Yes, abusive men are taking place too,

00:46:11 but we're speaking about women and children.

00:46:13 And we do have this approach of,

00:46:16 well, that's our culture, that is what we expect.

00:46:20 And we have the attitude to turn the other way.

00:46:23 So the question is, have we really,

00:46:25 have we not accepted it?

00:46:26 - I won't go so fast to say that we've accepted it,

00:46:32 but I think there's a huge tolerance of it.

00:46:34 And I think that our failure to act,

00:46:38 our failure to treat it with more urgency

00:46:41 can stem from a number of things.

00:46:43 I think one of the things,

00:46:45 and also there's still a significant amount

00:46:48 of victim blaming.

00:46:49 So it's not just accepting something as normal

00:46:52 and a feature of society.

00:46:55 I think there's also a lot of victim blaming

00:46:57 that takes place that muddies the water.

00:47:01 So therefore people think that if for some reason

00:47:04 you are a victim or survivor of these kinds of acts,

00:47:07 then you have somehow done something

00:47:08 to bring that upon yourself.

00:47:10 And that is so false and flawed.

00:47:12 And I think things like that come from a point

00:47:14 of a lack of empathy.

00:47:16 I think that we have, we are still in society,

00:47:19 we hold some views that are very brutish,

00:47:22 that are perhaps a remnant of our post-colonial,

00:47:25 post-slavery, post indentureship days,

00:47:28 where we fail to have sympathy and empathy

00:47:32 and consideration for people who are victims.

00:47:35 I think also that there is some level of fair

00:47:37 and cognitive dissonance that operates.

00:47:40 So that if I don't have to take it seriously,

00:47:44 or if I think that's somebody else's problem to deal with

00:47:47 and they brought it upon themselves,

00:47:49 then I don't have to take responsibility for it.

00:47:51 I don't have to feel anxious that it's going to affect me

00:47:54 and my family.

00:47:55 So I think all these are ways, are unhealthy ways

00:47:58 that our society has been coping or reacting

00:48:02 to matters like this.

00:48:03 And I think it contributes to it continuing

00:48:05 to be such a big problem.

00:48:07 - You know, I was shocked a few months ago,

00:48:10 maybe about a year ago, when I learned

00:48:13 that there are various pornographic sites

00:48:17 in Trinidad and Tobago.

00:48:20 And these sites are being fed in many cases

00:48:25 by persons who were in relationships with women.

00:48:32 And the woman, the young woman would have sent

00:48:36 or may have sent, would have sent, you know,

00:48:40 nude pictures to their boyfriend at that time.

00:48:43 And what is happening is that, as I said,

00:48:46 these sites are being fed by people who are no longer

00:48:50 in these relationships.

00:48:52 And what is happening is that the woman is being called

00:48:55 and told, "Look, we have these pictures here of you,

00:48:59 "but we want you to send other pictures

00:49:02 "so that we would not use the original one."

00:49:05 So there's this barter of pictures happening

00:49:09 and this business happening and this conversation happening

00:49:14 where people's rights are being violated

00:49:18 and their privacy is being violated.

00:49:22 And I don't know about you, Dr. Khan,

00:49:24 but I still think I'm not seeing more or enough people

00:49:29 being arrested, charged, and brought to justice

00:49:33 in connection with such matters.

00:49:35 - Well, that problem you referred to,

00:49:39 so, you know, revenge porn and the exploitation

00:49:43 and predatory behavior of people,

00:49:45 certainly another aspect we have to have zero tolerance for.

00:49:49 And I think in the article and the judgment you referred to,

00:49:53 it also made mention of the need to provide more support

00:49:57 for our state agencies to be able to act.

00:50:00 And so what can help with that is we, as a population

00:50:04 and a society, also have to advocate for that.

00:50:07 We have to let our stakeholders know

00:50:08 that this is important enough that we demand

00:50:11 that it be prioritized.

00:50:13 Agencies have to have resources

00:50:15 and they also need to prioritize that.

00:50:18 And I think, Marlon, again, I want to highlight

00:50:22 how these things are interconnected in the ecosystem.

00:50:27 So this society has to have that zero tolerance view.

00:50:31 When you speak about that revenge porn,

00:50:33 again, we have laws in place currently

00:50:35 and there have been a few people

00:50:37 who have brought forward to justice for that.

00:50:41 But we also need a society that has a zero tolerance

00:50:45 for this kind of behavior.

00:50:46 There is still so much victim blaming and stereotype.

00:50:49 And persons who are affected by this,

00:50:52 it is such a traumatic and insidious experience, as I said,

00:50:56 because this is not a one-off acute trauma.

00:51:00 When this continues and they're blackmailed

00:51:03 and demands are made and they get no justice,

00:51:06 it continues to be a chronic stressor.

00:51:08 So all of the effects of that initial trauma continue.

00:51:12 That anxiety, depression, the vulnerability,

00:51:15 the mistrust, the guilt,

00:51:18 that can also lead to mental health conditions,

00:51:21 panic disorders, self-harm, eating disorders,

00:51:24 anxiety disorders, substance use disorders,

00:51:27 as well as health disorders.

00:51:29 They have well shown that child sexual abuse

00:51:31 as one of those traumatic experiences in childhood

00:51:35 can lead to adverse health effects,

00:51:37 increasing your risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease,

00:51:40 diabetes, obesity in adulthood.

00:51:44 So I also want us to conceptualize this

00:51:46 as not just a problem that affects an individual

00:51:49 in that moment.

00:51:50 So you know you're going through a rough period now.

00:51:52 No, this is something that has

00:51:54 enduring long-lasting consequences.

00:51:57 We multiply these victim survivors

00:52:01 and their families and friends and loved ones who are affected

00:52:04 by thousands in the community and the society.

00:52:07 What we're looking at is a society now

00:52:10 that is affected and cannot function in a healthy way.

00:52:14 So this is not just a problem that affects

00:52:16 the individual victims and survivors,

00:52:19 but this is a problem that affects society.

00:52:21 - Yeah.

00:52:22 Dr. Khan, I have two minutes,

00:52:24 but it is a situation that is destroying families,

00:52:29 destroying lives.

00:52:31 We have seen in other countries,

00:52:32 I don't know if that has happened here,

00:52:34 but we have seen where this has even led to suicide.

00:52:38 The question is, Dr. Khan,

00:52:40 is there help for people who have been traumatized

00:52:43 by such incidents?

00:52:45 - I think we need to look at help in two ways.

00:52:48 So certainly help for persons affected

00:52:52 to help manage the psychological, social,

00:52:55 and emotional fallout of this, the trauma of this.

00:52:58 So they do need ongoing access to counseling

00:53:01 and other support resources.

00:53:04 However, I have to impress that another way

00:53:06 to help them cope and recover

00:53:09 and to mitigate against the long-term effects

00:53:11 of this trauma is for them to get justice,

00:53:14 is for these acts of abuse to cease.

00:53:19 And so we need to have that hand in hand.

00:53:21 We need to have the treatment and the support that's available

00:53:24 but we also need to act so that those

00:53:27 who are perpetrating these acts

00:53:30 do not feel that they could do so with impunity

00:53:32 and continue to do so in blatant ways.

00:53:36 So Marlon, we need to have those two operating hand in hand

00:53:41 if we are to help mitigate against

00:53:44 the really traumatic consequences of acts like these.

00:53:49 - Yeah, Dr. Khan, it's always a pleasure speaking with you.

00:53:53 Thank you very much for your perspective this morning

00:53:56 and even the tips that you have given

00:53:59 to persons who have been affected by this.

00:54:01 We thank you again.

00:54:02 We do appreciate you, Dr. Khan.

00:54:03 Bye for now.

00:54:05 - Thank you.

00:54:06 - All right, we are going to a very quick break, everybody.

00:54:09 We have something from Gurli Sankar.

00:54:11 Gurli, good morning.

00:54:13 Yeah, that looks like an early morning shot.

00:54:16 We're coming back, everybody.

00:54:17 ♪ All you young people ♪

00:54:19 ♪ Live right your feet ♪

00:54:23 ♪ What you feed your mind with ♪

00:54:27 - I come from very humble beginning.

00:54:31 And in those days when it was time to paint,

00:54:34 my father would always choose kaleidoscopic.

00:54:38 Today, some 50 years later, I have my own family now,

00:54:43 and we too just got some cans of kaleidoscopic.

00:54:47 We are about to paint the nursery of my first grandchild.

00:54:51 So you know it's only the best we'll do.

00:54:54 My family has trusted kaleidoscopic

00:54:57 for its consistent durability and quality for generations.

00:55:01 (upbeat music)

00:55:03 - Kaleidoscope paint, my first choice every time.

00:55:06 - Kaleidoscope paints,

00:55:08 the number one choice of the Caribbean.

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00:55:50 - And for the first time in Redemption, Collybuds.

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00:55:59 - On June 1st, consciousness takes over.

00:56:02 Get your limited $350 general, $850 VIP.

00:56:06 - And 1250 VVIP tickets now.

00:56:10 - For special inquiries, call our hotlines at 780-SHOW.

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00:56:22 - I was in Gethsemane,

00:56:23 he dragged that tire called salvation for man.

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00:56:31 We only have one place to go for help.

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00:56:36 So I celebrate in Jesus.

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00:56:41 - Walking to your new season.

00:56:56 (upbeat music)

00:56:58 - Good morning, I am Ansel Gibbs with a news update.

00:57:05 The Environmental Management Authority

00:57:08 has launched an investigation into the destruction

00:57:11 of a turtle nesting site at Turtle Beach in Tobago.

00:57:15 - Trinidad and Tobago now being reported

00:57:18 as the number one site for the nesting of leatherback turtles

00:57:25 and this is what we're gonna do.

00:57:27 I mean, we're going to disturb the environment.

00:57:31 You know, the awareness and the education need to be there.

00:57:37 - Nominations are now open

00:57:42 for the National Youth Awards 2024.

00:57:46 98 young people are to be recognized this year.

00:57:50 Nominations can be made via

00:57:51 the Ministry of Youth Development

00:57:53 and National Service website

00:57:55 until June 23rd.

00:57:57 - We pay so much attention to badly behaved young people

00:58:02 and not enough attention to those youths

00:58:04 who are making Trinidad and Tobago proud.

00:58:06 What are we doing at the MyDNS

00:58:09 is more than a balancing of the information.

00:58:12 It is to motivate all our young people

00:58:15 who we know have the potential to do their best

00:58:18 and for those who do so, that we show them,

00:58:21 we recognize you and we are going to make sure

00:58:25 that the country, the region and the world,

00:58:29 so to speak, recognizes your efforts.

00:58:31 - And in the weather forecast,

00:58:35 conditions are expected to be partly cloudy

00:58:37 and occasionally breezy

00:58:39 with the possibility of showers over certain locations

00:58:43 starting late this afternoon.

00:58:45 Meanwhile, open water entries can expect moderate seas

00:58:49 with swells that range in height

00:58:51 from one and a half to two meters.

00:58:54 (upbeat music)

00:58:56 The TV6 Daily Health Tip is brought to you by OmegaXL.

00:59:04 - All right, so welcome back everyone.

00:59:08 So health advocacy groups have petitioned the FDA

00:59:12 to ban methylene chloride in the decaffeination process

00:59:15 due to its carcinogenic risks,

00:59:18 despite it being used within FDA regulated residue limits.

00:59:22 Methylene chloride used in some decaf coffee processes

00:59:26 is linked to potential health risks

00:59:28 like cancer and liver toxicity.

00:59:31 Although current FDA regulations

00:59:33 permit minimal residue in coffee,

00:59:35 alternatives to methylene chloride in decaffeination

00:59:38 such as the Swiss water process and CO2 process

00:59:41 are available and pose fewer health risks.

00:59:45 And that's your TV6 Health Tip.

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01:01:53 (upbeat music)

01:01:56 - It's not a thrill when your speed can't kill.

01:02:21 (upbeat music)

01:02:23 - This segment is brought to you

01:02:30 by Trinidad and Tobago IVF and Fertility Center.

01:02:33 World-class specialists, capabilities and care.

01:02:35 Fertility, step-by-step, your journey to parenthood.

01:02:38 - All right, so welcome back everyone.

01:02:41 So joining us this morning is Dr. Catherine Mintobain,

01:02:45 Medical Director and Fertility Doctor

01:02:47 of the TTIVF and Fertility Center.

01:02:50 Now the center is based right here in Trinidad and Tobago

01:02:52 and offers a full range of world-class fertility solutions

01:02:55 for couples having trouble conceiving a baby.

01:02:59 All right, so today we are going to be talking

01:03:01 about TTIVF's upcoming fertility event, Conceiving Hope.

01:03:06 And we're going to focus on the different booths

01:03:09 that you can visit at Conceiving Hope.

01:03:11 Dr. Catherine, good morning.

01:03:13 - Good morning, Man.

01:03:15 Nice to be here.

01:03:16 - Yeah, always good to see you, Dr. Catherine.

01:03:18 Well, Dr. Catherine, we're excited.

01:03:20 Tell us more.

01:03:20 - Yeah, Marlon, thank you.

01:03:23 So we've got this incredible event coming up on May 25th.

01:03:26 It's called Conceiving Hope.

01:03:28 And the goal of it is a really important one.

01:03:31 It's to give both women and men who are dealing

01:03:35 or struggling with infertility, not getting pregnant,

01:03:38 all the information they need.

01:03:40 And we know that this is a really important need.

01:03:43 A lot of people just don't have enough good information.

01:03:45 So just a reminder, Conceiving Hope 2024,

01:03:48 it's the second time we're doing it.

01:03:50 It's a special event.

01:03:52 If you're struggling with infertility,

01:03:53 you're going to get a lot of information,

01:03:55 you're going to get support.

01:03:56 And I really want Amy to help you take the next steps

01:04:00 towards getting that baby that you really want.

01:04:03 So when is it?

01:04:04 It's on Saturday, May 25th at the Hilton in Port of Spain.

01:04:08 Most importantly, it's absolutely free.

01:04:11 And we've been having calls from people this week

01:04:13 asking how much it costs.

01:04:14 No, it's absolutely free, but space is really limited.

01:04:19 So we're asking people to register early

01:04:21 'cause you're only going to be getting in

01:04:23 if you're registered and you've got a secure spot.

01:04:25 So people can register online at our website,

01:04:29 TrinidadIVF.com, and there you'll be able to find

01:04:32 all the information, what's going on at this event

01:04:35 during the day, all the details.

01:04:37 And we're going to have booths on the floor.

01:04:40 So it's kind of an exhibit floor

01:04:42 with experts on these different booths.

01:04:44 And each different booth is dedicated

01:04:46 to a specific fertility issue,

01:04:49 plus the treatment options that can help someone

01:04:51 with that issue get pregnant.

01:04:53 And the booths are where you get to meet

01:04:55 all the amazing TTIVF fertility specialists.

01:04:58 You get to chat with us all.

01:05:00 You get all of your questions answered.

01:05:02 So let's start with the first booths

01:05:04 that people are going to see on the exhibition floor.

01:05:07 Marlon, we had real fun naming these booths.

01:05:10 The staff got together and we really had fun.

01:05:12 So the first one is called Fertility Island,

01:05:16 not Fantasy Island, Fertility Island,

01:05:18 your destination for IVF and IUI solutions.

01:05:22 And this is the booth, generally,

01:05:25 where most people started last year.

01:05:27 It's where you can find everything you possibly want to know

01:05:30 about these really important fertility treatments,

01:05:33 IVF and IUI or insemination.

01:05:36 You can find out the latest advances in those treatments,

01:05:41 how we offer personalized treatment options as well,

01:05:43 which is really important.

01:05:45 And more than that,

01:05:46 you get to consult with some of our experts.

01:05:48 So you're going to meet two really senior

01:05:50 and experienced people.

01:05:51 We've got Ruth on that booth, Ruth Chillon.

01:05:54 She's a member of our embryology team.

01:05:56 So she spends her days putting sperms and eggs together

01:05:59 in the lab and looking at them in the incubator

01:06:01 under the microscope.

01:06:03 And then we've got the amazing nurse Shada, Shada Joseph.

01:06:05 She's a very experienced ultrasound practitioner

01:06:08 and fertility nurse.

01:06:09 - Yeah, sounds exciting, Dr. Catherine.

01:06:12 But can you share one of the important questions

01:06:14 from the IVF and IUI booth

01:06:17 and maybe give us a sneak peek into the answer?

01:06:20 - Yeah, and you know, Malin,

01:06:22 I think that was one of the things people enjoyed most

01:06:24 about the event last year.

01:06:26 There were many, many opportunities to ask questions.

01:06:29 The number one question we got asked at the fertility island

01:06:32 at this booth, all about IVF and IUI,

01:06:34 is about a really common issue in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:06:38 A lot of people want to understand,

01:06:41 if I've had my, I'm a woman,

01:06:42 if I've had my tubes tied, is IVF a good treatment for me?

01:06:46 I now want a baby, I've changed my mind.

01:06:49 And that's actually a really common question that we get.

01:06:52 And so women who've had their tubes tied,

01:06:54 the tubes are gone.

01:06:55 So the eggs and the sperm just can't meet each other

01:06:58 to make a baby.

01:06:59 But you can get the eggs out of the body with IVF

01:07:02 and put the sperm with those eggs in the lab,

01:07:06 create some embryos and put them into the womb.

01:07:08 So IVF is actually a great treatment option

01:07:11 for women who've had their tubes tied.

01:07:12 It works really very well.

01:07:14 And what we've got to do is help women find out,

01:07:17 okay, well, how many eggs do you have left?

01:07:18 What's your age?

01:07:19 Very important.

01:07:20 Let's check out your new partner's sperm,

01:07:22 make sure that's good.

01:07:24 But it's a great option.

01:07:25 So surgery is one option when you've had your tubes tied.

01:07:28 Doesn't work very well if you've had big chunks

01:07:32 of the tube removed, which is what happens in this country.

01:07:35 IVF is a great treatment option.

01:07:36 We have lots of babies born there.

01:07:38 - Yeah, let's not stop there, Dr. Catherine.

01:07:40 On to booth number two now.

01:07:43 - Yeah, this is my favorite one.

01:07:44 This is, and I loved working out

01:07:48 what we were gonna call this.

01:07:49 Okay, so guys, this one is for you,

01:07:50 but actually the women were more interested

01:07:52 in this last year.

01:07:54 Fertility Fighter Pilot, navigating the world of sperm.

01:07:58 It was really a favorite with the crowd, like I said,

01:08:00 because we have live sperm under the microscope

01:08:05 that you can queue up and have a look at.

01:08:06 And we had huge queues for everybody to have a look.

01:08:09 It's really fun.

01:08:10 I've been a doctor for 30 years and I can't tell you

01:08:13 it's still really exciting looking at sperm

01:08:16 under the microscope.

01:08:17 Well, it is for me.

01:08:17 I find it really is an interesting thing.

01:08:20 And in TNT, sperm and men's health

01:08:23 are one of the biggest contributors

01:08:25 to people not getting pregnant.

01:08:27 And I was so pleased last year,

01:08:28 so many people came to the event as couples.

01:08:31 We had way more men than we were expecting

01:08:34 and we've never seen that at events

01:08:36 that we've run over the last 20 years.

01:08:38 So that was great.

01:08:39 So who do we have on this booth?

01:08:40 We have two experts ready to answer your questions.

01:08:44 You're gonna meet two of the embryologists,

01:08:45 Sonja Manke-Sukrem and Daniel Alling.

01:08:47 They're both very experienced embryologists.

01:08:50 They work in the lab all the time.

01:08:51 They understand everything about sperm,

01:08:53 everything about eggs.

01:08:54 They're really superbly qualified

01:08:57 to answer all your questions about male fertility.

01:09:00 - Dr. Catherine, it's good to see

01:09:01 that the men are coming along on this journey.

01:09:03 So I imagine people had many questions about sperm.

01:09:07 - Yeah, they really did.

01:09:09 And actually in the educational program

01:09:12 that we run at the beginning of the morning,

01:09:16 one of my favorite questions actually came in that session

01:09:18 'cause our educational program

01:09:20 includes an anonymous Q&A session.

01:09:23 And one of the guys in the audience,

01:09:25 he wanted to say, "Well, how can my sperm

01:09:26 "cause a miscarriage?"

01:09:27 'Cause I heard you say that.

01:09:29 And that's a really, it's such a super important question.

01:09:32 How could sperm possibly cause a miscarriage?

01:09:34 But they really can.

01:09:35 There are two building blocks

01:09:37 that go into making every baby, the sperm and the egg.

01:09:40 And they both carry genetics.

01:09:41 And both of those genetics can be damaged.

01:09:43 We know about it with women.

01:09:45 We know that women's eggs get less good as they get older.

01:09:48 That's the genetic damage.

01:09:50 But it happens in men's sperm.

01:09:52 And it's not just age for men.

01:09:53 It can happen for so many reasons.

01:09:55 So yeah, a man's sperm can have a genetic damage in it,

01:09:59 but that sperm can get into an egg.

01:10:01 It can make an embryo.

01:10:02 That embryo can look great in IVF.

01:10:04 It can implant in the woman's womb to try and make a baby.

01:10:08 And then it just doesn't work and the embryo isn't good.

01:10:11 And that's gonna be a miscarriage.

01:10:12 So it's really important for men

01:10:15 to think about their health,

01:10:17 what they're putting into their body,

01:10:18 is they're making sperm fresh every day.

01:10:21 Yes, your sperm can make a miscarriage.

01:10:24 Did you know that your health of your sperm

01:10:27 also determines partly your baby's health

01:10:30 and that child's health later in its life?

01:10:32 That's a scientific proven link now as well.

01:10:35 Yeah, that's very important, Dr. Catherine.

01:10:38 Let's speak a little bit now about fertility tests

01:10:41 and booth number three.

01:10:43 Yeah, so Marlon, that's quite right.

01:10:45 Tests are so important.

01:10:47 People have loads of questions about tests.

01:10:50 How are you gonna figure out my fertility problem?

01:10:53 And I think it's so important to get the right test.

01:10:56 That's absolutely critical

01:10:58 if we're gonna figure out how to help you

01:10:59 have a baby.

01:11:01 And also I think it's important not to go

01:11:03 and spend your money on the wrong tests.

01:11:04 Why do tests that you're not going to need?

01:11:07 For example, you're not going to need your tubes checking

01:11:10 if you're doing IVF.

01:11:12 You're wasting your money on a high-cosy or a tube check.

01:11:15 So you really want to be advised properly

01:11:18 before you rush into doing tests.

01:11:19 Now on this booth,

01:11:20 we've got two of our really experienced nurses,

01:11:23 Nazreen Mohammed and Cindy-Ann Felix.

01:11:25 You're going to love them.

01:11:26 They get top ratings

01:11:27 when we do our customer service feedback.

01:11:29 I know that they are great at supporting people.

01:11:32 They're really good communicators as well.

01:11:34 And they're gonna help you understand

01:11:36 what tests are essential,

01:11:37 no matter what you're going to be doing.

01:11:40 There might be some particular tests you'd need

01:11:42 because of your situation.

01:11:44 And you know, these ladies are so well-qualified

01:11:46 to explain all these tests.

01:11:48 Last year, we had a question that really struck me.

01:11:52 And I still think about it actually.

01:11:55 There was a lady at the event last year.

01:11:56 She'd been trying to get pregnant for a really long time,

01:11:59 nine years, nine years, no pregnancies.

01:12:02 She'd seen four different gynecologists.

01:12:05 And do you know the worst thing was?

01:12:07 She'd been told she was too old

01:12:09 and she should have come in when she was in her 20s

01:12:12 or early 30s.

01:12:14 And she was trying to find out,

01:12:15 well, what tests should she and her husband do?

01:12:17 You know, Marlon, she was 38.

01:12:20 I mean, 38, we've had so many successful pregnancies at 38.

01:12:25 You're not too old.

01:12:26 And she'd been quite rightly asking people,

01:12:29 should my partner, should my husband have a sperm test?

01:12:31 And he hadn't.

01:12:32 And, you know, I think it's really important

01:12:35 to get good advice.

01:12:37 You've got to find out all the things,

01:12:39 all the tests you need.

01:12:41 And you know, she's come through to the clinic since then.

01:12:44 And it's really important that you don't just give up.

01:12:46 We've got options for people of all ages.

01:12:48 But at 38, you know, there's lots of options.

01:12:51 - Yeah.

01:12:52 And you know, Doctor, you know,

01:12:55 we have a saying, time is of the essence, right?

01:12:57 So let's speak now about our final booth,

01:13:01 booth number four, the PCOS Wellness booth.

01:13:04 And of course, Dr. Catherine,

01:13:06 this remains a hot topic, right?

01:13:08 - Yeah, and Marlon, you're right up there.

01:13:10 PCOS is the way people say it now.

01:13:11 Absolutely, I'm very impressed.

01:13:13 (laughing)

01:13:15 The old fashioned way is PCOS.

01:13:16 I still say my English PCOS,

01:13:18 but PCOS is actually much more what people say now.

01:13:22 So PCOS, it's such a common medical condition in TNT.

01:13:25 I think it's actually common here

01:13:27 than in many other parts of the world.

01:13:29 I see it more here than I used to see it in England.

01:13:31 And so we've got a PCOS booth

01:13:33 at our Conceiving Hope event.

01:13:34 Who are you gonna meet there?

01:13:35 You're gonna meet our lovely Rejan Ramsing and Dana Peters.

01:13:39 These are two amazing members of my team.

01:13:41 They're going to give you lifestyle tips,

01:13:43 strategies to optimize your reproductive health,

01:13:45 fertility when you have PCOS.

01:13:47 And you know, now, really important Marlon,

01:13:50 I think everybody just needs to know,

01:13:53 contrary to popular opinion,

01:13:54 PCOS does not always mean you're going to be infertile.

01:13:58 Yes, it can affect your fertility,

01:14:00 and absolutely you should get an expert opinion

01:14:03 on whether it's going to affect your chance

01:14:05 of having a baby and what you should do.

01:14:08 And actually this leads me to one of the questions

01:14:10 that I really liked last year in the event.

01:14:13 This young lady wanted to know,

01:14:15 okay, well, how long should the two of us wait?

01:14:18 We're a couple, we've been married about six months.

01:14:21 How long should we wait before seeking specialized help?

01:14:24 Because I have PCOS, PCOS.

01:14:26 And I think that's a great question.

01:14:28 You know, it's got so many layers to it.

01:14:30 She hadn't been trying one year,

01:14:33 and that's really what we say is infertility,

01:14:36 whether or not you have PCOS.

01:14:37 But she also had very irregular periods.

01:14:39 She got one period every six months.

01:14:41 So she's not releasing eggs,

01:14:42 so she doesn't need to wait a year.

01:14:44 She should come through straight away, just like you said.

01:14:47 Time is of the essence.

01:14:48 And there's lots of treatment options for PCOS.

01:14:51 And one of the main things is to check the guy out as well,

01:14:54 because half of the women who come to our clinic

01:14:56 having been treated for PCOS and told they had PCOS,

01:15:00 actually they're releasing eggs fine,

01:15:03 and it turns out to be a sperm problem.

01:15:04 So this how long question is usually a year.

01:15:08 It's six months of trying,

01:15:10 and you come through if you're 35 or older.

01:15:12 But if you have something obvious,

01:15:14 like you're not getting periods very often,

01:15:15 you come through straight away.

01:15:17 - Yeah.

01:15:18 Dr. Catherine, I think it is safe to say,

01:15:20 judging from what you have told us this morning,

01:15:22 you have our viewers excited,

01:15:24 and you have people who want to start families

01:15:26 very, very excited this morning.

01:15:28 So let's give them the details again

01:15:30 concerning Conceiving Hope.

01:15:33 - Absolutely.

01:15:35 So Marlon, Conceiving Hope 2024,

01:15:37 it's our special fertility event

01:15:39 for anyone that's dealing with infertility,

01:15:41 and it's going to be on Saturday, May 25th

01:15:43 at the Port of Spain, Hilton Trinidad.

01:15:46 As I said before, it's a free event

01:15:48 for men and women struggling with infertility,

01:15:50 but we do need you to register online at trinidadivf.com,

01:15:54 and there you can find the agenda, the details.

01:15:57 Do give us a call if you're having trouble registering.

01:16:00 We are available to take your call,

01:16:02 222-8341 this morning.

01:16:05 We're asking participants to arrive sharp at 8.30 a.m.

01:16:09 because we get everyone seated for the educational program,

01:16:11 and we're a fertility clinic,

01:16:12 so we start just on time.

01:16:14 We don't keep people waiting.

01:16:15 And as I said, there's no charge to attend,

01:16:17 but we do have limited space,

01:16:19 and last year we had to turn people away.

01:16:21 So please, if you can register early,

01:16:23 that means you've got your seat at the event.

01:16:25 - Yeah, so people who want to go, get there early.

01:16:27 It's not going to start on Trinidad time, right,

01:16:29 Dr. Catherine?

01:16:30 (laughing)

01:16:32 Dr. Catherine, it's always a pleasure speaking with you.

01:16:35 Take care until we speak again.

01:16:36 Bye for now.

01:16:38 - Marlon, thank you so much.

01:16:39 I look forward to seeing you again next week, hopefully.

01:16:41 - Of course, Dr. Catherine,

01:16:42 until then.

01:16:43 Yeah, all right, so we have to go to a very short break.

01:16:46 We're coming back, everybody.

01:16:47 - This segment was brought to you

01:16:50 by Trinidad and Tobago IVF and Fertility Center,

01:16:53 world-class specialists, capabilities, and care.

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01:19:18 - All right, so welcome back everyone.

01:19:19 So it's time to discuss what is

01:19:22 in the express business today with no other person,

01:19:26 but the multimedia business editor, Joel Julian.

01:19:30 Joel, thank you very much for coming again.

01:19:33 - Thank you for the opportunity, Marlon.

01:19:34 - I was telling our viewers this morning,

01:19:35 I remember today's Mayday, right?

01:19:37 - Yes.

01:19:38 - And there would be a march every year.

01:19:39 Sometimes in Port of Spain,

01:19:40 I see that they have one in San Fernando this year.

01:19:43 I remember being back in the day, covering these marches.

01:19:46 You ever been a part of that?

01:19:47 - Yeah, yeah.

01:19:48 - It was hot sun and we're out there

01:19:49 for hours just covering this, but it was exciting then.

01:19:53 I told them, I don't know about now for me,

01:19:54 but you know, I have the memories,

01:19:58 I have fond memories of them.

01:20:00 So Joel, let's get to the business,

01:20:02 to the express business,

01:20:04 where you have a very interesting story today

01:20:07 on the front page,

01:20:09 paving the way Trinidad Cement Limited Group

01:20:11 sees increase in concrete road projects.

01:20:15 And I know, and you know, Joel,

01:20:17 that this is a big thing in other countries, right?

01:20:19 Internationally, where you have these concrete roads.

01:20:23 - All right, so first of all, thanks for the opportunity.

01:20:26 I think we have a fantastic cover,

01:20:28 very clean cover this morning,

01:20:30 that was done by our designer, Joanna Head.

01:20:32 And yes, we look at the situation with concrete road paving.

01:20:37 I know people, even this morning,

01:20:39 come in just to Port of Spain,

01:20:41 may have faced some potholes.

01:20:44 You know, we always, it's one of those perennial problems

01:20:47 that we have locally, you know,

01:20:49 increased potholes in the roads and so on.

01:20:51 So what happened this week is,

01:20:55 we now see this time of the year,

01:20:57 you tend to find a lot of annual companies

01:20:59 publishing the annual reports.

01:21:01 You know, their financial year would have come to an end,

01:21:04 and they're just basically telling their investors

01:21:07 what they can look out for in the future,

01:21:10 what transpired in the previous year.

01:21:12 So Trinidad Cement Limited Group

01:21:14 would have published their annual reports this week.

01:21:17 It would have been published

01:21:18 on the Trinidad-Tobago Stock Exchange.

01:21:20 And one of the things that they're saying in the TCL Group

01:21:23 is for 2023, they saw increased projects

01:21:28 in terms of concrete road paving.

01:21:32 And one of the things that we found interesting

01:21:34 is that these increased projects

01:21:36 weren't just specifically private projects,

01:21:39 but you see the state also coming on board

01:21:41 in terms of the saying that there are four contracts

01:21:44 for 2024 that would look at concrete road paving.

01:21:48 Now, one of the things that they're saying,

01:21:50 as you know, our roads are paved with asphalt.

01:21:52 - Yes.

01:21:53 - And the argument is that concrete

01:21:56 is supposed to make it a little more durable

01:21:58 in terms of the road.

01:21:59 So we see potholes on a regular basis.

01:22:02 The claim is that with the use of concrete,

01:22:06 it's more durable, so over like a four-year period,

01:22:10 where you'll see a lot of deterioration

01:22:12 in terms of asphalt paving.

01:22:14 The claim is that with the concrete paving,

01:22:17 it's supposed to last a little longer.

01:22:19 It's supposed to be a little more cost-effective.

01:22:21 One of the interesting things that they said

01:22:25 is it also helps in terms of the asphalt,

01:22:30 they say, traps heat.

01:22:32 And this is less heat-intensive, that kind of thing.

01:22:36 So it's just looking at the whole concept

01:22:38 of the possibilities of concrete road paving.

01:22:41 We would have seen previously some interesting things.

01:22:45 As I said, you know, people,

01:22:46 we are accustomed to seeing potholes on the roads,

01:22:48 and people take it upon themselves

01:22:50 to try and fix these potholes.

01:22:51 So, you know, people might just be throwing cement in it.

01:22:54 - Right.

01:22:55 - So we would have seen that in the past.

01:22:56 We would have heard the Minister of Works and Transport

01:22:59 saying not to do that,

01:23:00 because the mixture of the asphalt and the cement

01:23:03 could make the things worse.

01:23:05 So it's interesting just to see that that TCL group

01:23:09 is now saying that they're getting the state

01:23:12 to come on board in terms of this concrete road paving.

01:23:15 So that's our lead story in today's magazine.

01:23:19 - And this is not for Joelle,

01:23:20 but is it not amazing that we see roads in other countries

01:23:24 such as China and Japan and the US and Germany and so on,

01:23:29 with in some cases asphalt used from Trinidad and Tobago,

01:23:32 and it's very, very smooth roads.

01:23:35 I wonder how we don't have that in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:23:37 But anyway, you go ahead, Joelle.

01:23:39 That's just me.

01:23:40 You go ahead.

01:23:41 You'll touch that.

01:23:42 - All right, so apart from that,

01:23:44 one of the stories that we have,

01:23:45 so last Monday, we would have celebrated World Earth Day.

01:23:49 - Yes.

01:23:50 - And you know, one of the things that came up with that

01:23:54 is sustainability.

01:23:56 And as you know, we constantly say Trinidad and Tobago,

01:23:58 our main revenue earner has always been the energy sector.

01:24:02 And the energy sector,

01:24:03 they're trying to make it a little more renewable,

01:24:05 a little more sustainable.

01:24:07 So in today's magazine,

01:24:08 we speak to a company called Rescott

01:24:10 that deals with like solar paneling.

01:24:14 And what Rescott does is they're trying to say,

01:24:18 all right, we know where we want to be

01:24:22 in terms of renewables,

01:24:24 in terms of ensuring that we protect our planet.

01:24:27 And they're just saying that they can assist

01:24:29 in terms of persons in trying to install solar paneling

01:24:33 in homes and solar paneling in companies and so on.

01:24:37 Apart from that, also with the whole thrust of sustainability

01:24:42 we know the National Gas Corporation,

01:24:45 state owned NGC,

01:24:49 they are also trying to ensure that their business

01:24:52 is a little more sustainable.

01:24:54 So they're doing a feasibility study

01:24:57 in terms of looking at how intensive their carbon,

01:25:00 their carbon intensity for their projects

01:25:02 and how they can sort of decarbonize some of the projects

01:25:05 because globally, you know, globally,

01:25:07 everybody's looking at the energy sector

01:25:11 and the energy sector

01:25:12 trying to make it a little more renewable.

01:25:14 So they're just trying to make sure that they

01:25:16 safeguard their business in terms of the global landscape,

01:25:21 the NGC in terms of,

01:25:22 so they're doing a feasibility study

01:25:24 just to ensure that they are at the right place.

01:25:29 And you know, that they present themselves

01:25:33 such that the global players also select them

01:25:38 in terms of projects and so on.

01:25:40 - Yeah, and you know,

01:25:40 every time that we speak about the environment,

01:25:43 costs come up, right?

01:25:44 And I see where you all did speak to them about costs here.

01:25:49 There are many tax breaks.

01:25:51 So they're telling people now

01:25:52 who want to invest in these solar panels,

01:25:54 there are many tax breaks existing.

01:25:57 The real tax breaks should be applied

01:25:59 to the residential market

01:26:00 where there is none for solar systems.

01:26:04 Because of this, the mass of the country

01:26:05 is not viewing solar as important due to cost.

01:26:10 So again, I think that there has to be

01:26:11 a massive educational campaigner

01:26:14 because I think that our memories are so short

01:26:18 because we have so many things to discuss

01:26:19 in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:26:21 So I think that we need to remind people,

01:26:23 these are the options and educate them a little more.

01:26:28 Jorrell, what else you have for us?

01:26:29 - One of the options also in terms of that is also wind.

01:26:32 - Yes.

01:26:33 - And in today's magazine,

01:26:35 we have a guest columnist, Dr. Curtis Budu,

01:26:38 who looks at the whole conversation about wind energy.

01:26:43 - Yes.

01:26:45 - And he looks at, in Scotland,

01:26:50 they also were able to implement these wind farms

01:26:55 in Scotland to help them in terms of the energy thrust.

01:27:00 I guess the title is "The Future is Blowing."

01:27:03 You know, and he just looks at the possibilities

01:27:05 for Trinidad and Tobago,

01:27:06 because as I said, we know that the energy sector

01:27:09 plays a very integral part in terms of

01:27:11 our revenue generation and how we develop as a country.

01:27:17 So it's also just ensuring that our energy industry

01:27:21 is able to transition in the way that it needs to transition

01:27:24 and some of the possibilities that are out there.

01:27:26 - Yeah, so he has spoken about possibilities

01:27:29 and opportunities and it is a good investment

01:27:33 for Trinidad and Tobago.

01:27:34 - Yeah, because you know, the reality is,

01:27:37 Trinidad and Tobago, we are islands.

01:27:39 You know, we're islands.

01:27:40 We have the sea around us, we have hot sun,

01:27:44 we have the wind, you know?

01:27:45 So how do we look at the possibilities

01:27:47 of basically greening our energy sector

01:27:51 and ensuring that, you know, 10, 15, 20 years down the line,

01:27:55 we're not reeling from some of the problems,

01:27:58 but that, you know, we are able to transition

01:28:00 and ensure that it benefits each and every one of us

01:28:04 for the future also going forward.

01:28:05 - And we may have to put some of these wind farms

01:28:08 up in Toco.

01:28:09 - Yeah, yeah, exactly.

01:28:11 - Yes, what else you have for us, Joel?

01:28:13 - All right, so we also have one of the conversations

01:28:17 that is currently taking place is cocoa.

01:28:19 Now, Trinidad and Tobago, we know that we have

01:28:22 some premium, high quality cocoa.

01:28:25 - The best in the world, Joel.

01:28:25 - Best in the world, you know?

01:28:27 It is something that people look forward to

01:28:30 on the global stage.

01:28:33 One of the things that is currently happening

01:28:36 is the price of chocolates, the price of cocoa is increasing.

01:28:40 So it's one of those conversations that we needed to have.

01:28:42 And so one of my colleagues, Melissa Maynard,

01:28:46 she speaks to the Trinitario people.

01:28:51 And they basically explain how,

01:28:53 this is a situation at this point in time,

01:28:56 the price of cocoa, the price of chocolate is rising.

01:28:59 How do we benefit as a country?

01:29:02 What do we do?

01:29:03 Because our cocoa is, as I said,

01:29:04 is high quality cocoa, is in high demand.

01:29:07 So that conversation is just,

01:29:09 where do we go from going forward

01:29:11 with the current situation?

01:29:13 How do we make the best for our farmers?

01:29:15 How do we make the best for our cocoa industry?

01:29:17 And how do we ensure that Trinidad and Tobago

01:29:19 benefits in this situation globally,

01:29:22 where we see the price of cocoa rising

01:29:24 and the demand for cocoa also increasing?

01:29:27 - Yeah, so giving a snapshot of cocoa farming,

01:29:30 Matthew said, you buy a cocoa plant at 250,

01:29:33 the cost to produce a plant is between 30 and $40.

01:29:36 So the government is subsidizing that heavily

01:29:38 because Trinidad has the largest cocoa gene bank

01:29:41 in the world and is heavily funded by the European Union

01:29:45 from the few varieties they had before.

01:29:47 They now have over, get this,

01:29:50 2,500 varieties of plants in Trinidad and Tobago.

01:29:55 - Yes, sometimes-- - We're doing well, you know?

01:29:56 - Yeah, I think sometimes we,

01:29:59 even though we are a small country on a global stage,

01:30:02 I think sometimes we forget how blessed

01:30:04 we are as a country, you know,

01:30:06 in terms of natural resources,

01:30:09 like the cocoa, like the oil and gas that we have,

01:30:12 and also the people, you know,

01:30:13 the people who continuously and continually,

01:30:18 you know, make us proud as a country.

01:30:20 And sometimes I think that we forget

01:30:21 that we really are world leaders.

01:30:23 - Yeah, a few months ago,

01:30:26 we were having a discussion with a professor

01:30:29 and at that time they were giving acres and acres of land

01:30:33 for cocoa cultivation.

01:30:36 And the discussion was at that time,

01:30:38 it is not a cheap exercise, it's expensive,

01:30:42 it is not like a cocoa plant,

01:30:44 you can get cocoa in six months,

01:30:46 so you have to wait on that, there's a period of time.

01:30:49 So at that time the conversation was,

01:30:51 well, while these plants are growing,

01:30:54 you do something else, you plant short-term crops

01:30:58 so that you have that to rely on.

01:31:00 And thereby at the end of the process,

01:31:04 when the cocoa plants mature and you get the cocoa,

01:31:07 well, then you really make the bulk of the money.

01:31:09 So these are some of the challenges, but again,

01:31:12 I think that people need to be informed

01:31:15 of what the opportunities are

01:31:16 so that people can really invest

01:31:19 in these kinds of exercises.

01:31:22 - And as you're right, we say that as a level

01:31:23 of the diversification that on a, like a micro level,

01:31:27 as opposed to like a national level, you know,

01:31:31 you know this plant is going to take some time,

01:31:34 you know, what do you do in the interim

01:31:36 to ensure that you're able to raise revenue,

01:31:39 to ensure that you're able to live properly?

01:31:42 - You may have to grow some pimento.

01:31:44 - Yeah, exactly, exactly.

01:31:46 - Never know, next thing you know,

01:31:46 the cocoa come out tasting like pimento,

01:31:48 you know, hey, I'm taking credit for that one.

01:31:51 (laughing)

01:31:54 Pimento cocoa, somebody will try that

01:31:56 and it will taste good.

01:31:57 Joel, let's talk a little bit about this NGC story,

01:32:02 Amid Accelerating Energy Transition,

01:32:04 NGC aims to safeguard its business.

01:32:07 - Yeah, so basically what they're trying to do

01:32:09 is they're doing a feasibility study,

01:32:12 just to look looking at their business,

01:32:15 you know, ensuring that they position themselves

01:32:17 properly globally.

01:32:18 We see that the energy sector, the thrust is,

01:32:22 this thing is, the global conversation is that,

01:32:27 you know, we need to ensure that we transition away

01:32:29 from oil and gas and more,

01:32:32 we shift into what's more renewable energy sources.

01:32:35 So NGC is just ensuring that they protect themselves,

01:32:38 they protect themselves, make sure that their business

01:32:40 is as attractive as possible to the global market,

01:32:45 which is where the funding is, you know,

01:32:48 you have to ensure that the global players

01:32:51 are willing to invest and buy into your product.

01:32:54 So they're just ensuring that they position themselves

01:32:56 in such a way.

01:32:57 - Yeah, Joel, always good to see you,

01:32:59 very interesting stories today in the express business.

01:33:04 See you right back here next week, Joel.

01:33:07 Joel, I have this picture for you, you know,

01:33:10 we're going to have a break,

01:33:11 but look at this picture, Joel.

01:33:13 A macaw eating pee, why you know?

01:33:15 (laughs)

01:33:18 It's of Anjali Parasram Singh.

01:33:19 Anjali, a very special good morning to you,

01:33:21 thank you very much.

01:33:22 We're coming back, everybody.

01:33:23 (upbeat music)

01:33:26 ♪ Anywhere, anywhere you're calling me name ♪

01:33:29 ♪ You're calling me name ♪

01:33:33 - Every so often there comes a superstar.

01:33:37 (singing in foreign language)

01:33:38 The mobile princess,

01:33:40 the annual Mother's Day Spectacular 2024.

01:33:43 (singing in foreign language)

01:33:45 The new Prince of Bollywood,

01:33:47 Mohammad Faiz.

01:33:48 (singing in foreign language)

01:33:52 - This is Mohammad Faiz,

01:33:54 and I'm coming to Centre Point,

01:33:55 Mauditon, Guanas,

01:33:56 for annual Mother's Day Spectacular concert.

01:33:59 See you out there, love you all.

01:34:00 - Winner of India's Superstar Singer,

01:34:02 Mohammad Faiz joins our very own kings of song.

01:34:06 Relive the unforgettable 90s with Inder.

01:34:09 (singing in foreign language)

01:34:13 And immerse in the vocal mastery of Nifal.

01:34:16 (singing in foreign language)

01:34:20 B-Mobile's annual Mother's Day Spectacular,

01:34:23 The Prince and the Kings.

01:34:25 Saturday, 11th May at eight o'clock,

01:34:27 Centre Point Mall, Auditorium,

01:34:29 Shababas, Wisconsin Partners,

01:34:31 where Solo beverages,

01:34:32 extra foods,

01:34:33 the little store,

01:34:34 and Royal Castle,

01:34:35 6381171.

01:34:36 (singing in foreign language)

01:34:41 (upbeat music)

01:34:46 (speaking in foreign language)

01:34:59 (upbeat music)

01:35:01 - I grew up in a country,

01:35:09 small little town called Bougmanatras in Santa Cruz.

01:35:13 Very special place to grow up in.

01:35:16 And now as an adult,

01:35:17 I think of those children in Trinidad to Bago,

01:35:21 who do not have a safe place,

01:35:24 who are maybe not even lying in their own beds,

01:35:27 or a bed.

01:35:28 And there's no roof to shade them from the sun,

01:35:32 nor to protect them from the rain.

01:35:34 When I started looking at Habitat for Humanity,

01:35:38 Trinidad and Tobago,

01:35:40 they answered a call I have deep inside of me.

01:35:43 What they were saying to me,

01:35:46 was that we can make a difference.

01:35:49 I'd like to ask you to consider coming on board.

01:35:52 Consider helping Habitat for Humanity

01:35:55 in whatever way you can.

01:35:56 (upbeat music)

01:35:59 (upbeat music)

01:36:09 All right, so welcome back everyone.

01:36:24 So it's time to talk about the first citizens

01:36:26 national poetry slam.

01:36:27 So today we are chatting with the winners

01:36:29 of this year's competition.

01:36:31 We do have Shakira Burton, first place winner, right?

01:36:35 And then we move on to Alexandra Stewart,

01:36:37 second place winner,

01:36:39 and third place winner, Seth Sylvester.

01:36:44 Ladies, gentlemen, thank you very much

01:36:45 for joining us this morning.

01:36:47 And congratulations to all of you.

01:36:49 - Thank you, thank you.

01:36:51 Good morning.

01:36:52 - Yes.

01:36:53 - Thank you so much, good morning.

01:36:54 - Yes, well, Shakira, let's begin with you.

01:36:57 How has the experience been for you?

01:37:00 - The experience has been an amazing experience.

01:37:05 The first citizens, Book Us Lit Fest,

01:37:09 NGC Book Us Lit Fest, which are our key sponsors,

01:37:11 has really created a safe space for us as artists

01:37:14 to express ourselves.

01:37:16 And really and truly without them,

01:37:18 the space would not have been possible.

01:37:20 So I thank them first and foremost

01:37:22 for being able to create such a safe space

01:37:24 for us as individuals, as spoken word artists,

01:37:26 to express ourselves.

01:37:28 - Yeah, Alexandra?

01:37:29 - Well, every year of slam brings its own excitement,

01:37:34 it brings its own intensity, I think.

01:37:36 But there's so much that happens behind the scenes

01:37:38 to make it possible.

01:37:40 I think watching the slam team, the photographers,

01:37:42 the audience that shows up relentlessly,

01:37:45 sold out, Queens Hall, if you could believe,

01:37:48 of course you could believe.

01:37:49 But it was just really, really a fantastic experience

01:37:52 and seeing all the poets who work so hard on the stage

01:37:55 on finals night was and is always one of my highlights.

01:38:00 - Alexandra, you all sold out Queens Hall?

01:38:03 - How you mean?

01:38:03 We sold out in Africa before, but don't tell nobody.

01:38:06 (all laughing)

01:38:07 - You have a history of selling out places, eh?

01:38:10 Seth, how has the experience been for you?

01:38:12 - Last time I was in Queens Hall,

01:38:17 that was during the pandemic and it was an empty auditorium.

01:38:23 Coming out on stage as a poet to perform

01:38:25 for an empty auditorium was kind of strange.

01:38:30 But thankfully this time we had a show full to capacity

01:38:35 and it's good to have the audience members there

01:38:40 and they created the atmosphere really.

01:38:42 That was a tremendous experience

01:38:45 because I think that the audience adds to the show,

01:38:51 they play a pivotal role in the show being as successful

01:38:55 and as big and as creating the fabulous atmosphere

01:38:59 that it did on Sunday night.

01:39:00 So it was a great experience.

01:39:03 - Yeah.

01:39:03 Shakira, you said something earlier

01:39:06 and I want to build on that.

01:39:07 You said that this provides a safe space for you.

01:39:12 Let's speak a little bit about that.

01:39:15 - That's correct.

01:39:16 The Slum, first of all, is the largest poetry stage

01:39:21 in the Caribbean that starts with that.

01:39:23 And it's really, no topic is off in this space.

01:39:28 You can speak about anything.

01:39:30 Anything you want to speak about,

01:39:31 it's about freedom of speech

01:39:33 and this stage has really created that platform for us.

01:39:36 Safe space and the audience is open to hear

01:39:39 exactly what we have to speak about.

01:39:41 So it's an amazing experience

01:39:42 to be able to just stand on the Slum stage.

01:39:46 - Yeah, Alexandra, I want to pose a similar question to you

01:39:49 because as you know, Trinidad and Tobago,

01:39:54 we have a culture of certain things,

01:39:55 Calypso, Soca, R&B, rap, you name it.

01:40:00 But when you go into the area of poetry

01:40:06 and spoken word, it's different, eh?

01:40:10 - I agree.

01:40:13 And yet at the same time,

01:40:14 it still feels like part of our inheritance

01:40:16 because I feel like poetry,

01:40:19 the production of storytelling on a stage

01:40:21 is something that you can get at random.

01:40:24 Person from Trinidad and Tobago to do.

01:40:27 When somebody is relaying a story to you,

01:40:28 they're giving you automatic peer,

01:40:30 they're giving you rhyme,

01:40:31 they're probably giving you illusion

01:40:33 and simile to just to paint the picture.

01:40:36 But I do think that the Slum stage

01:40:38 provides a really unique platform

01:40:40 that allows poets whose voices

01:40:43 may not have been heard on such a wide and long.

01:40:47 To have that moment of.

01:40:57 - All right, Alexandra,

01:41:02 we seem to be having some connection problems.

01:41:05 - Uninterrupted for four minutes

01:41:07 is really, really a powerful.

01:41:08 - All right, we'll try to work out

01:41:11 those connection problems with Alexandra.

01:41:15 Alexandra, you hearing me?

01:41:16 'Cause I think that we lost you somewhere.

01:41:20 She's back with us?

01:41:23 All right, good, all right.

01:41:24 So Seth, I think that it's a good avenue,

01:41:29 as Shakira would have alluded to earlier,

01:41:35 for young people to not only feel

01:41:39 it's a safe option for them,

01:41:43 but it provides an avenue to say

01:41:46 some of the things that you really want to say

01:41:48 and you feel you can't say it

01:41:50 at other events, other forums and so on.

01:41:55 - Yeah, one of the things I have noticed

01:42:02 is that traditionally in our other art forms,

01:42:06 so called calypso, there's certain topics

01:42:10 that are always being regurgitated or talked about.

01:42:15 And for me, the Trinidadian experience

01:42:20 is wider than those topics.

01:42:23 The Trinidadian experience is so large

01:42:26 that we need a space where we can narrate those stories,

01:42:31 tell those stories and people relate to it.

01:42:35 For instance, we come in a slam and someone,

01:42:40 just last night, someone talks about,

01:42:42 Sunday night, sorry, someone did a poem

01:42:44 about Trinidad and Tobago being in an abusive relationship.

01:42:49 And I feel as though you're not gonna get that

01:42:53 in other art forms.

01:42:55 You're not gonna get people coming and talking about work,

01:42:58 people coming and talking about thinking outside a box,

01:43:02 people coming and talking about food prices.

01:43:06 You're not getting those things in a lot of other art forms.

01:43:08 So we are grateful for the First Citizens National Poetry Slam

01:43:13 for the platform they have provided for us

01:43:15 to be able to come and speak about things

01:43:18 that are relatable to Trinidadians.

01:43:21 - Yeah, Shakira, what would have inspired

01:43:26 your piece this year, your contribution?

01:43:30 - Well, my semifinals piece was already in the making

01:43:34 after I made it past the audition rounds.

01:43:37 And that piece was really inspired

01:43:39 through the feedback from Trinidad Music.

01:43:44 We have a conversation going on about Trinidad Music

01:43:48 and the impact of Trinidad Music

01:43:50 and what we should do about it.

01:43:51 We should ban it, we should stop playing it.

01:43:54 My solution was music is not a problem.

01:43:59 We have so many bigger problems as a nation to address

01:44:02 and music is not it.

01:44:03 And that was really what motivated my semifinals piece.

01:44:09 And as a result of the outpour of attention

01:44:11 that the numbers gave us, which is what I titled it,

01:44:14 I was able to create the voice of 99%.

01:44:19 And I had a long, long debate

01:44:22 about what I wanted to go with for the finals.

01:44:25 And in the end, the voice of 99% won

01:44:28 because I realized that the nation, Trinidad and Tobago,

01:44:32 people on a whole wanna experience

01:44:35 that raw type of poetry and a sugar coating it

01:44:39 and a putting Kool-Aid in it for you,

01:44:42 just giving it to you straight as it is.

01:44:44 And I realized that there was a need for that.

01:44:46 There was a need for that kind of poetry

01:44:48 because sometimes artists are afraid to walk that road

01:44:51 because of the backlash we might get for it.

01:44:54 But I realized that there was a need to speak for the 99%.

01:44:58 And that's what I did.

01:44:59 - All right, ladies, gentlemen, here's what.

01:45:02 We are going to go to a very short break.

01:45:04 And when we come back,

01:45:06 I'd like you to share with our viewers this morning,

01:45:09 just a little piece of your contributions,

01:45:13 your winning contributions for the competition.

01:45:17 We're coming back, everyone.

01:45:18 (upbeat music)

01:45:21 (upbeat music)

01:45:23 (upbeat music)

01:45:34 (audience applauding)

01:45:40 (ethereal music)

01:45:45 (ethereal music)

01:45:48 - Long time we grew up learning to respect our elders,

01:46:08 but what about children?

01:46:10 Do we need to give and show respect to children as well?

01:46:14 We certainly do.

01:46:15 And I'll tell you why.

01:46:16 Showing respect to your child can help them feel valued

01:46:23 and build their self-esteem.

01:46:25 Respect is a two-way road.

01:46:27 They show respect to you,

01:46:29 and in turn, you give them a chance to speak,

01:46:31 listen to their opinions,

01:46:33 and treat them with kindness and courtesy.

01:46:35 Showing respect to children

01:46:38 also helps them to succeed later in life.

01:46:42 So remember, children deserve respect too.

01:46:45 At the end of the day, keep trying your best,

01:46:48 and share if you found this useful.

01:46:50 Like and follow our profile for more parenting tips.

01:46:53 The letter of the day is R for respect.

01:46:58 - What you can see from this image

01:47:01 is a man lying in a pool of blood in his living room.

01:47:04 He was shot dead a short while ago

01:47:07 as two bandits tried to rob him and his family.

01:47:11 What you can't hear is his wife crying inconsolably.

01:47:14 What you don't know is that his four-year-old daughter

01:47:18 is standing looking at her father,

01:47:20 confused, begging him to wake up.

01:47:22 Can you imagine what this wife and child are going through

01:47:25 and what they will have to go through?

01:47:27 They try to process what has happened.

01:47:29 How can we begin to help?

01:47:32 We can start right here

01:47:33 at the Victim and Witness Support Unit.

01:47:35 From investigation to counseling,

01:47:38 to helping families find justice.

01:47:41 To helping families find peace.

01:47:43 This unit gives victims and witnesses hope to cope.

01:47:48 We are the Victim and Witness Support Unit,

01:47:51 bridging the service gap between the victims,

01:47:53 witnesses, and the police.

01:47:55 (upbeat music)

01:47:59 (upbeat music)

01:48:05 ♪ I'm in a mood, I'm feeling around ♪

01:48:10 - All right, so welcome back everyone.

01:48:12 So we continue to speak with the winners

01:48:14 of the First Citizens National Poetry Slam.

01:48:17 We do have Seth Sylvester, the third place winner,

01:48:20 Alexandra Stewart, second place winner,

01:48:22 and Shakira Burton, first place winner.

01:48:25 All right, so they are going to give us

01:48:26 just a snippet this morning of their contributions.

01:48:30 Seth, I wanna begin with you.

01:48:31 We just have about six minutes,

01:48:33 so I'm giving two minutes to each one of you.

01:48:36 Seth.

01:48:37 - You ever see a walk get tired?

01:48:43 I haven't.

01:48:46 It doesn't need to press snooze three times to awake

01:48:50 and still ends up late.

01:48:52 It never knock out in a taxi

01:48:55 until the driver drive past at home,

01:48:58 or just fall asleep while driving

01:49:00 and run off the road.

01:49:03 What do you even need sleep?

01:49:05 Have me working overnight,

01:49:08 by pen.

01:49:10 First,

01:49:11 second,

01:49:13 third.

01:49:15 By the fortnight,

01:49:17 I feeling too weak to make it to the next fortnight.

01:49:21 Body beating down as if in a medieval war

01:49:24 where I fought nights,

01:49:25 or the last man standing in battle royal mood on fortnight.

01:49:29 Body beating down as if in a medieval war

01:49:32 and I fought nights,

01:49:33 or the last man standing in battle royal mood on fortnight.

01:49:37 Luggage under my eyes until I can no longer carry on,

01:49:41 but look what carrying on instead.

01:49:46 It's like walk,

01:49:49 don't,

01:49:50 dead.

01:49:51 - Very good Seth.

01:49:53 (claps)

01:49:54 Very, very good.

01:49:55 We're moving on to Alexandra.

01:49:57 Alexandra.

01:49:59 - Yes.

01:49:59 So imagine,

01:50:00 this is at the scene where in Queens hall,

01:50:02 it's dark,

01:50:03 the spotlight is beaming down.

01:50:04 Don't mind the spotlight.

01:50:08 I parked my UFO upright there.

01:50:10 My translating nice and clear.

01:50:12 You earthlings been probing the depths of the universe.

01:50:16 Curious roving left, right,

01:50:18 and in reverse telescopes.

01:50:20 Telescope out the scene.

01:50:22 Your messages sell us hope

01:50:24 and a dream of a clean green planet

01:50:27 and warm welcome.

01:50:29 Well done on your false advertising.

01:50:33 Yes,

01:50:34 aliens exist,

01:50:35 but we're all in hiding as ambassador.

01:50:37 I've been sent into research earth

01:50:39 and must now declare my people will not be coming here.

01:50:43 - Alexandra,

01:50:46 you're not easy.

01:50:46 (laughs)

01:50:48 All right.

01:50:49 So let's go to Shakira.

01:50:51 First place winner,

01:50:53 Shakira,

01:50:54 the floor is all yours.

01:50:55 - As of midnight tonight,

01:50:58 Trinidad and Tobago under a poetic coup.

01:51:03 You cannot silence me if corruption killing me.

01:51:07 You feel cause my address don't start with West

01:51:09 and end with Morans.

01:51:10 I don't know about nothing,

01:51:12 but let them know.

01:51:14 I come to challenge the status quo.

01:51:16 Money is power,

01:51:18 not knowledge.

01:51:19 Let we acknowledge is the elites

01:51:21 that influence in all the illicit games.

01:51:24 The 1% control the 1.5 million population.

01:51:28 I call them the big fish,

01:51:31 the untouchables,

01:51:32 those that have the power to buy impunity,

01:51:35 but do like Trinidad killer

01:51:37 and come down from their baby.

01:51:38 What happened?

01:51:39 You think I afraid to speak

01:51:41 cause that might Bernadette James me?

01:51:44 Oh,

01:51:45 you don't know who is she?

01:51:46 All your texts are be bust on Google

01:51:48 and see that equality and fairness

01:51:51 is just a fantasy.

01:51:52 These things happening long before you and me,

01:51:55 but I bring in a lyrical siege

01:51:57 and I'm not ceasing fire.

01:51:59 - Shakira, thank you very much for that.

01:52:03 And to all of you,

01:52:04 you have given us in that little time there

01:52:07 a lot to think about.

01:52:09 Shakira, what's next for you?

01:52:12 - What's next?

01:52:17 I hope that the voice of 99%

01:52:19 will open different doors,

01:52:21 whether it be teaching,

01:52:22 youth advocacy,

01:52:24 speaking to more young people

01:52:25 about opportunities

01:52:26 and more opportunities

01:52:27 that are available to us

01:52:28 to elevate, to educate ourselves.

01:52:31 I believe that the numbers game

01:52:34 and the voice of 99% did its job.

01:52:38 If it starts particular conversations

01:52:41 and if it starts a conversation

01:52:42 about change and how we could create change

01:52:45 in Trinidad and Tobago,

01:52:46 then I did my job.

01:52:47 - Yeah.

01:52:48 Alexandra,

01:52:50 do we see you continuing along this path?

01:52:52 - Well, this actually has been my 10th year

01:52:58 in the First Citizens National Poetry Slam.

01:53:00 So it's really been a journey

01:53:02 that I've been celebrating

01:53:03 and enjoying so much.

01:53:04 And a huge part of moving forward

01:53:07 has been the support

01:53:08 that I've received along the way.

01:53:09 And so this year,

01:53:10 I'm really looking forward

01:53:11 to increasing the amount of workshops

01:53:13 that I'm able to do

01:53:14 to really encourage more and more people

01:53:17 to get involved in the art of spoken word

01:53:20 because there's nothing like it.

01:53:22 - Yeah.

01:53:23 And that's a good point.

01:53:24 And Seth, I want you to speak about that point.

01:53:26 Why should more and more people

01:53:28 be involved in this sort of genre?

01:53:30 - Helps you become more,

01:53:36 more flexible.

01:53:39 I know there are other genres.

01:53:42 - Yes.

01:53:43 - But I think this is a genre

01:53:46 where you are allowed freedom

01:53:50 to speak about anything

01:53:52 and not be,

01:53:53 not try to fit it into a box

01:53:57 to just suit what people want to hear.

01:54:00 You have the freedom to speak on anything.

01:54:03 You have the freedom to narrate experiences

01:54:05 that aren't being narrated.

01:54:07 So yeah.

01:54:08 - Yeah.

01:54:09 Shakira Burton, Alexandra Stewart,

01:54:11 and Seth Sylvester,

01:54:12 congratulations to all of you again.

01:54:14 And thank you very much for sharing

01:54:16 a part of your contributions with us this morning.

01:54:18 We do appreciate it.

01:54:19 Yeah.

01:54:20 Bye for now and good luck in your future endeavors.

01:54:23 - Thank you.

01:54:24 Bye for now.

01:54:25 Thank you.

01:54:26 - Yes.

01:54:28 All right.

01:54:29 So that's going to do it for our program for today.

01:54:31 We leave you with this image.

01:54:32 It's a sunset overlooking

01:54:35 King Peter's beach in Tobago.

01:54:38 Yeah.

01:54:40 See you tomorrow, everybody.

01:54:40 Bye for now.

01:54:41 (upbeat music)

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