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  • 1 year ago
There is unnecessary noise in the space whenever a government official travels. I see it when the Prime Minister travels. This, from THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine who told TV6 News that he can guarantee that his trips abroad are no joy rides.

The Chief Secretary was responding to criticism of his overseas travel by PDP leader Watson Duke. Elizabeth Williams spoke with the Chief Secretary for this report.
Transcript
00:00And the Chief Secretary must come clean and tell Tobago whether our money is for him to
00:06fly all about the place while people are suffering here, while people can't get paid.
00:12And I'm told by the farmers here, I'm told by the farmers in Tobago that they have no
00:17access road.
00:19The farmers in Kowloon, no access road.
00:23The farmers in Argyle, the farmers in Bleming, the farmers in Monks and George, the farmers
00:28throughout Tobago, Moriah, Mason Hall, wherever there are farmers, Dollar Ford, Charlottesville,
00:35no proper access road has been built.
00:40Eating steak and drinking fancy liquor, taking photo ops, saying we get our next thing again
00:46from world travel something.
00:51Tobagoans are not into those games.
00:55I'm speaking here from my heart because Tobagoans are hurting.
01:00And even if we do not want the next four years, it does not give you the right to spend our
01:05money willy nilly.
01:07You have to give an account.
01:09What are those trips bringing back to Tobago?
01:13You are responsible for foreign direct investments.
01:17What direct investment from foreign we got here so far?
01:21None.
01:22None.
01:24The chief secretary, Farley Augustin, told the TV6 News that because of the THA's recent
01:29involvement with Tobago Day in New York, many Tobagonians and their friends flew home to
01:34participate in the festivities of the October carnival last weekend in huge numbers.
01:40And that would not have happened without the targeted approach by the THA, the chief secretary
01:45said last week, Thursday and Friday, while the entire island was out having a good time.
01:51He was locked away for two days with educational professionals at a G20 sponsored summit to
01:58brainstorm about global positions on inclusive education.
02:02Mr. Augustin said he only ended up there because the secretary of education could not make
02:07it.
02:08This week, the chief secretary is at the World Travel Market, and this year will be joined
02:12by Trinidad travel counterparts for the first time in a while, Augustin said.
02:18These are not excursions, but highly productive engagements for Tobago.
02:23Mr. Augustin also said, quote, even while speaking to you, the minority leader, Kelvin
02:28Morris, the leader of government business assemblyman, Zerisha Hackett, and the presiding
02:33officer, Abby Taylor, are accompanying parliamentarians from Trinidad, and they are on their way to
02:40Australia for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association summit there.
02:44Imagine if Tobago's position was Trinidad, you go without us.
02:50The chief secretary said he wishes to assure TV6 News and the public that it was only on
02:56one occasion that the public saw representatives of the THA skylarking abroad, and that was
03:02when the former deputy chief secretary, Watson Duke, went to engage the diaspora in New York.
03:08The chief secretary said instead of building out the support for island investments and
03:12visitor uptake from the diaspora, the public got pictures, videos of the former deputy
03:18chief secretary drawn into a scandal with an alleged lover.
03:23Augustin said the THA does not do things like that and always represents in a manner that
03:30is benefitting on the office and that will make Tobagonians proud.
03:35Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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