00:00Opposition MPs are intensifying criticism of the state of emergency,
00:04arguing that despite months of restrictions, violent crime continues to grip the country.
00:09The only way to describe the state of emergency now under this current administration is an abysmal failure.
00:15This state of emergency is a waste of time.
00:18It is an egregious trespass on the constitutional rights of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
00:24It has had absolutely no effect and the Prime Minister should immediately bring an end to this SOE charade
00:33because it is not working. It has never worked.
00:37We have always maintained that a state of emergency is a position of last resort and it cannot be a
00:44crime plan.
00:45So now the government must come and answer to the population and say, you know, this is their second state
00:51of emergency.
00:52The first one was extended to the full length of constitutionality that they had the ability to do it.
00:58And now we're in the second one.
00:59But we're seeing these mass shootings and now a very, very troubling trend.
01:05All murders are troubling.
01:06But a troubling trend now that innocent women, children and infants, babies, toddlers are being caught up in the madness.
01:14Devines argue that beyond policing, the government has failed to maintain social programs that once offered alternatives to criminal activity.
01:23Listen, when they campaigned, they campaigned that in six months they're going to bring crime down.
01:29Everything is going to be down. Everything is going to be all fine.
01:31They have the panacea for all the problems in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:35And I mean, nothing.
01:36Much like the 500 houses that the plan talked about being every week or every month.
01:41Nothing.
01:41While the opposition says it is willing to discuss aspects of the proposed zones of special operations legislation,
01:48Suot Young stressed that any such measure must undergo careful scrutiny.
01:53That's something they should really sit down at a joint select committee and work through with the opposition and the
01:58independents.
01:59We all, well, I don't know, I shouldn't, I can't speak for the government.
02:01But I'm certain we on the PNM bench want what is best for the country.
02:07We have reservations with Zuzo's.
02:09They have not been, they're not the panacea and have had a lot of difficulties.
02:14But as I say, a state of emergency, we're under a state of emergency for the majority of the UNC's
02:19tenure in government.
02:20It has done nothing.
02:21Show us our Zuzo.
02:22And you know, one of the questions I have with the Zuzo, it is multidimensional.
02:26In addition to the suspension of constitutional rights, etc.,
02:30there's another set of provisions that are social work and supposed to have social programs.
02:35But government MPs are rejecting claims that the SOE has failed.
02:39Of course, in the state of emergency is working.
02:44The amount of murders have decreased.
02:47I know there are instances recently of, especially yesterday,
02:54but it doesn't mean that the state of emergency is not working.
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