00:00Even in the Tobago area space where I am, I am targeted.
00:04I will share with you today that that is one of the reasons with the chamber that I actually,
00:09there became a whole uprising in there where I was not the right race to represent the business community in
00:17Tobago.
00:17The words of former chairman of the Tobago arm of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Diane
00:24Haddad,
00:25as she spoke on TV6's morning edition program on Tuesday.
00:30Present Chairman Curtis Williams told the TV6 News he was taken aback by the comments of Ms. Haddad.
00:36We were taken aback at it knowing that this organization, we embrace everyone,
00:44our membership, our device, our diverse membership from any business size, type,
00:51and we were all taken aback at her comment of the chamber being of that nature.
00:57I have been here since 2007 to date, and I have never seen anything of that nature.
01:04Vice Chairman Jason Arthur said, with the facts available to the chamber, there is no truth to the comments made
01:12by Haddad.
01:13What I would like you to take a look at is those eight arrows.
01:18Those eight arrows are the eight times that Ms. Haddad was elected chamber chair.
01:26And I want to make a distinction between what obtains now and then.
01:33Now when you serve, you are serving two years at a time.
01:37So if you see somebody there for four years, they were elected twice.
01:42Ms. Haddad served for eight years and was elected eight times.
01:46Mr. Arthur said Ms. Haddad is injuring her credibility.
01:50When people understand the history in terms of how many times you were elected and the stronghold you had in
01:59the chamber,
02:02those same things that you're pushing back against, those same feelings, those same ideas,
02:08is not exactly what people are going to think.
02:10Because people are going to ask themselves, well, what more do you want?
02:14And so I really don't think she has done herself any favors in making those comments.
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