TT: Kamla Persad bashes Gonzales for laughing at question of blackout

The Opposition leader of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has bashed the Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales for laughing in response to a question asked by the reporter regarding the assurance that Wednesday's island-wide blackout would not occur again.

On Thursday, February 17, 2022, Gonzales addressed the press conference where a reporter asked him if he could ensure the general public that the power outage which occurred on Wednesday would never hit Trinidad and Tobago again, but rather than responding to the question, he started laughing in the response.

After laughing, he responded that when he took his oath of office, he would have liked to assure the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago that the power outage that happened on Wednesday would not have occurred under his tenure. He then referred to the Commissioner of Police, saying that he may also wish there would not be a murder tomorrow.

While slamming Gonzales, Persad-Bissessar, in a Press release, citing that what was startling when reporters asked Gonzales about assurances to ensure that such would not re-occur, but the Minister began laughing and questioned that what was funny in it.

Persad-Bissessar also lashed him out for his casual remark that the police commissioner could assure there "would not be another murder" in Trinidad and Tobago again and noted how any government minister could give immature statements.

She stressed, "The power outage has halted the perishable stock of businesses which were healing from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the government is considering it a joke; I really want to denounce the immature Ministers that this is not a laughing matter at all".

Kamala Persad asserted that citizens of Trinidad and Tobago had lost their lives, people faced cases of robberies, citizens were worried about their loved ones at the hospitals, but ministers were making fun of it.

She also blamed the government for purchasing the generators but did not provide the general public when they were facing huge problems such as water shortages in the country.

While calling Prime Minister Keith Rowley a coward, Persad-Bissessar stated he remains hidden from the nation and never attempted to address citizens of the country.

She further asserted that this level of negligence of the government has now become dangerous for the growth and well-being of all people of Trinidad and Tobago.