Keith Rowley accused Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar Friday of being "irresponsible, incompetent and...under the direct control of persons with whom she is too familiar."
The Opposition Leader was highly critical of the Prime Minister and her national security adviser, Gary Griffith, for the cancellation of the Offshore Patrol Vessels contract.
Rowley was speaking on a private motion in the House of Representatives, which asked the House to express its "deep disappointment and serious concern" over the Government's decision to scrap OPV deal and to call on Government to effectively secure the Trinidad and Tobago coastline.
Rowley characterised the new People's partnership government as making poor judgment decisions and disgusing it through the use of "sound bites and other considerations such as political expediency and possibly worse".
The PNM leader said he did not understand how Griffith seemes to have more power that the Minister of National Security who appeared to be in favour of the OPV's yet Griffith advised against them. "Clearly Griffith has more authority in the Cabinet than the Minister," Rowley told the House of representatives.
Rowley used pejorative remarks to diminish Griffith's stature describing the former army captain as a soldier "whose claim to fame was that he was sent to the Prime Minister house to be head of the household, in charge of pots, pans, gas and car and he got so familiar with the household that he became part of the household".
Rowley disagreed with the the Prime Minister's statements that the vessels would have been inadequate for surveillance duties and charged that her view is based on a "complete misunderstanding of the assignment that she has to carry out".
He added, "And on the basis of this misunderstanding she is open to being misled by a soldier who tells her what she should and shouldn't buy."
Rowley said the People's Partnership Government has not told citizens the whole story, especially the fact that the former PNM government has already dealt with the issue of delays in delivering the OPVs.
"A document was signed by BAE in April 2010 where the previous government, realising that there were delays taking place, sought to enforce the contract, met with BAE, enforced the clause in the contract and agreed by negotiation on a figure of $20,000 per day in damages for delay and it came (up) to $61 million.
"This Cabinet didn't do anything. That was done by April 2010 and we didn't only get six million pounds sterling under the clause of damages. We negotiated and got nine million pounds sterling, almost $100 million, and we took it in equipment, maintenance and training. So when you hear the Government talking about delays.
"The lawyers are laughing because up until April, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago had dealt with the matter of delays. One month later, these uninformed, uninitiated persons believe that they could take back what was signed on April 20.
"What we are facing is lawyers going to court to argue that this matter was dealt with and there was a signed contract between BAE and Trinidad and Tobago which agreed on what would happen with respect to delays...
"If we think that BAE would give us a pass, a bligh, especially since the Prime Minister has made the case for the BAE lawyers, I expect that if the Government cancels this contract, we would be heading for the courts and we wouldn't have many legs to stand on."
The Opposition Leader was highly critical of the Prime Minister and her national security adviser, Gary Griffith, for the cancellation of the Offshore Patrol Vessels contract.
Rowley was speaking on a private motion in the House of Representatives, which asked the House to express its "deep disappointment and serious concern" over the Government's decision to scrap OPV deal and to call on Government to effectively secure the Trinidad and Tobago coastline.
Rowley characterised the new People's partnership government as making poor judgment decisions and disgusing it through the use of "sound bites and other considerations such as political expediency and possibly worse".
The PNM leader said he did not understand how Griffith seemes to have more power that the Minister of National Security who appeared to be in favour of the OPV's yet Griffith advised against them. "Clearly Griffith has more authority in the Cabinet than the Minister," Rowley told the House of representatives.
Rowley used pejorative remarks to diminish Griffith's stature describing the former army captain as a soldier "whose claim to fame was that he was sent to the Prime Minister house to be head of the household, in charge of pots, pans, gas and car and he got so familiar with the household that he became part of the household".
Rowley disagreed with the the Prime Minister's statements that the vessels would have been inadequate for surveillance duties and charged that her view is based on a "complete misunderstanding of the assignment that she has to carry out".
He added, "And on the basis of this misunderstanding she is open to being misled by a soldier who tells her what she should and shouldn't buy."
Rowley said the People's Partnership Government has not told citizens the whole story, especially the fact that the former PNM government has already dealt with the issue of delays in delivering the OPVs.
"A document was signed by BAE in April 2010 where the previous government, realising that there were delays taking place, sought to enforce the contract, met with BAE, enforced the clause in the contract and agreed by negotiation on a figure of $20,000 per day in damages for delay and it came (up) to $61 million.
"This Cabinet didn't do anything. That was done by April 2010 and we didn't only get six million pounds sterling under the clause of damages. We negotiated and got nine million pounds sterling, almost $100 million, and we took it in equipment, maintenance and training. So when you hear the Government talking about delays.
"The lawyers are laughing because up until April, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago had dealt with the matter of delays. One month later, these uninformed, uninitiated persons believe that they could take back what was signed on April 20.
"What we are facing is lawyers going to court to argue that this matter was dealt with and there was a signed contract between BAE and Trinidad and Tobago which agreed on what would happen with respect to delays...
"If we think that BAE would give us a pass, a bligh, especially since the Prime Minister has made the case for the BAE lawyers, I expect that if the Government cancels this contract, we would be heading for the courts and we wouldn't have many legs to stand on."
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