The latest episode is his allegation that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is building a "palace" for $150 million, which he claimed was bigger than the one that he built for himself at a cost of more than $175 million taxpayers' dollars.
My first reaction was that it was impossible for that building in south Trinidad to cost anywhere close to that. But like other citizens hearing it from a former prime minister who should be responsible, it was something to think about.
It didn't take long for me to figure out what was really going and to understand Manning's motives.
Now that Kamla has produced the evidence to show that Manning lied, I would wager that Manning's intention all along was to mislead the Parliament and inject doubt among citizens about where the lady found so much money to build her palace.
It was part of his plan of misinformation that started the week before when he suggested that "dirty" money was used in the People's Partnership campaign for the May 24 general election.
And in a statement Sunday he suggested that "drug money" might have been used in the construction of the home.
Kamla quite rightly put Manning in his place on that matter and has threatened legal action unless Manning makes a retraction and apology. Now he has repeated the malicious statements, making it personal.
The government is planning to deal with this issue on Wednesday based on the Standing Orders of the House which prohibit an MP from knowingly misleading Parliament.
But that doesn't seem to bother Manning, who is accustomed to making outlandish statements. Now that Kamla has produced the evidence to show that the cost was around $3 million with another half a million needed to complete the structure the matter should be closed. But Manning's insistence on pursing it with innuendos and no facts shows that his intention was to create mischief.
The former Prime Minister boldly proclaimed that he was stating "facts" based on 'evidence' he had gathered. Yet he has not shown how he arrived at his preposterous figure.
I would suggest that he cannot because he made up the "facts" the same way he made up the "facts" to try to smear Keith Rowley. For Manning, telling lies is OK so long as it suits his political agenda.
Does anyone remember his allegations in Parliament against Rowley? He spoke of a missing $10 million and asked Rowley to account for it when he knew that no money was missing.
And although government officials produced the documentation to prove everything was OK, Manning repeated his misinformation. And now he is going down that same road again, this time with the Prime Minister as his target.
Such irresponsible behaviour is unbecoming of a man who sits in the nation's Parliament, especially when that man served as Prime Minister.
There are several similar incidents, but I am sure you get the point.
Manning has demonstrated a level of irresponsibility that is even embarrassing his own party. His statement on Sunday demanding full disclosure from Persad-Bissessar after she had in fact shown that everything is above board demonstrates his intention to maintain his mischief.
People usually see others as a reflection of themselves. Perhaps this is why Manning finds it difficult to accept that Persad-Bissessar could be honest.
Jai Parasram - 22 Nov. 2010
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