Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar hosted the media Thursday at a luncheon at the Diplomatic Centre,, handing out a hamper to each of her guests.
In a brief address she acknowledged the media's role in keeping the government in check. "You are doing your job, you have to keep us on our toes, you have to keep us focused and pointed and so on," she said.
2010 was a year of many changes, she said, noting that her mantra to her Government members "serve the people, serve the people, serve the people" remains. She said the new year will be one of delivery and action.
Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal, who is one of three deputy leaders of the United National Congress, also spoke of the media's critical role.
"As politicians, as Government members, we do appreciate your work, we may not voice that to you all the time," he said.
"We depend on you as well for a functioning government and a functioning system and we have you there so that you will be critical and scrutinise us and keep us under the light. That is a very important function that you play, we respect that and we appreciate your hard work and support," he said.
Jack Warner, whom the Prime Minister described as her "right hand man", thanked Persad-Bissessar on behalf of the Cabinet for hosting the media luncheon.
In a brief address she acknowledged the media's role in keeping the government in check. "You are doing your job, you have to keep us on our toes, you have to keep us focused and pointed and so on," she said.
2010 was a year of many changes, she said, noting that her mantra to her Government members "serve the people, serve the people, serve the people" remains. She said the new year will be one of delivery and action.
Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal, who is one of three deputy leaders of the United National Congress, also spoke of the media's critical role.
"As politicians, as Government members, we do appreciate your work, we may not voice that to you all the time," he said.
"We depend on you as well for a functioning government and a functioning system and we have you there so that you will be critical and scrutinise us and keep us under the light. That is a very important function that you play, we respect that and we appreciate your hard work and support," he said.
Jack Warner, whom the Prime Minister described as her "right hand man", thanked Persad-Bissessar on behalf of the Cabinet for hosting the media luncheon.
Persad-Bissessar has consistently recognised the media as an integral part of the system. On her inauguration as leader of her party and on several occasions after that she pledged to protect the rights of media.
"We will defend media freedom with all our strength and legislative capacity because we know that without a free media our democracy would be deformed," she said in January.
"We insist that no government has the right to take away or infringe in any way on the right of the media to operate freely. Our constitution enshrines the right to a free press and the freedom of expression and we must accept no less."
"We insist that no government has the right to take away or infringe in any way on the right of the media to operate freely. Our constitution enshrines the right to a free press and the freedom of expression and we must accept no less."
She said free media are an essential component of every democratic society because a free press will raise issues of concern "in a marketplace of ideas in which our citizens would be able to judge for themselves what is right and what isn’t."
Read the story: Worth repeating
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| Flashback to January 2010 |
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