Worst in 50 years

This current People's National Movement administration is the worst T&T has had for 50 years, says retired head of the public service Reginald Dumas.

Dumas, who in an interview yesterday also described the current administration as "clueless", was commenting on the recent revelations that the monstrous T&T flag erected at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, may have cost taxpayers close to $2 million. He noted Sport Minister Gary Hunt's comments regarding the flag, saying if that was the intellectual level of the current ministers, T&T was in serious trouble.

"I have never heard such rubbish coming out of a minister of Government in this country or any other country in a long time," Dumas said. Hunt did not confirm or deny that the cost of the flag was $2 million but said that whatever the cost, one could not put a cost on national pride.

Dumas said Hunt's statements that no matter the cost of the flag, Government was proud to erect such a symbol of national pride was disrespectful of the national community.

"I think that I was representing this country long before Mr Hunt was born, and I really do not need him to tell me about national pride," said Dumas.

"The country lacks proper political leaders at all levels," he insisted.

"Leadership is not a question of the post that you hold, and I am afraid that across the spectrum, whether one is talking about the Government or whether one is talking about the Opposition, there is a vacuum."