For shame, Stuart!

Last Thursday ushered in a new low for politics in T&T that is—frankly speaking—distasteful and must be rejected before it is allowed to become normalised. My column two weeks ago highlighted what we’ve become numb to—the delaying of infrastructural construction or ­upgrades until an election year. Despite this odd form of a social contract we have with the politicians whereby they brazenly pander for votes and we still vote for them, I wasn’t prepared for this new episode of the silly season: the one where an appointed prime minister, now seeking to be elected, would pander for votes through a facade of compassion.

At a post-Cabinet news conference, PM Stuart Young announced that his Government would make an ex-gratia payment of $1 million to each of the families of the four divers who tragically died in February 2022. The lone survivor will also be paid $1 million. The insurmountable grief of each diver’s family has become a political tool by both the UNC and now the PNM.



For the 2023 local government elections, the UNC selected Vanessa Kussie to contest the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo district. Kussie had her own motivations and the UNC ­undoubtedly sniffed the opportunity to capitalise on it. Her husband was Rishi Nagassar, one of the four LMCS divers whose lifeless bodies were ­recovered from the underwater pipeline the previous year.

The other families who chose to step away from the spotlight had their wounds freshly opened when Young made his announcement. Even without his spectacles, Young should have seen that the optics of such a move were insensitive and disgraceful. In January 2024, then-prime minister Dr Keith Rowley stated that the Government could not direct Paria to make financial payments to the fami­lies, emphasising the need to follow due process.

This stance received public outcry, and continues to be criticised to this day, because politicians run a platform of service to the people. The Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) highlighted that the families had yet to receive any compensation, underscoring the neglect they faced by the Government. Now, as the general election looms, Young’s sudden interest in resolving the matter exposes the insincerity of his administration’s previous stance as well as a never-before-seen level of desperation.

This is an administration that he has become a poster boy for, yet has done nothing up to this point for the families. In 2022, as Energy Minister, Young admitted to “gaps” in Paria’s handling of the diving tragedy. Despite this, he sat firmly on the fence by saying that calls for resignation of the Paria executive board were “premature”.

For three years his Government has dragged its feet with helping the families of the divers seek justice. Now, weeks before the general election, Young has finally decided on immediate action—arguably the worst election stunt I have ever seen. While Young gave no date for the payment, he did mention he wants it done “as soon as possible”.

If Young hoped this would be seen as a compassionate gesture, he has miscalculated. Although stating that the ex-gratia payment was not an admission of liability by his Government, it is an admission of something else: Young’s claim to being a “change” candidate who can mark a new chapter for T&T is more empty rhetoric. As for his own political aspirations, Young’s miscalculation is more likely to backfire than it is to improve his electability and his ability to lead.

His announcement serves as a reminder of his Government’s neglect. A true leader would have ensured compensation was handled efficiently and transparently from the outset. For the undecided voter like myself, Young’s move will only deepen the disenchantment we have with the current state of politics that has now made compensation and grief a political tool to be bargained for votes.

While the families undoubtedly deserve and are entitled to compensation, the context in which it is being offered cannot be ignored. True leadership is characterised by proactive measures and unwavering commitment to justice, ­irrespective of electoral timelines. Forgive me for bordering on the hyperbolic but this general election will be one of the most consequential in recent years.

Whoever is elected must be able to navigate a swirl of urgent local, regional and global affairs. Instead of laying out a comprehensive crime plan to bring the country out of its darkest period of lawlessness, Young has focused on excavating the past with the hope of feeding his personal ambition. Regionally, Young, despite being the incumbent, has not outlined a path forward regarding how he plans to deal with President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the White House’s low ­tolerance for any country that maintains energy deals with Maduro’s Vene­zuela.

On the global level, there is significant silence on how Young will revive the economy, boost foreign exchange ­revenue, and create jobs. Far from providing a fresh face for politics, Young’s decision to appear a compassionate leader through an election payout to the grieving families of the Paria divers confirms a new era of pandering for votes that only exposes his own desperation to sink to new lows. For shame, Stuart! —Dr De Matas is an assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

.