In a fiery campaign address delivered on January 6 in Mt St George, Tobago People’s Party (TPP) leader Farley Augustine launched a scathing critique against his political rivals, accusing them of waging an election campaign rooted in fearmongering and deception rather than substantive governance issues.
With the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections scheduled for January 12, Augustine drew stark contrasts between competing campaign philosophies. “They are running a campaign based on fear, we are running a campaign based on hope,” he declared before a gathered audience. “They are running a campaign based on allegations, we are running a campaign based on aspiration. They are running a campaign based on fiction, we are running a campaign on facts.”
The political leader promised to publicly expose what he characterized as systematic disinformation before the campaign concludes, vowing to present documented evidence of fake social media pages and malicious slander allegedly propagated by opponents.
Augustine positioned his party as fundamentally different in both substance and style—a institution dedicated to policy ideas, youth education, and vulnerable population support rather than personal attacks. “This party is not about bacchanal and commess, that is for the PNM,” he asserted, using local terms for scandal and chaos. “This party is about Tobago people’s business.”
Addressing youth voters directly, Augustine acknowledged the challenges facing younger generations but cautioned against short-term thinking. He urged logical assessment of campaign promises rather than emotional reactions to last-minute offerings, questioning why benefits were suddenly available after years of unmet needs under previous administrations.
The TPP leader concluded with a stark warning to voters: “Don’t throw caution to the wind and don’t be deceived in this election,” framing the upcoming vote as a choice between substance and empty promises.