Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has claimed that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is wasting taxpayers' money by using national helicopters for unofficial business.

Rowley raised the issue while speaking at the PNM Diego Martin West constituency's annual conference on Sunday.

He said his constituency was being discriminated against as no money has been allocated for development projects such as the Carenage Fishing Complex.

In fact, Rowley said material such as steel worth millions was stolen from the site.

While this happens, "the Prime Minister is flying up and down in this country's national helicopter, to go to the hairdresser, to go and drink, to go to fete and sometimes to do the people's business".

Rowley noted that last month a party was held in Woodford Square for Trinidad and Tobago's 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations.

"When the fete was finished in Woodford Square, she flew to Tobago to a party fete that Ashworth Jack organised in Canoe Bay in Tobago and when the party was going so good in Tobago she send the helicopter for Machel in Trinidad to come to Tobago at four in the morning," said Rowley.

Government, he said, operates three types of helicopters–the Eurocopter Air 355 which cost US$1,000 an hour to operate; the Sikorsky S-76 which cost US$1,800 an hour to operate; and the Agusta Westland 139 with an operating cost of US$2,035 an hour.

"So when you see or hear the Prime Minister flying up and down with helicopter it's not joke, it's money being put to work," said Rowley.

Also speaking at the conference was former T&T Ambassador to Canada Camille Robinson-Regis, who criticised the Government over the Section 34 fiasco.

"I told you so! We told you so!" shouted Robinson-Regis, saying that the PNM had warned the country about voting the People's Partnership into power.

"The latest fiasco by this Government is testimony that they have no clue about governance and they have no shame...because they went through all of that to protect their two financiers," said Robinson-Regis.

"And what has caused all of this deceit? Money! Campaign funds to win elections at all costs, money from persons under a cloud of corruption, but that does not matter to Kamla and Jack and the UNC, they must win at all costs and money from any source is important," she added.

Robinson-Regis went on to quote from the Bible, "the love of money is the root of all evil".

"It is no secret that when they won the elections they had a bottomless pit of money...some say from FIFA, some say from financiers who are under a cloud of corruption, some even say from questionable sources," she said.

"The question that must now come high on the national agenda is that of campaign financing. What is the source of a party's funding, what is the limit that a party can accept from one financier without compromising itself so that it won't go to any length to protect that person or group?" asked Robinson-Regis.