Padarath: Debate SRC report in House and expose UNC 'turncoats'

PRINCES TOWN MP Barry Padarath is urging the Prime Minister not to go the way of having Minister of Finance Colm Imbert make a ministerial order to implement the recommendations of the Salaries Review Commission (SRC).

The SRC recommends hefty pay increases for the President, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, other MPs and some 900 top public officials, including judges.

Instead, Padarath challenged Rowley to have the report debated in Parliament by all 41 MPs, as is done when the electoral college sits to vote for a President, then take a vote and also expose traitors on his side.

“Because there are some on the United National Congress (UNC) bench who may be in favour of getting the increase,” Padarath said, addressing the UNC Pavement Report at Claxton Bay on November 28.

In fact a motion to approve the SRC report is on the order paper of the House of Representatives in the name of the Finance Minister.

The Opposition said now was not the time to give themselves pay increases, especially when public-sector workers at the port and public utilities and at UWI are protesting over far lower increases they have been offered.

Padarath clarified, “Nothing is wrong with having an independent voice. Nothing is wrong with having your own train of thoughts. But anytime you go with moko jumbies and tassa drums and steelpan to the UNC headquarters and ask to fight on a UNC ticket, when UNC makes a decision, it is expected every man jack follow suit.”

He alleged, “There is a man in the Parliament, sitting on our side of the bench, bravely saying (he) will support legislation brought by the Government."

“We have seen the level of brutality the People’s National Movement (PNM) has inflicted on people across the country, whether it is in crime or food prices – and you would support that?

“Now is the time, as the leader tells us, to put metal in your spine and fire in your belly and fight back.”

On the SRC report, Rowley told a post-Cabinet meeting on November 28 that he accepted the recommendations, which will see him receive a salary increase from $59,000 to $87,847 a month, plus $1 million in back pay. He said then that implementing the report would require a circular from the Finance Minister.

Padarath said history showed all previous SRC reports have been laid in Parliament, debated and a division taken, in which every single MP voted – aloud – yes or no for the recommendations.

“My challenge to the PM is, do not take the coward’s way out and have Imbert do a ministerial order. If you name man, if you are not afraid of the union, not afraid of the election consequences, let us, all 41 members, debate it and register our vote.”

Padarath said public pressure from the UNC, trade unions and civil-society groups forced Rowley to break his silence on the recommendation three weeks after it was laid in the Parliament.

He questioned the timing of his response, saying it was no coincidence.

“We are going into the Christmas season, parang and fete – but the only people getting ham and lamb and jam is Rowley with $87,000 a month.

“They expect when you go into the Christmas festivities you would forget they told you, you cannot eat ham and macaroni pie. This Christmas, when you cannot put macaroni pie and ham on your plate, when you cannot bring a smile to your children’s faces with a toy, when you cannot make sweetbread or a black cake because grocery items are too high, when you cannot afford to put a string of lights for the season, remember – great is the PNM – Rowley making $87,000 a month.”

He said Rowley's Cabinet ministers will receive $12,000 each, increasing their salaries from $41,000 to $53,000.

“These beneficiaries include (Social Development Minister) Donna Cox, who said people were greedy when they were lining up for hampers; (Minister in the National Security Ministry) Keith Scotland, who told you to ride a bicycle to work and cook your food on a coalpot; (Local Government Minister) Faris Al-Rawi, whose family have been receiving $20 million in rent for real estate rented to the Government; (Sport Minister) Shamfa Cudjoe, who told you people not suffering, she could get almond milk and multi-grain bread.

“Remember when she said, ‘We are in charge now and you deal with that’? Well, people, you CEPEP and URP workers who got a $2 increase in the budget, you deal with that.

“For too long the PNM has been riding the backs of people who have kept them in government for 60 years, election after election. It's time to put on your battle gear and vote them out.”