JAN 31

The statement by Minister of Information Einstein Louison on the issue of salary increases and backpay for government ministers is a classic case of opening of the mouth and not saying anything in an attempt to confuse people.

But through it all, Senator Louison effectively acknowledges what the National Democratic Congress has reported, and which has been confirmed by the government's own internal memorandum.

Inspite of all of his ranting and ravings, the basic facts remain - that the Keith Mitchell government has voted a 10 percent salary increase for its cabinet members.

But what is worse is that they have moved to get back all the money they had announce they were giving up when they take the pay cut two years ago.

Those monies are being paid to the government officials in the guise of back-pay. What is mischievous is not our complains about this latest development, but the government's own penchant in trying to mislead us. What is mischievous is the continuous plunder of state resources.

The back-pay government ministers are taking is the amount of money they would have forfeited if their highly publicized cut in salary had not been implemented in the first case.

So what this means effectively, is that government ministers never made the sacrifices they claimed they were making. As it has turned out, this was another blatant lie.
To add insult to injury Sen. Louison has sought to confuse things further in his media address last Thursday by making some lame excuses that just can hold water with any intelligent person.

It is one thing for the NNP government to mislead us. It is even worse, for them to try to repeat it when we have found out the truth. The latest issue highlights what we have always known - that this New National Party government is filled with a bunch of self serving people who care little about the national good.

The salary increases, but especially backpay are vulgar to say the least, given the sacrifices ordinary working people have had to make on the urgings of the very same government.

We call on members of government to put their money where their mouths are, and show some heart by changing their minds on the issue of the backpay, which they are calculating as if they had never taken a cut in the first place.

(Click here to read Senator Louion's statement)