$$ for teachers' dinner could have paid ‘school bus’ drivers- Opposition
The debate, which can be described as “tacky”, stemmed from a three-part question posed to the Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn by Member for the Third District Honourable Julian Fraser, RA which sought answers about monies owed to taxi drivers for transporting high school children.
Clarifications were sought from both Hon. Fraser and Member for the First District Hon. Andrew A. Fahie if monies for the $100,000 teachers’ dinner could have better been used for paying the drivers had the Minister known of the debt. This prompted a response from Hon. Walwyn, “I don’t intend to be a clown in the House of Assembly…”
Hon. Fraser described the response as ‘evasive’; nonetheless, he thanked the Minister for his response.
Simply put to the Minister for Education in a supplementary question by Hon Fraser if he had informed the Minister of Finance about the arrears for the bus drivers, Hon. Walwyn responded, “Madam Speaker as I said I cannot say that, there is an accounting officer in the Ministry who is aware of it and I am sure she would have contacted the Ministry of Finance.”
Hon. Walwyn insisted that the bus drivers got caught in an “unfortunate situation” following the suggestion by Hon Fraser that had Hon. Walwyn known of the situation some of the monies put into the reserve fund could have been used to settle the debt to the taxi drivers.
“It was caused by the reckless management of the finances of this country of which the member who is asking this question was a very relevant part of that….” Hon. Walwyn responded.
The Education Minister told the House that the last date for which drivers were paid for transporting high school students prior to last week was July 2013. “Last week’s payment was delayed due to the fact that contracts were signed late ….”
As is the obvious trend of members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) government, Hon. Walwyn threw the blame once again at the feet of the former Virgin Island Party (VIP) government, noting that the taxi drivers, like many other creditors, had to wait an extended time for their payments because of the alleged poor financial condition of the country which the present government inherited upon taking office following the 2011 elections.
“Madam Speaker, this NDP Government upon taking office met a total of 40.6 million dollars in outstanding commitments. Madam Speaker, as of today this figure has been reduced to somewhere in the region of 12.9 million dollars and the Minister of Finance expects to have all the bills settled by the end of this year 2013,” said the Education and Culture Minister.
Hon. Fahie then interjected, noting that it was obvious that the drivers weren’t paid because of negligence in doing their contracts. “They would have had the money Madam Speaker because the Minister assured that he had saving…for the teachers’ dinner, so that if he was aware he could have put that money for the paying of the bus drivers,” Hon. Fahie opined.
“Madam Speaker, I must apologise to the taxi drivers who take our students to school for the late payments being made to them,” Hon. Walwyn had said as he opened in his response.
21 Responses to “$$ for teachers' dinner could have paid ‘school bus’ drivers- Opposition”
Hon Myron please jus go back to Antigua
The teachers deserves their dinner and taxi drivers need to be paid, full stop, not one or the other.
I hope they realize that Teachers vote as well so this gets them no where. The Government need to pay the drivers but the Teachers should not be thrown under the bus by the Opposition looking for points. This is just sickening. Lobby for the drivers without bringing the Teachers in the mess. They deserve their dinner and I hope they get a bigger one in 2014. Just because Andrew tried multiple times to do the same dinner and could never pull it off, he's here talking nonsense. The man who spent over $600K on drag race and med school mess. That could've paid the drivers for 6yrs too.
None of the parties or Ministers acted or acting responsibly. They all spent recklessly and none of them can move forward. When the NDP ministers get up, all the crap they can talk about is when we were in office, when we left office and blaa blaa, when Frazer and Fahie get up, all you hear is when we were in office and we left office. Move on. Its like a man and a woman in a relationship and all they can talk to each other about is when they had another woman or man. We need to move on. All of them creating a financial mess. The food the teachers eat done gone the sewage and life goes on.
At Eslyn Henley Ritchiez Learning Centre teachers have to teach in hallways. The centre needs to be expanded. I say they hire Special Education Teachers and place at least two in each school and expanded Eslyn Henley.
Sometimes I have to wonder if I am living in a third world country. strupssssssss
You full well know that their cowbird supporters thwarted the plans of Minister Fahie in not confirming that dinner to the hotel but they told him otherwise....C'mon man