Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says the National Insurance Services (NIS) should meet with the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP), which he heads, having met with the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP).
“I see that the NIS, quite correctly, invited the opposition to hold discussions on the 12th actuarial report, which [Minister of Finance] Camillo [Gonsalves] laid in Parliament on the last occasion,” Gonsalves told a press conference in Kingstown on Monday.
“Now, I want everybody to notice that it wasn’t the parliamentary opposition, which attended. It was the opposition. It was the party, the NDP. So, I will expect, naturally, that Stuart Haynes [, executive director of NIS,] will invite the Unity Labour Party to have a discussion,” Gonsalves said.
Last week, the NDP issued a press statement saying that its executive had met with executives at the state-managed social security agency to discuss the 12th Actuarial Review.
The party said the meeting agreed to have other talks.
Gonsalves said on Monday that while the government is involved with the NIS, the government is different from ULP.
“I myself wouldn’t go to the discussion, but there are people — because you watch the picture, the picture involves people who are not in the parliamentary opposition,” he said, referring to a photo of the NIS-NDP meeting.
“I only make that point, you know, because I’m a straightforward fella. And I’m sure Stuart will do it to invite — write the General Secretary of the ULP,” Gonsalves said.
“Because I see the — somebody tells me that the people in the NDP presented as though the NDP demanded — Stuart Haynes would have put forward to the Minister of Finance the various entities that he would like to invite.”
He said that if the NIS had invited the parliamentary opposition and they had gone, “I wouldn’t be making this point about the ULP because there’s the government, and the government is involved with them (NIS).
“But you invite the NDP. He might have intended to invite the parliamentary opposition, but he invite the NDP.
“I wouldn’t say he should invite any other party which is not in Parliament, and I suspect that he’s invited other organisations, too; trade unions and so on and so forth. Let the institutions work,” the prime minister said.
Well, well Ralph you want people to beleive that the NIS is independent if your involvement. Do you want vincentians to beleive that the decision to meet with the NDP has nothing to do with you and youre not aware?
The absurdity of your rant has constantly belittled the thinking of the vincentian people. The NIS biard was appounted by you. The management was appounted by you as well and now youre giving the impression that you and your governement was left in the dark. Fool ah talk but not fool listening.
Mr. Prime Minister, stop leading from behind. Nothing misses you. You are an economist, a lawyer, the minister of finance’s dad and the leader for the country for the last 25 or so years. You know the stats from NIS. Again, you do not miss anything. Stop leading Stuart. Stop with the psychology—I suppose you are a psychologist too.
Friday: just work on getting the ULP from way they at and all that will do after
Perhaps we should consider debating the Actuarial Report in the House of Assembly. I suspect that all stakeholders ( including pensioners ) will like to hear the real issues discussed.
Mr big man this is not a joke stop yo foolishness.
Yo don inflict yo severe psycologiacal injury to d vincentain populace and u think it’s funny?
But remember they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same.