Honourable Finnegan also held forth on a number of news-making issues - one of them being the Government's ongoing dispute with teachers. We'll have that shortly, but first to yesterday's flare-up with the teachers. As we reported, the president of BNTU's Belmopan Branch publicly accused Belmopan Area Representative John Saldivar of Union Busting.
That's after the Belmopan Branch of the BNTU received an invitation from the Ministry of Education for select Belmopan schools to attend a meeting with Saldivar at the George Price Center today.
We today asked the Prime Minister what he thinks of it - and he refused point-blank saying that he is not intimately aware of the details.
Here's how the conversation quickly turned when one reporter pressed the issue:
Jose Sanchez - Channel 5 News
"Was it appropriate for the Minister of National Security to have the Minister of Education to instruct teachers to close their doors, and send students home today for a meeting in the capital?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"Again, Jose, you are asking me a question, based on a premise that I have no knowledge of. You are telling me in effect -"
Jose Sanchez - Channel 5 News
"The Minister of Education sent a letter to the-"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"You have a copy of that letter?"
Jose Sanchez
"Yes, I have it-"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"You want to show that-"
Jose Sanchez
"All media houses-"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well then, sir, how are you going to ask me to comment on a version of events that I have no knowledge of, and furthermore, I will tell that in this case, I don't believe you."
Late this evening, Saldivar sent out a public statement defending his actions saying quote, "I maintain my absolute right, obligation even, as an Area Representative to consult with my constituents on matters affecting their wellbeing."
Saldivar went on to say, quote "I denounce any suggestion that this type of dialogue between a duly elected Area Representative and his constituents can be characterized as union-busting." He says fifty-odd teachers showed up.
But many times that number will show up next week in Belmopan to protest against the Government. Senior Minister Michael Finnegan says that he supports them 100%...
Hon. Michael Finnegan - Sitting Minister of Government
"We will not come out and blast the teachers; I don't believe in that at all. The teachers are asking for a raise. They believe that they need a raise. I might want to agree with them that a raise is deserved, but if the state cannot afford the raise, then what can we do? We just have to wait, and then we deal with the situation when the country is financially stable, and the economy is stable. Then we can do what we can do for them."
Isani Cayetano - Channel 5 News
"How do you counter the assertion that the Government can find money to finance all these other programs and initiatives dealing with the gang members and what have you, but they cannot allocate money for this well-deserving raise?"
Hon. Michael Finnegan
"What kind of money are we talking Government finding to deal with the gang members. That is small. If Government would deal with a raise for teachers and public officers, you are talking about nearly 300 million dollars that will be attached to the wage bill. What about the program that we had for the gang? That is was 'chum change'. We are talking about adding almost 300 million dollars to the wage bill, as I understand, it was 275 million dollars. And if the teachers are going to Belmopan to demonstrate, nothing is wrong with that. If the teachers want to show that they have 'muscle', and if it were me, I would show them that I have 'muscle'. So, what is wrong with that?"
And there's more muscle flexing from Finnegan later as he calls the Leader of the Opposition a "congenital liar"...
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