Well, what the opposition really wants is re-registration before the municipal elections in 2018 – because they claim the voters’ list is bloated with fraudulent voters who were hastily naturalized before the 2012 general election.  But, Finnegan says be careful what you wish for because a re-registration is costly and complicated.  Here’s our far ranging discussion with him about what makes it costly:..

Hon. Michael Finnegan - UDP Mespo. Representative
“To have a re-registration it doesn’t bother me, you could have it if I think I said that but I don’t see the urgency for it. It has an energy cost, it has a mental cost and most importantly it has a financial cost to get people to go to register da those polling station. I could inform the PUP demagogue from Caribbean Shores it’s not an easy task.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But a part of the financial cost is to bring back in your same phantom voters.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“What are phantom voters?â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Phantom voters Mr. Finnegan I believe you know well what it is.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Can you interpret the word phantom for me please?â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Maybe we don’t agree on the terminology but those are voters who vote in a division but don’t live in that division.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“You can go to Caribbean Shores and Fort George and ask for them.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But I can find them in Mesop as well.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“You don’t need to find them in Mesopotamia division, can I answer you? In Mesopotamia division every election all you need to do is to find 500 good UDP and register them because the PUP can barely get 400 voters in Mesopotamia division. So you don’t have to thief election in Mesopotamia division and let me go further and to defend the Prime Minister’s constituency.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Queen Square, which has more than a few phantom voters.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Let me tell you I don’t care what you say about phantom voter. In Queen Square you don’t have to register more than 500 good UDP in Queen Square to win the election in Queen Square because the PUP in the last 2 consecutive elections in Queen Square they only been able to goner 450 votes each time in Queen Square.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“You love winning big and you love having more than 500 UDP in Mesopotamia so that is why it is costly because you have to go find they voters from out district and say unno come register in Mesop.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“That is not true, that is not true.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Aye man I deh inna politics just like you.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“I am saying to you that is not true in my case and let me tell you something, winning big; if I can win every election I run by 150 votes that is overwhelming but if I win by 1200 votes and 1400 votes etc. It is not my fault that the people want me because I am a good politician.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“And is that why then it becomes more expensive for politicians because the people must be incentivised to go register; real talk.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Exactly but if PUP mi think that they only people only mi wa get up and run go register to vote for them it no go soh.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“You have to incentivise them.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Exactly.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“So you have to handle them.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Exactly.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“So then-â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Handle them how? I don’t know, I have to handle them.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“I think you do know.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“I don’t know how you a handle they, you can handle them by selling them the correct message, giving them the message of hope because people live on hope.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“No sir. People may live on hope but they need money fi live.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Yes but people live and hope, the world operate on hope, people live on hope.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But it runs on money.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Yes but people hope for the best.â€￾