The day after they walked away from Cabinet, former ministers Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde spoke to us. That was December 29th, and at that time, Hyde said he resigned in solidarity with G7 member Mark Espat who the Prime Minister had removed form Cabinet. But no other G-7 member resigned, and for all intents and purposes that seemed to mark the end of the G-7 reform movement, 7 ministers who in August had dared to challenge the Prime Minister under threat of resignation if he did not remove Ralph Fonseca. While Fonseca is still very much around, and reportedly on the rebound, the G-7 did make its difference. In fact, we dare say the entire political climate of disclosure and consultation with the social partners that is in such evidence this week is proof of this. But while they made a difference, will the remaining member still matter. Today, in his first appearance in the press since the December shake-up Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith had a 20-minute press briefing. Here's how that went.
[December 29th 2004]
Cordel Hyde, Lake I Area Rep.
"Jules there comes a time in a man's life when he has to stand up for what he believes in, stand up for a principle and I could not, in all clear conscience, accept an offer to serve in the Cabinet in light of the fact that one of my colleagues was being ousted for no clear or justifiable reason. We had a pact as a group of 7 in August of this year that we would all stand together. We lived by that pact and up until yesterday I had no reason to think that things would be any different and so I stood by that...but I think that yesterday was a defining moment for us. It was that time when a man had to stand up for what he believes in and not just talk the talk but actually walk the walk..."
Godfrey Smith, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs
"Well that statement by my colleague was premised on his understanding of a pact of August, you can't separate the two. If I recollect what his statement was, he said he considered the pact to have still been in existence. My understanding of the pact of August is different. It is my understanding that what we agreed to was that having resigned effective August 16th in the event we were called to serve in the Cabinet, we would do so on the principle that we go in all together or none at all. In the event we were called upon to serve and we did go back in all together so that certainly from perspective, in my thinking, the pact had expired. But subsequent to that there were several meetings including the seven ministers and we had freely discussed that the pact was no longer in existence."
That pact as contained in this document signed by all 7 and dated August 16, 2004 says that "in the event any of us are called upon to serve in the Cabinet, we shall be bound by principle that we shall only do so together or not at all." Its terms are clear, but indeed there is no date and Hyde and Smith took distinctly different reads.
[December 29th, 2004]
Cordel Hyde,
"Jules we signed a pact in August, the 7 of us, to stand together. We sent a letter to the Prime Minister to that effect; we'll leave together and we'll come back together and we'll stay together."
Jules Vasquez,
From your perspective Minister Hyde was deluded when he acted on a pact which from your perspective had been invalidated as of August 18th?
Godfrey Smith,
"Well that's your choice of words. I would not use that. I would simply say that my understanding and interpretation is different from that I heard from Cordel Hyde. So to come to the issue of to walk or not to walk, I believe certainly that for the rest of the four to have walked would have undermined the very principle which we set out to achieve which was to bring about some adjustments, some change, some reform which we consider to actually be underway. Remember at the end of the day Jules that I am a PUP and all of us involved are PUPs. Our objective is not to play into the hands of the United Democratic Party and bring the government down, so let's not forget that fact. It is somewhat illogical to think that within the system of government in which we operate that a group of ministers could conceivably say to the Prime Minister at no time can you embark on a Cabinet reshuffle which removes any of us from Cabinet and bind him to that for the rest of the term."
Of course what turned to be illogical in December, was both logical and purposeful in August. It's a difference of interpretation that seems to show a deep rift between Hyde and Smith. And while that is one thing it's quite another that Smith's political future in some sense rests partially now with Cordel Hyde.
Jules Vasquez,
If he feels you acted in an unprincipled fashion and not in support of him and Minister Espat, do you feel that this arbors unfavorably for you in the Pickstock division which now extends into what used to be Lake Independence and in fact takes over a part of Partridge Street? Do we expect you will not receive support in this area because according to the area representative for Lake Independence, principle matters in Lake I and he made it clear you were not standing on a principle he verily believed in?
Godfrey Smith,
"In relation to the proposed redistricting, which will feature Pickstock expanding into to Lake Independence, at the end of the day Cordel Hyde, Honorable Hyde, is an area representative of the People's United Party and so am I and it is my intention that we will be working together for the interests of the party."
But is the interest of that party served by these firings?
Jules Vasquez,
Do you feel its strengthens the PUP, and by extension the Musa administration which has a political nature, that Cordel Hyde and Mark Espat, two well liked and two highly successful people in politics, are no longer in the executive of the Cabinet? And in effect are backbenchers but are the most purposeful and ambitious backbenchers out there which makes them sort of potential free agents in a political sense?
Godfrey Smith,
"Again I think your trademark is to thrive on speculation."
Jules Vasquez,
And your trademark is to deny.
Godfrey Smith,
"No. But again I will venture to say there is no doubt, in my view speaking personally, that the two ministers were competent ministers; I stand by that. The issue of how the Prime Minister, who heads the Cabinet and in whom constitutional authority and prerogative is vested to arrange and shape the Cabinet in the way he sees best for the benefit of the government and country, that is his prerogative so I can't be drawn in to speculating on that. He makes his decision the way he sees best. He always advises us that these things are not etched in stone."
Jules Vasquez,
Is the Cabinet, and is the party by extension, as strong without these two successful ministers in the Cabinet; having been ousted from the Cabinet...one resigned and one ousted?
Godfrey Smith,
"Well there are other competent ministers involved so it would be raw speculation, at this juncture less than a month after a Cabinet reshuffle, to say whether its strengthened or not."
And if it does prove strengthened, it will be largely due to Smith who benefited most from the Cabinet downsizing which invites the question: did he sell out for an executive upgrade?
Godfrey Smith,
"It can't be a strategic move on my part if I can't award myself these things. I wasn't the one who gave it to myself so I could not have developed such a strategy. Certainly my portfolios have expanded. I was not aware of what portfolios the Prime Minister would have asked me to take on until the very day, December 28th, when all of this transpired."
Jules Vasquez,
So you are saying that no deals were pre-arranged in terms that of you all did not know that if you stand with the Prime Minister on this and against Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde or stand not with them you did not know that you would be "rewarded" with a lavish set of ministries?
Godfrey Smith,
"That is the position that there were no deals and we did not know until the Prime Minister stated what the positions would be. In fact I was not fully aware until I heard the broadcast on radio."
And while Smith has it that he just lucked into a Cabinet grandslam, word is that good luck may continue right to the top of that PUP party structure, where he could become the party's #3 man, Deputy Leader.
Godfrey Smith,
"Nothing has been offered to me and neither have I asked for anything. In the event, in the event, that a vacancy arises and people within the party say to me we think you are qualified for a particular post, then I might consider it. But until then it is wild speculation and I don't want to, I don't wish to feed into that more than I have just said."
