And while Finnegan called for the removal of the DPP, UDP Cayo South Area Representative John Saldivar said the dismissal of Narda Garcia was not enough to forgive the government for the mismanagement of the Social Security Board. He said that the prime minister must pay penance for those misdeeds.
Hon. John Saldivar, Cayo South Area Rep.
“Now that we know from the general manager that the Prime Minister sanctioned the securitization program and now that we know from Glenn Godfrey that the Prime Minister knew of the projects to be funded by the proceeds of
the program, now that we know that it is the board that was appointed by the Prime Minister that gave the General Manager her golden parachute, and now that we know that it is the Prime Minister that saw it fit to absolve the board from the losses and have his government assume direct resposonbility for these losses, we can only conclude that the Board and the General Manager were directed to be negligent and complicit.
As I have on several occasions said about being contrite. The act of contrition is not complete with out penance. If we accept that the resignation of the Chairman is his penance and the dismissal of the General Manager is her penance, and I am in no way saying that those acts of penance are enough, but if we accept that they have served their penance, however lenient, what is the penance for the Prime Minister who has, by his volition, accepted ultimate responsibility for anything that went wrong or was designed to go wrong with the securitization program.
So I say again, what will be the Prime Minister’s penance? Should he be allowed to get away with simply saying that he accepts the recommendations of the Senate report? Is accepting to reform SSB penance for the travesty that has been visited upon taxpayers? No Madam Speaker, we cannot let the Prime Minister off the hook with simply saying that he accepts the recommendations of the Senate report. We cannot let the Prime Minister off the hook for simply accepting to reform SSB. With all the shameful revelations that are now coming out of the DFC hearings, coupled with what we now know from the Senate report occurred at Social Security, the Prime Minister should do the honorable thing and call elections now.”
