But, bad back and all, the media still drilled the Prime Minister as he left the house meeting today. Standing and prolonged sitting are the most painful for him but today the media plugged away. We asked him about the possibility that ministers in his government would lean on the Director Of Immigration to push visa's through. Here's what he said:...
Jules Vasquez
"If I could hedge together two statements, you said that you personally spoke to the director of immigration to see if Minister of Castro has leaned upon how you used that..."
Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I don't know if I said I personally spoke to her. If I did I thought I said that I had from the director but actually it's via the Minister that there was no question of any leading on her at all."
Jules Vasquez
"So but it would indicate if your inquiring the leaning does happen. Hedging together a second piece of information - former Minister of Immigration Saldivar told us yesterday that he has been known to call."
Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Aren't you missing the logistic middle when you say that my inquiry about leaning means that must of taken place, no, and I think I've heard a bit of what Saldivar said to you, indeed he said that he has called. I thought he was saying to ask that a process which is legitimate and which would take place in the normal course, perhaps be speeded up. The key is that I can see nothing wrong with that. As I said it is a matter of when the multiplier effect is involved. I don't think that there is anything wrong with a minister calling the director to say, I have a constituent who has an application and would you please give it some speed and attention. I'm sure he did not and would not say that he would call the director to tell the director, look I want these applications to be approved. As long as it doesn't go to that extent then there can absolutely be nothing wrong with asking that processes which are notoriously slow be speeded up."
Jules Vasquez
"Is it something you would do?"
Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Depending on the circumstances, yes. If there is an investor for example who says I need visas for some management consultant who's coming in and I need visas like next week because I,.... sure I would."
As to last week when the PM was accused of dodging the media at the airport - which would have been a first, he said that it was just his back which wasn't allowing him to stand for prolonged periods at that time.
