We also asked the Prime Minister about this year’s Christmas Cheer which he and his government are preparing to arrange once again for UDP Ministers and PUP Parliamentarians.
We’ve seen a memo from the Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation, and Poverty Alleviation, which is dated November 5th. In it, the FinSec notes that $650,000 has been approved for the Government’s Christmas Cheer program.
We asked the Prime Minister about it today, and here’s how that conversation went:
Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"25 thousand dollars for the elected ministers and half of that for the elected representatives of the opposition."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir there is always that concerned raised by the opposition that there is not equity in that we get half the amount."
Hon. Dean Barrow
"We are the government, there must be a prize for being the winners of the political contest and there must be some recognition of the fact that as ministers, you have to work not politically but in terms of the duties of office and government, you have to work harder than the members of the opposition do. So I think that is equity and I have no apologies to make."
The UDP and PUP area reps will use the money to provide small gifts for their constituents.
