And this bipartisan mediation comes right after the accusatory 5-minute video statement issued by the UDP, in which National Security Shadow Minister Michael Peyrefitte called for the, quote, "end of the Kareem Musa experiment." They also referred to him as an absentee minister and criticised his way of leading the police department before giving their own crime fighting tips.
But today, there were no cat fights at the mediation since both the minister and the shadow minister - who were once roommates in law school - put their differences aside and worked together.
But while Peyrefitte said that he'd give credit where it's due, Minister Musa said the credit for those tips he spoke about should have gone to the LIU, and not the UDP.
Michael Peyrefitte, Shadow Minister, National Security
"If the party leader tells me to meet him here because we have a chance to reduce violence in the city and Minister Musa is here, what am I going to do? Beat him up? Have him beat me up? No, we have to try and find a solution so if a solution comes even in the presence of Minister Musa, then a solution comes. If he is responsible for solving crime, if he is responsible for making sure that people don't live in fear, well then I'll give him credit for that, I have no issue with that."
Hon. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries
"Leaders today cannot have their ego stand in the way of progress. If I was that type of person, I would say no I don't want to meet with Shyne today, they just said they want me to resign for the umpteen time. I did that in opposition as well, I think that we have gotten to a point now where everybody is starting to realise that it is this unified approach, this bipartisan approach, that would possibly yield good results and so I am willing to work with anybody. I've said this in the National Assembly, anybody who is not there to undermine the progress of this particular approach, I am willing to work with, regardless of egos, because I don't have one, I don't have that type of ego."
Courtney Menzies:
"They said you're more focused on cannabis than crime."
Hon. Kareem Musa
"I think you'd agree with me that I am one of the most accessible ministers when it comes to giving an interview, I can't dictate what the press wants to ask me, if you all want to ask me about cannabis, that's what you will ask and so I will respond to that and so I don't know if it's because I had called the Leader of the Opposition absentee when he was traveling, why they are now calling me absentee, I don't know. I don't think anybody out there would support that particular statement."
Courtney Menzies:
"When you listen to the statement from Mr Peyrefitte, and he listed out their own tips, did you agree with them?"
Hon. Kareem Musa
"Let me say this, and I'll be very delicate and polite with this. Those tips come straight out of our Leadership Intervention Unit strategic plan, which will be launched on the 25th, there is already a draft. So again, like I said, we have members of the UDP that sit on the LIU. People who support the UDP, so leakage like that will happen, the fact that they requested it again, this is not about egos, I don't care who suggested it first, the fact is that those are things that are a part of this same body that has devised this plan, this roadmap for us to work with moving forward and so I won't see any harm done because they announced these recommendations, they're coming from our plan so that's fine."
