So while Flowers was playing the fool to catch the wise, as he noted even the government side didn't bring it up during talks today.
Both sides had agreed to discuss, but not negotiate three key areas: increments, pension and public sector reform, and a new collective bargaining agreement.
Difficult and complex issues, but from the reaction of both sides when they came out the exchanges were clearly cordial:
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
"I think we left there feeling that we both have things that we have in common and have issues that we need to take back to our relevant sides and so I think they will meet back with their people and we will take back to cabinet whatever it is that we discussed and then we will meet again in the next 2 weeks."
Reporter
"I know increments, pension reform - those were some of the things going into the meeting."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
"Robust discussions, those were the main points. I think we had a very healthy discussion, a very constructive one and I don't want to prejudice what they will take back to their people. I think its important that we give them the courtesy of them discussion with their folks the issues before we go public with that. That's what we will do."
"We won't get into the finer details, but as I said we had a very extensive, robust conversation."
Reporter
"An ultimatum was given, April 1st or else. Is that still on the table?"
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
"That's not the spirit of conversation that we had and we meet, we don't deal with ultimatums, we don't talk at each other, we talk to each other and I think that it the usual atmosphere where we are able to engage. The meeting was short today, it lasted only 4 hours. In the next 2 weeks it will last a bit longer."
Reporter
"We want to know if the government will accede to that demand of returning the increments. The unions are seeing other members of the public service at higher levels getting back certain things and they've gotten back their 10%, but that's not all that was taken from them. So they want that back by April 1st."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
"It's unfortunate that we couldn't tidily deal with all these things all at once, so that you don't have this kind of back and forth or this kind of confusion, but ultimately we discuss the right things, we focussed on the right things and both of us have enough to take back to our people."
Reporter
"The unions seem to be saying enough is enough."
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
"We respect that. We are functioning in a democracy. People have the right to agitate, people have the right to make their positions known forcefully at that within a democracy. We respect that, we acknowledge that, we take that into consideration where there are unresolved issues and we work on these things and we take that into consideration. This is a democracy. We respect that. We embrace that. That is what this is about and we can't look at anybody with any kind of isms and skisms or any kind of highly critical positions. This is what its about."
Henry Usher, Minister of Public Service
"We have to respect their right to express themselves as public officers, as union members and as fighting for what they feel they are entitled to and that is a process that we had a discussion on just now. The whole idea of reform is one that both sides agree on. We have to do reform. we have to look at public sector reform on a whole in terms of the way the government is run, the way we raise revenue, tax reform - all of these issues are issues that we need to look at so that we can have a system that is as efficient and as fair as possible and I think that is the main issue. I think if you ask any public officer, they jsut want the system to be fair. They want to make sure that what they are getting is what they deserve and they have every right to express themselves how they want."
Reporter
"But if it continues, is the public prepared for that?"
Henry Usher, Minister of Public Service
"We have to make sure that the government remain open. We have to make sure that the services provided to the public continue. So yes, the ministry of public service will ensure that the services provided by all government departments must continue."
