Appearing today on Sunup, the PM took a softer line than he had earlier in the week. He did a soft backpedal from the suggestion that members of his government shouldn't be called to say instead, "WHY would they be called" - when - by his account - they played no role in the DA:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"The point I was trying to make, we have done nothing. I mean they could come and ask. If they want to ask me, we did nothing. The Definitive Agreement was an agreement that was signed by the UDP in government and now evidence have come forward to show that the UDP government knew about it. Miss Taegar knew about it, the prime minister knew about, Peyrefitte knew about it. They knew about this agreement."
"Rightly so, I promise my colleagues in cabinet that everything will come to cabinet. So I did not see that Definitive Agreement until just before it was time to bring it up. I didn't take my time to look at it back then when they say oh there is a definitive agreement and I knew that it is something that we can't go through. But you will say, you bring it to cabinet? Yes, I bring it to cabinet so that the cabinet can collectively we could say no or yes, collectively and then if its collectively say yes, then here is the legislation that will have to go along with it. We are not saying that we are above reproach, all I was trying to make we have done nothing. So, why are you going to investigate me if I never did nothing, just so that Kevin doesn't get vex."
Host
"Transparency."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"What's transparency if there is nothing."
Host
"Investigate the opposition, investigate also the government - both of you guys were involved in this process."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"No, we are not. That's the point. How? Tell me?"
Host
"You brought it to the cabinet."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That's my job."
Host
"And was mentioned you didn't read it fully."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"No, don't misquote me. I said I never read it fully until when it was time to bring it to cabinet and then we got legal opinion. The first legal opinion, I don't want to go into that. But then, so then we got another opinion and, in that opinion, said that it is legal."
"Our government has taken no action. Our government has done nothing that is deemed illegal. Actually, we are fixing it. So I think they should commend us for trying to fix something that is patently wrong."
We note that the May 16th Cabinet memo from the Ministry of Finance urges ministers to approve the draft legislation, telling ministers, quote, "it is now critical that the tangible support of the government be provided through the requisite legislation which government committed to under the definitive agreement."
