body,td,th { font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }
AS WE TOLD YOU EARLIER, the cruise ship policy was finally presented today, the Senate Inquiry into the Portico Definitive Agreement has just begun. The first public hearing was held earlier this week and two former UDP ministers were called as witnesses. Today we asked their party leader what he thought of the proceedings.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
" It went as I anticipated, when I briefed the media last week, the question was asked whether or not I was concerned that the UDP ministers or former ministers, would anything be unearthed that incriminated them. I'm confident now as I was then that nothing of the sort will come about other than the former minister that we already condemn and we already said that we had nothing to do with the Portico agreement and I believe former minister, the honorable member from Albert has already established that and reinforced that and the honorable senator, former minister Peyrefitte established that so I don't think that anything was unearthed that there was any contradictions, or there was any gotcha moment, from my understanding, I don't know if you feel different.
Reporter:
"The prime minister said it would be a waste of tax dollars if the PUP were to be summoned. Do you share those same thoughts?"
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Absolutely not, I don't believe, in an open society with an open government where we have to be held to account, that this is a waste of time anymore than the Commission of Inquiry was a waste of time. I believe that governments have a right to investigate and to inquire into matters that they deem corrupt and so in this particular instance it is not the government, it is not the opposition, it is the stakeholders that came together and brought this motion to the Senate because they felt that something was so wrong from start to finish, there resolution, their motion was not to investigate the former minister, their motion was to investigate the former minister up to the Cabinet members and the Cabinet member that brought the paper to Cabinet is the prime minister."
