Former UNC MP, Jack Warner, has disagreed with a proposal by the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) to raise the income of the President, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and other parliamentarians.
In fact, Warner said the salaries of government officials’ should reflect their management of the country.
The SRC presented its 17th report in the House of Representatives last Friday. However, Warner criticized the report as it proposed a significant increase in the income of the prime minister by 34 per cent (from $59,680 to $80,000), the president by 15 per cent (from $64,270 to $73,920), and the opposition leader by 60.5 per cent (from $29,590 to $47,500).
Warner said: “If you base salary on job evaluation and performance, from the prime minister down, their salary should be cut in half because they don’t earn it, they don’t work for it!”.
He added: “I am heartened that the opposition has said no. I am heartened that we have an example in Jamaica where Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said no. But here nobody saying anything because you know why? ‘I want meh money, I want meh money’ and until we decide to stand up and resist these insidious efforts being made to oppress the people nothing will change. The salary increases are absurd.”
Warner also questioned whether the SRC members were living in “coo coo land” adding that they should be committed to St Ann’s, the psychiatric hospital, for medical examination.