Opposition parliamentarians report neither salary increase nor notice and rubbish Browne’s excuse of a ‘glitch’
United Progressive Party (UPP) parliamentarians – members of both the Upper and Lower
Houses – assert they have not received any salary increases and are rubbishing claims
about a delay in payment made by Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
Last Friday afternoon, April 5, REAL News broke the story that government ministers had
awarded themselves a 14 percent increase, effective January 2023.
Since then, Government Spokesman Lionel “Max” Hurst and, now, Browne have claimed the salary hike will benefit all parliamentarians, with the prime minister adding ambassadors and pensioners to the list.
While the UPP parliamentarians all confirmed they had not received any notice of this 14
percent increase, Browne – the finance minister – claims that it was mentioned during the
Budget Debate – from which the Opposition was shut out.
In addition, Browne alleges that the delay in the parliamentarians’ raise was due to a
“glitch” with their records from the Parliament.
However, the UPP dismisses this explanation as nonsense, noting that the tenure of the
Opposition Bench would have begun following the General Election of January 18, 2023
the very same date as the Government MPs.
The UPP notes, further, that three Opposition MPs and two senators were returning
Members; hence, their records would have been established at the Parliament since 2018
at the latest.
Further contradicting PM Browne’s claim that a 14 percent increase had been guaranteed
to pensioners, the UPP refers to the Cabinet Notes of November 3, 2023:
“The Cabinet decided that, in keeping with inflationary pressures and the loss in the value
of money over time, Government Pensioners are to receive an increase in their monthlv
payments.
“The precise amount is subject to negotiations and affordability….” the Notes specifically say.
The Notes conclude: “A team at the Ministry of Finance is tasked with determining what is
affordable and what revenue stream is likely to be adjusted to ensure that revenues can
match the increase in expenditure that would be triggered by an increase in pension
payments.”
Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle says he and his colleagues will not be exploited to cover
the prime minister’s embarrassment.
Accordingly, they have determined they will accept
no salary increase until the pensioners have been satisfied.
Meanwhile, sources confirm that retroactive payments of the 14 percent increase – to the
government ministers and senators who serve as ministers of State – have been processed.
They range from a high of $19,000 down to $6,800.
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“Glitch” mi backfoot, front bottom!
Gu way Gaston, you too mendacious so till!
Your continuous hoodwinking of the opposition and country just doesn’t work anymore. You are using your old tactics of misleading Parliament, but everybody knows the popular saying that goes:
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me”.
WE SEE THROUGH YOU NOW BOSS, AND IF YOU LOVE ANTIGUA YOU WOULD GO NOW …
Whey Daryl Matthew’s dey? Step-up nah man (until UPP tek over for good), Gassssston no fit fi purpose no more!
NONSENSE…You Guys walked out of Parliament. You DID read the PARLIAMENTARY notes. The Opposition Members of Parliament were aware but were too ASHAMED to announce it. Now that Hon.Gaston Browne made the announcement POINTE FM, They are crying foul. Bunch of Hypocrites.
The Opposition Members such as SERPENT , SHUGY , ANTHONY SMITH JR. DO NOT deserve a paycheque much less a raise. These Guys DO NOT represent Their constituencies in parliament. They do not know how to present a bill. They keep their mouths shut. Real disappointment. Never heard Them address the house once.
BRIXTONIAN and other MINIONS always backing failures.
Thanks to Jamale Pringle for the PROFOUND endorsement of Hon. Gaston Browne. Jamale Pringle said on TWIN ISLAND RADIO that our Prime Minister is STRONG , MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS and NOT AFRAID TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORN
The TRUTH last forever and LIES for a couple of hours.
BIG UP HON.GASTON BROWNE.
@ FERN
You SOUND just LIKE YOUR NAME, REAL STUPID AND ILLETERATE.
YOU HAVE TO BE GASTON, pretending to be someone else.
TODAY IS YOURS GASTON, FOR ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY. PRAY AND HOPE THAT U WILL ALWAYS BE IN POWER WITH CUTIE AND ALL YOUR OTHER LYING AND WASTE MINISTERS.
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!” (Sir Walter Scott, 1808
@ SMH
Shut your damn mouth. IDIOT
The whole issue seem less than credible and is laughable. While I can understand and appreciate that the recent salary increases was across the board and included all Parliamentarians, there is no sensible and credible reason why the Parliamentarians on the government side of the bench had their increases paid and the opposition side didn’t have theirs. If Real News didn’t break this story, they might have never been paid which is disgraceful. Government must do better than that and must be seen to be operating for everyone whether or not they support them. This whole thing sounds farcical.
@ AUDLEY PHILLIP
I am shocked that you are so GULLIBLE. The Opposition Members were aware of the increase but were too ASHAMED to announce it . AUDLEY , you were Someone I respected but now I place you in the same category as IDIOT BRIXTONIAN. You both are UPP MINIONS. Shameful.
FERN you are clealy missing such a simple point and that point made by AUDLEY PHILLIP is not whether the opposition MPs knew of the increaes but why they were not paid while the goverment members were.
@ Charles Tabor
Happy to hear you . We can now enter in some WONDERFUL exchanges. I missed you Buddy. Tabor is the SMARTEST UPP supporter on ANR. Take care Buddy. Looking forward.
Right on!- This is a leader who has integrity and cares about the peoples of Antigua. Such a breath of fresh air, a fair moral compass.
“Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle says he and his colleagues will not be exploited to cover
the prime minister’s embarrassment.
Accordingly, they have determined they will accept
no salary increase until the pensioners have been satisfied.”
Excellent.
NONSENSE…You Guys walked out of Parliament. You DID read the PARLIAMENTARY notes. The Opposition Members of Parliament were aware but were too ASHAMED to announce it. Now that Hon.Gaston Browne made the announcement POINTE FM, They are crying foul. Bunch of Hypocrites.
The Opposition Members such as SERPENT , SHUGY , ANTHONY SMITH JR. DO NOT deserve a paycheque much less a raise. These Guys DO NOT represent Their constituencies in parliament. They do not know how to present a bill. They keep their mouths shut. Real disappointment. Never heard Them address the house once.
BRIXTONIAN and other MINIONS always backing failures.
Thanks to Jamale Pringle for the PROFOUND endorsement of Hon. Gaston Browne. Jamale Pringle said on TWIN ISLAND RADIO that our Prime Minister is STRONG , MAKE RIGHT DECISIONS and NOT AFRAID TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORN
The TRUTH last forever and LIES for a couple of hours.
BIG UP HON.GASTON BROWNE.
@ FERN
You SOUND just LIKE YOUR NAME, REAL STUPID AND ILLETERATE.
YOU HAVE TO BE GASTON, pretending to be someone else.
TODAY IS YOURS GASTON, FOR ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY. PRAY AND HOPE THAT U WILL ALWAYS BE IN POWER WITH CUTIE AND ALL YOUR OTHER LYING AND WASTE MINISTERS.
Bird people too liard!
The people who don’t have to pay for light, water, get allowance for rent, fuel and more, are awarding themselves a whopping retroactive 14% salary increase – while the struggling majority got an 2% tax hike.
No wanda erbery 🐕 and 😽 wan fu run fu politics inna Antigua — It’s the easiest path to becoming a millionaire — and coupled with some type of creative enrichment scheme, a multi millionaire.
Poor people LAST as usual!
To my mind, this is the second time gaston have been caught blatantly lying.
He lied about his son being a part of a group that owned a building or buildings his wife as a minister of government occupies.
It turn out that gaston son is the only shareholder who owns the company that owns the building or buildings.
Now remember:
• The government minister is a shareholder of the entity that sold gaston son the building.
• The government minister is the step-mother of gaston son.
• The government minister is the wife of gaston.
Gaston claim that it was reported or announced that the 14% that was negotiated with A.B.P.S.A. covered parliamentarians and ambassadors etc.
Gaston, please publish the announcement you said was made to this effect.
Kublai latest song is ringing in my head. Stinking dirty liars.
Peter no better than Paul. Instead of the opposition condemning an increase of salary for parliamentarians who already are of the highest paid public servants and who already don’t pay utility bills unlike the rest of the the Civil service, they are upset because their increase was not reflected. I tell you there is no government in the Sunshine, we will never get a change in Antigua..if they were ever to take over the government it would just be an exchange with a likely decrease in the economy. So shameful!!
@ Belle
OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE NOT READ THAT PRINGLE SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING THE INCREASE UNLESS EVERYBODY, INCLUDING PENSIONERS GET THEIRS.
YOU OBVIOUSLY CONVENIENTLY DID NOT HEAR THAT……U MINION!!!
What glitch? When you lie ad infinitum, nothing you say is believed. What walk out of parliament? Look, you Labourites and Gastonites just will not stop . There is no end to your stupidity and dunceness, just to support your party. When your so-called leader lacks credibility, makes the nepotism of the Birds look like choir practice, lies in parliament, on the Rumshop every Saturday, no one, with any capacity for logical thought, will ever believe this clown.
He was caught with a blatant discrepancy and is now trying to do damage control. Don’t forget, EVERYTHING he has ever promised that will benefit the citizens of this country, he has reneged on. EVERYTHING. Like your leader, you are just too LIE. The “L” in ALP must stand for “LIARD>”
Poor poor Fern and Belle….once again you guys are forced to come to the defense of your leader the PM, who is constantly embarrassing himself, you and the country. It’s must be really hard on your consciences to ignore the lies and hypocrisy and pretend and try to fool the public that the PM is transparent and works for the betterment of the people of this country. Or perhaps you are all just a bunch of idiots running around behind a morally and ethically bankrupt leader and government.
‘In the interest of fairness and transparency let me say that someone reached out to me and assured me that neither side- Government or Opposition, has received their actual increases to date.
They getting increases yet People are Languishing for Hunger and cannot get their Social Security Money for years..Mr.Prime Minister and ministers of government where are your conscience?Everytime me go ah de office same story your application in Process.Where is the Love for humanity? You find money for queen Show,melting Pot,Politican increases ect. I worked hard and paid into the system where i should not have to wait. I will soon be 66 and yet to get one Cent.
My People ..Let’s analyze this announcement of an increase. Why the OPPOSITION don’t condemn the increase ? Opposition only concern that They did not receive the increase as yet. This increase is retroactive to JANUARY 2023.
The OPPOSITION is just for Themselves. Keep far away from those DUNCE UPP Opposition Member of Parliament.
….DUNCIBAT SERPENT , SHUGY and ANTHONY SMITH .
@ Giles
OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE NOT READ THAT PRINGLE SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING THE INCREASE UNLESS EVERYBODY, INCLUDING PENSIONERS GET THEIRS.
YOU OBVIOUSLY CONVENIENTLY DID NOT HEAR THAT……U MINION!!!
I GUESS TIEFING CUTIE/GASTON/MOLWYN/MELFORD/DARYL/CHET/MARIA/ROBIN/ ”IS NOT FOR THEMSELVES”…..their increase is to give to the 100,000 residents. STUPID FAT MINION
@silly rant you are totally missing the point. Who cares if Prringle said they would like to receive the increase after the pensioners. It is the hypocrisy of them going ballistic over the 2% tax increase on the backs of the average citizen but are eager to accept the 14% retroactive increase since they already receive a salary higher than the average civil servant with loads of perks. As an opposition you can’t turn silent against injustices that serve your self interest. It means the nation would not benefit in anyway if you took up office. Peter no different than Paul. Bet you if the government parliamentarians give themselves a 20% salary increase and include them they go silent again. It is the principle people. Stop seeing blue or red and call them out for not condemning the salary increase. They only want to know that they are included. Even if it is after the pensioners, makes no difference!
Opposition please say no to greedy bill, when the hon Baldwin Spencer came to office he did the opposite and reduce his ministers salary to help the country.
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