PM Says Opposition Leader Not Using His 10k A month Office

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Pringle being sworn in as Opposition Leader

Taxpayers are paying $10,000 monthly for an office for the Leader of the Opposition that is not being used, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said.

During his New Year’s Address, Opposition Leader, Jamale Pringle said “it is very disappointing that since elected in March 2018 and appointed Leader of the Opposition, an official office is yet to be provided to me as is required by law”.

However, Prime Minister Browne told state media the Opposition Leader has two offices; one at the Parliament Building and the other on Market Street.

The Market Street office is the same building that was used by Browne and others who previously served as Opposition Leader.

“Mr. Pringle has no locus to demand new premises to establish plush offices. If he wants a luxurious office, it should not be at the expense of taxpayers”, the Prime Minister said.

“It should be noted that the office on Market Street remains “shutted”, since March of 2018; evidencing that Mr. Pringle has failed to carry out his constitutional duties as Leader of the Opposition”.

Pringle reportedly said the Market Street office leaks and there is dust falling on the desks, while the office at parliament has no windows for ventilation and the air conditioning unit does not work.

“The people’s work must be done, and the proper facilities and infrastructure must be put in place soonest to accommodate these undertakings”, the Opposition Leader demanded.

Prime Minister Browne assured “if any one of these two offices is need of repairs, we will undertake to fix it”.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. The “opposition” is a joke. Just close the office and save the $10,000 per month. We can use the $10,000 per month for schools and other services for Antigua citizens.

  2. FROM SLUMBER TO CONSCIOUSNESS

    Seemed that the ‘…Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition,’ has just awakened from deep slumber in ‘…March 2018’ to make public his displeasure about office accommodation in ‘…January 2019.’

    The PM speaks to desirable ‘…posh office (news writer has ‘plush),’ and he speaks to ‘…leakiness; …dustiness and non-functioning air-condition units.’

    He may have reasons for making these part of his ‘…New Year Message’ to the nation and people.

    Even so, they clearly lack national significance to ‘…plans and programmes; …declarations of intent,’ as far an effective parliamentary tenure is concerned.

    New Year greetings to all parliamentarians- ‘…left; …right and center.’

    Well, perhaps to the news reporter, this may have been seen as a critical part of the message.
    Working together can resolve these apparent mundane issues.

    • The issue is mundane, if both parties are cooperating. However, they are not small because both parties are NOT working together, this is what BOTH parties are implying here. Thus, the opposition have not or could not or do not want to do his duties to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

  3. Pringle Potato chips you need to come from behind Lovell and Gisele tail and step out as the real opposition leader of this country. You are not a school teacher anymore dealing with children, you are a politician get some fire in your belly, the country needs a vibrant opposition full of life to deal with this dictator we have as prime minister. Your new years speech sounds like a sunday school recitation someone gave you to read, get rid of that speech writer. Open the dam office and have the public take a look at the condition of the building that tax payers paying 10k for, start a protest on market street make the street your office put a table and chair, do the work the man ask you to do. The Puppet Master needs to find work for his wife to do and stop have her flying around with him like a wild geese.

    • Exactly. He needs to THINK FOR HIMSELF and stop merely regurgitating what Lovell has coached him into saying. What are his plans as Opposition Leader? He has the potential, but he needs to balance thinking for himself with advice from the has-been, washed-up Lovell. Lovell needs to disappear and let Mr. Pringle be the face of the party.

      • Who is collecting the rent on this building? Aren’t they responsible for making it habitable? If not the party should step up and find him a better place. KNIGHT IS CORRECT and there should also be a sign that names the landlord who is collecting the $10,000 every month. What a country. 9 months since the election and only now this is an issue? Pathetic.

  4. The Prime Minister should stop these monthly payment for a rundown building that is not being use by the Leader of Opposition. I thought the Landlord of the building on Market Street is responsible for the building maintenance not the government. Government knows that they’re not good in maintaining building structure so if the rent agreement is for them to upkeep the structure it is a bad agreement.

  5. In all these issues where the government is renting private property and paying exorbitant rent and yet the places are not well maintain, I wonder why we are not just cancelling those leases. Look at ABS. Mr. Charles has been collecting $40K every month for decades now and refuses to do any maintenance. We use to have the same with the old Magistrate Court building. Until we left the building and went to the old High Court Building. I wonder who is collecting the rent of this office. It makes absolutely no sense. And we talk about getting value for money when we are buying but do not apply the same for when we are renting. To me it is the same. As a landlord I make sure my properties are always up to the highest standard. And when my tenants break anything I fix it and charge them immediately for it. And I do regularly inspect my properties.

  6. Much to do about nothing.

    How much was spent on the old Parham road building before it was occupied?

    How many other buildings that is not occupied that the government b is still paying for?

  7. RASTA BUDDIES

    Greetings ‘…My Way of Helping.’

    These two ‘…Rastamen’ do not always agree on some issues.

    However, with this one, they sure have no intention to take a ‘…mole hill and build it into a mountain.’

    Simple ‘ibrations.’

    Good ‘…Rasta Buddies.’

  8. What is $10,000 a month when those in power are earning millions on your backs and setting themselves up nicely for retirement?.

  9. Let me look and live
    Live and learn
    Pay ultimate concern
    Just how Revenues Burn
    Divested to those Concerm…mystic 2020

  10. The rental rate in town is about $5.00 per square foot. So you mean to tell me that the office for this man is about 2000 square feet? That is a hell of a big office. It must be a complete house

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