The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

kvirgi@tribunemedia.net

A HEATED discussion yesterday erupted in the Senate over the salaries of Members of Parliament during the Ingraham administration's stay in office.

While making his contribution to the 2012/2013 budget debate, Senator Frank Smith told members of the Upper Chamber that the FNM had not submitted a mid-year budget because their performance was shameful.

Mr Smith said: "I believe that they were ashamed of the results and their hands would have been shown to be unclean. If a mid-year budget was presented it would have been shown to the public that the former Minister of State for Finance was collecting a fat paycheck of $120,000 a year."

Senator Zhivargo Laing and former State Finance Minister then stood on a point of order claiming Mr Smith's statements were incorrect.

He said: "I want the honourable member to be clear on the fact that I received the same salary that every Minister of State received. I also received a housing allowance as did every Minister who did not reside in New Providence. We did that for four Ministers. So for this member to suggest that I had a take home pay of $120,000 is untrue."

Under the FNM, three other MPs, each with portfolios, including former Agriculture Minister Larry Cartwright, then Works Minister Neko Grant and Kenneth Russell who served as Housing Minister until he was stripped of his duties late last year leaving him to continue in the House only as an MP.

Allyson Maynard-Gibson then stood to insist Mr Laing produce evidence. To that request, Mr Laing urged Mrs Gibson to use her position as Attorney General to attain the supporting documentation.

"This is the Attorney General of the Bahamas, a member of the government of the Bahamas who has the means of providing any information with the government of the Bahamas. Something as simple as paid salaries, the treasury can produce in an instance. I never said I was paid differently than other Ministers of State. I didn't say that and the Attorney General knows that," Mr Laing said.