The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

A COMMENT from Public Services Minister Pia Glover-Rolle about the legacy of the Free National Movement drew a rebuke from former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on Saturday.

Mrs Glover-Rolle was discussing public service at the Progressive Liberal Party’s convention Thursday night when she said: “The FNM did nothing for public servants.”

Mr Ingraham, while campaigning in West Grand Bahama for the FNM ahead of the by-election, said he was stunned by the comment.

“That’s an outright lie,” he told reporters. “There’s no need to lie in this business. When she goes to work every day as minister, she goes to the place the FNM put there. When she talks about minimum wage, that is what the FNM put into law. The PLP been around 25 years and never passed the minimum wage law.

“Ask the civil servants who gave them a reduced number of hours during the course of the work week, who gave them increased increments, increased their salary. Ask any policeman anywhere in this country with the force right now or teachers, etc.”

In 2001, the Ingraham administration passed the Employment Act 2001 and the Minimum Wages Act 2001. The minimum wage was $150 per week at the time.