Jack knocks SRC report Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West Jack Warner has

Jack knocks SRC report Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West Jack Warner has criticised the Salaries Review Commission’s (SRC) latest report, describing it as “reprehensible”. Warner who made the comment during Friday night’s sitting of Parliament at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, said: “The SRC report is a disgrace, an insult to the intelligence of all of us.” He went on to point out that an analysis of the current report and earlier reports revealed no clear formula or principle being utilised for the proposed salaries. “The commission states inter alia, that it seeks to ensure that there should be appropriate differentials in compensation, to take into account significant differences in the levels of responsibility between one office and another. But inconsistencies abound in the report,” he said. Warner went on to use examples of the report’s inconsistencies by comparing the salaries of several senior public servants found within the report. “The constitutional-enshrined office of the nation’s Leader of the Opposition is not even provided with medical assistance in any form or fashion by the SRC, while such facilities are paid for by the State to the deputy chairman of the Public Service Commission and other chairmen in various commissions. To compound it further, the proposed monthly salary for the mayor of Port of Spain is $20,890. Is he not part-time? He’s the president of the (Trinidad and Tobago Football Association) T&TFA, also a top insurance executive at Guardian Life and, with luck, in a few weeks time, treasurer of the PNM. He has to be more than a lagahoo to effectively do all those things and be not a part-time mayor. I have nothing against the mayor. He’s my friend. My argument is against injustice,” Warner said. Warner added that he wanted to make it clear he had no ulterior motives in making the point because “whatever is paid or not paid” does not affect him personally. “And we do not need constitutional reform to do that. The SRC must objectively and sensibly assess the work expected of an MP. The SRC must ask itself, can this be done by persons who are part-timers? The SRC must also consider the consequences of maintaining, despite evidence to the contrary, that MPs need only dedicate part of their week’s work on Parliament. That exercise does not require four years to complete,” he said.