St Vincent government Minister Laverne King on Tuesday addressed the controversy regarding the “double salary” promise made during the election campaign. Speaking on Hot97, her comments focused on admitting to communication errors while clarifying the government’s original intent.
King explicitly admitted that the messaging regarding the financial incentive was unclear. She acknowledged that there was “ambiguity” in the messaging at the time,. Specifically, she confirmed that there were campaign cards “printed in error” that did have the phrase “double salary” on them. She further conceded that the “wording could have been tighter” regarding the promise.
Despite the errors, King argued that the party’s official stance was always intended to be a “salary bonus” rather than a full double salary. She stated:
The party’s “talking plan” and the launch of their “60-day plan” referred to a “salary bonus”.
The text in their campaign blurb specified a “bonus payment for all public servants”.
When the party realized there was confusion, they attempted to “tighten” the messaging and “double down” on clarifying it was a “payment on your salary”.
When pressed by the host Luke Boyea regarding a union leader and members who believed they would receive a double salary (similar to St. Kitts), King argued that while the situation was “unfortunate,” it was not a deliberate attempt to “bamboozle” the public to win votes,. She contended that while some ambiguity existed, it is unfair to assert that everyone was misled or that the intent was malicious.
Minister King explained that the payment was always intended as a “cost of living initiative” to put money “into the pockets of the people who need help the most”. She noted that upon taking office, the government found the debt-to-GDP ratio was over 100%, limiting their financial capacity, yet they were still finding measures to honor the commitment to help.
| Feature | Campaign Ambiguity | Policy Reality (Cost-of-Living Initiative) |
|---|---|---|
| Terminology | “Double Salary” | Salary Bonus / Bonus Payment |
| Origin of Message | Campaign cards printed in error | Written 60-day plan and 100-day mandate |
| Fiscal Context | Initial campaign projection | Debt-to-GDP reality (>100%) |
| Intent | Ambiguous promotional phrasing | Targeted relief for public servants |