Opposition leader Ralph Gonsalves on Monday reviewed the list of new statutory board appointments, his immediate reaction was an exclamation of “Look at this. Look at this,” noting that it confirmed his warnings about the NDP being captured by “urban and suburban elites”.
While he suggests the entire list was a “scandal,” he highlighted several specific names to illustrate his concerns regarding nepotism and conflicts of interest:
(His first cousin): Gonsalves expressed significant concern that his cousin was appointed to the board of the Argyle International Airport (AIA). He pointed out a direct conflict of interest, as Keith is an agent for a major cargo airline (Amerijet) that operates at the airport.
Luke : He noted that Luke was appointed as the chairman of the Center for Enterprise Development (CED). Gonsalves characterized this as a “consolation prize” and remarked that Luke’s “mouth is now muzzled” because he is part of the state administration.
Elroy Boucher: He questioned why Boucher was appointed as the deputy chairman of NBC Radio and to the NIS board to represent labor. Gonsalves said that Boucher’s union is not the largest in the country and questioned the lack of consultation with other labor movements.
Bert: Gonsalves mentioned him as a sensible “soldier” for the NDP but expressed surprise that he was only given an ordinary membership on the housing board, suggesting his skills were not being properly utilized.
Ministers’ Relations: He noted with disapproval that the list was populated by ministers’ spouses, fiances, and “baby mamas,” describing the appointments as a “reckless” approach to governance based on “friends and family”.
Gonsalves further observed that the list largely excluded working-class people and farmers, consisting instead of “petty bourgeois professionals” from specific middle-class areas like Montrose, Villa, and Indian Bay.