John Saldivar Denies Rumors of Hostilities in Cabinet
News Five also managed to get comment from Minister John Saldivar this evening, and asked him about that meeting at his house. His response – what meeting? He also denied all reports of any bad blood between camps, hostilities in Cabinet or demands made on the Prime Minister. According to Saldivar, this battle is over.
John Saldivar, Defeated in Sunday’s Convention
“I have to congratulate honorable Patrick Faber on a very spirited campaign. He fought for the victory and he got it and I have to respect the outcome. I have to thank my supporters who came out and stood strong with me and we must give the man the title that he has earned.”
Mike Rudon
“Sir, now we know that you had a majority of support from the ministers in cabinet. We understand that this morning, one, there was a meeting at your house in which there was list of demands made to be brought to cabinet to be presented to the Prime Minister. Could we start by asking you if that is indeed true?”
John Saldivar
John Saldivar
“Absolutely not. I don’t know where you get your information from. We have made no demands of our Prime Minister. In fact, contrary to that, we have reiterated to our Prime Minister our unassailable and unequivocal support for his leadership, for him continuing to remain as our Prime Minister until he decides to retire. So certainly we continue to be a united cabinet.”
Reporter
“Are you able to say though what that meeting at your home was about?”
John Saldivar
“I don’t know about a meeting at my house and I have no intention of disclosing anything that we have discussed between now and then. Those are all private conversations. I can tell you that we were in cabinet today and cabinet was held as per normal. There were no demands made of our Prime Minister, there were no ultimatums given to him; there was an assurance to him that we continue to support his leadership.”
Reporter
“However, Minister Faber has said that during the cabinet meeting, after business was over and the matter of his now becoming the first deputy leader that some ministers shared something of—not necessarily bad blood, but that they were not happy with him having won that position.”
John Saldivar
“First of all I’m not going to take your account of what Minister Faber says. I am going to also state that he has never stated that to us. And there was certainly, as far as I am concern, no bad blood. All of us accept that Minister Faber has won that convention. He is our deputy party leader; he is our Deputy Prime Minister as of next week when the prime minister appoints him to be such. That battle is over.”
