“They Can’t Be Pontius Pilate” – Henry Charles Usher

Henry Charles Usher

This morning on Open Your Eyes, Cabinet Minister Henry Charles Usher also chimed in on the conversation surrounding the definitive agreement.  He dissected the document from various perspectives, including its legality.  According to the parliamentarian, members of the previous administration cannot say that they were unaware of the existence of the agreement and what is contained in the document.  Here’s how he puts it.

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Government

“What I can say is that there are three areas that you have to look at with this particular agreement.  There are more than three, but three I can discuss.  One is the content of the agreement, two is the legality of the agreement and three is this culture that existed within the former administration where one month before an election they are signing such a comprehensive document and certainly former members of that administration can’t be washing themselves of that.  They can’t be Pontius Pilate and say, “Oh, I didn’t know about that.”  But let me start with the legality and I think that is important because any agreement that comes, either from a previous administration or signed now, needs to get the approval of the attorney general’s ministry.  And I think it’s critical that government asks the attorney general to properly review the agreement, to look at all aspects of how it was signed, who signed it, what’s included in it and to make sure that it’s legal.  Secondly, it’s the content and I can tell you that there are some serious concerns about what is in that agreement.  Now, we have to look at all investments coming into the country for the benefits they can bring.  Do a cost/benefit analysis, look at all the environmental issues, everything else that comes into play with these types of investments.  But if you are going to be issuing these types of concessions when it’s unfair to other competitors or other persons investing, we have to look at that and certainly there are issues raised that were raised in cabinet about what is in this particular agreement.  I have serious concerns about what is in this agreement.  I have serious concerns about the legality of the agreement, to be honest with you.”