PAC meeting rescheduled because Minister Saldivar was unable to appoint substitutes
John Saldivar
The Public Accounts Committee was scheduled to meet in regular session on Wednesday, following a round of meetings held last week with various social partners. Those meetings saw Pro-tem Chairman John Saldivar tabling a proposal before the Council of Churches, as well as the unions and the chamber of commerce. While an extension has been requested for stakeholders to pore over details of the recommendations, the scheduled meeting could not be held since government members were unable to make quorum in the absence of the opposition. The government has been holding meetings without the opposition, but on Wednesday it didn’t have a quorum even though the acting chairman of the committee should have been able to appoint substitutes. According to Saldivar, the meeting has been rescheduled.
John Saldivar, Pro-Tem Chairman, Public Accounts Committee
“So far we have submitted in writing the proposal to the chamber [of commerce] and to the unions. They have asked us for up until the fifth of November to give us a response. So we are simply waiting on that.”
Reporter
“Okay, and are you able to say, I know we discussed it with you and you are loathe to go into the details apparently, but are you able to say if that proposal changes in anyway the construction?”
John Saldivar
“I imagine that it will change the composition yes, what is being proposed but I won’t go into the details of that until we hear from the chamber and the unions as to whether they’ll accept. As we said, this proposal came out of the meeting of the Council of Churches and so it is already clear that the Council of Churches are in favor of the proposal.”
Reporter
“How could the U.D.P. not meet quorum yesterday?”
John Saldivar
“I believe one member was out of the country and another was unable to attend and we weren’t able to get replacements.”
Reporter
“Aren’t alternates usually appointed?”
John Saldivar
“That’s what I am saying. We were unable to get replacements.”
Reporter
“All the seventeen elected representatives? I know you’re down to fifteen who can go out in public right now…”
John Saldivar
“We were unable to get replacements so we are rescheduling.”
