Are “Offensive” Ads against Unions, Being Paid by Taxpayers?
Is the People’s United Party going on the offensive with the unions? Last week, three advertisements were released hitting out at the unions about their positions on the cost cutting measures. Those ads went so far to label the union leaders’ decisions as “political.” Today, P.S.U. first vice-president Dean Flowers spoke out against the attack, questioning why government resources are being used to create the ads at the cost of taxpayers. For perspective, we also have a response from Minister Kareem Musa during an interview last Thursday.
Dean Flowers
Dean Flowers, 1st Vice President, P.S.U.
“I want to say categorically to the listening public that under no circumstances can any of the union leaders influence the kind of membership when you look at the numbers in the manner in which those ads attempt to discredit the leadership of the unions. They are personal, they are vile, they are divisive. And what is sad about those ads is that they are being produced by the state, using the state’s equipment and more importantly, they are being produced by public officers who were recently brought in by this administration. What the public should be upset about is that their assets, resources both human and otherwise, and financial –because someone is paying for them. And guess who is paying for those ads? Certainly not the P.U.P.; the Government of Belize is paying for those ads. Those are the things that the Belizean public needs to be very upset about.”
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“Looking at the ads, what the ads are basically saying, if you were to ask me my interpretation of them, is that basically government has for its part done its part. We have gone to the table with the unions, marathon meetings with the union leadership and while we were able to get some sort of consensus, I am sure that you were informed of that as well last week, it just seems as though there is a political game afoot. If we are to be real, we can look at the different union heads and we can see where their political affiliation comes from in terms of knowing which party that they support. So, while it is that it might not be something that you can appreciate at this time, it is for the wider public to look at and say you know what the government has tried, has made an effort and we are in a difficult economic time and tough decisions will have to be made.”
