Premier Reuben Meade speaking emphatically at press conference
During the last joint press conference of His Excellency Governor Davis and Premier Meade in mid-November past, the premier was undoubtedly in a mood of frustration, not just with the British Government but he continued his lament with his dissatisfaction of the functioning and efficiency of public servants.
He introduced that latest criticism beginning with what he called a ‘caution’, “…because the leader of the opposition was speaking to the fact that a senior prison officer or the Senior Persons Officer giving information that he was not consulted on a piece of legislation.”
The issue originated in the House of Assembly prior to the press conference when debating the recent Parole Bill. “If you have senior public servants who are not yet aware that they are responsible for knowing what legislation they are operating under, when there are changes to the legislation, it is not for us to call them and ask them whether or not they have comments, it is for them to bring themselves up to speed,” the premier cautioned.
He then spoke further again on civil servants who, “seem to think it’s part of our culture that we can be late… it is no longer ok, people must turn up on time for work, and when they come to work they must do their work,” he said.
He described how he had noted at 8.15 one morning that less than 25 per cent of the usual vehicles were parked at Government Headquarters when he arrived at his office, also noting further, “people are turning up at 9 o clock as though it’s ok.”
He expressed his frustration even more coming right after his “sick and tired with the British” as he concluded: “…it’s part of our culture that we don’t have to do what we are paid to do, but ‘I’m sick and tired’ of persons who believe that they are not being paid sufficiently and therefore they will work less.”
