Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday that the current Council of Ministers (COM) should be the one to conclude the Emilio Wilson Estate purchase and the Vorst property in Cay Hill.
“I was not surprised by the comments of our Prime Minister about the Vorst and Emilio Wilson land purchases. The Council of Ministers is made up of seven members not just one who has a difference of opinion for political reasons.
“I am not here to play politics but to make decisions in the best interest of this Country. The Prime Minister has her own political hidden agenda and we can’t mix the two together as a representative of the Council of Ministers.
“Even though the Emilio Wilson Estate documents have a lot of discrepancies, the Prime Minister seems okay to move forward on this, but we need to follow the proper procedures but not the lowering of the price for the Vorst property. As a caretaker Government at this point in time, we started the process and these two issues are nothing new, let’s decide on how to move forward on these same two issues.
“I am in the process of preparing an advice for next week’s Tuesday Council of ministers meeting for everyone to vote on. It should be a Council’s decision on how we decide on the Vorst proposal instead of the Prime Minister deciding for the entire Council.
“The Prime Minister is definitely not talking on behalf of my person as Minister of VROMI. The majority in the Council was concerned with the price, now the Vorst family wants to lower the price in the best interest of the people and now it comes to decision making and negotiation for a lower price the Prime Minister doesn’t want to make a decision.
“We need people in Government who are going to make firm decisions in the best interest of this Country and its people. Election time is over, now we need to put aside petty politics and raise the bar to take our people to a next level.
“In closing, I would like to see the format of the Council of Ministers meeting changed to where we discuss more the issues and have constructive discussions and take decisions in the best interest of the people.
“I also would like to see another agenda point added by the Prime Minister where we discuss what the Ministers would be discussing in the Press Briefings the next day in order to avoid these types of statements being made by a Prime Minister. Say one thing during the Council of Ministers meeting and then decide for everyone in the press briefing.
“I don’t agree with the Prime Minister’s approach that the current Council of Ministers should leave it up to the next COM to complete the Vorst property.
“It was government business that started within the current COM and it should be completed under this Council. Let COM decide whether it should be left to the next team of ministers. This is nothing new and has been dealt with by this Government for the past few months,” Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday.