Member of Parliament George Pantophlet wondered how he missed it the first time. But when listening to the Prime Minister Sara Wescot-Williams and having to weed through the overuse of words he understood why.
In the presentation by the Prime Minister on the serious problem surrounding the future of the employees of the post office and their families the words futile exercise stood out. The Prime Minister said and let me paraphrase that the information I requested regarding all correspondence involving matters pertaining to New Post Netherlands Antilles, Post Services Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten Communication Union and the government is a futile exercise? Is the Prime Minister saying that a process which according to her that started some 10 to 11 months ago which involves the future of the employees of the Post office of Sint Maarten that providing Parliament (her boss) with this information is a futile exercise? Is the Prime Minister saying that services which these employees provide under the present New Post Netherlands Antilles for which has granted licenses to operate that will infringe upon or make the jobs of some if not most of these employees extinct a futile exercise? Wasn’t the Prime Minister on the representative on the board of New Post Netherlands Antilles? Was her presence there a futile exercise? The Member of Parliament is asking why is it taking so long for government to provide the requested documentation and let him decide whether it was a futile exercise or not.
The information was requested on Friday October 7th. By the time this article appears in the daily newspapers, five working days would have already elapsed and no documentation has yet been provided to members or at least the faction of the National Alliance. And this although the Prime Minister said and he quotes: "By the time we finish the discussions this afternoon all information can be made available to the members of Parliament" end of quote. It is indeed proving to be a futile exercise.