Earlier in the news, we showed you parts of our interview with UDP Party Whip Michael Finnegan, as he was exiting today's Cabinet Meeting. He was defending his other Cabinet colleagues whose names are called in the Auditor General's reports.
So, while he says that there is too much hysteria stirred up about the findings of that report, the news out of today's Cabinet meeting is that his colleagues will be investigated by way of a Senate probe. Finnegan is perfectly in the clear since he name is not called not even once in all 3 reports into the Immigration practices of 2011 to 2013.
We also showed you his explanation about how he managed to stay away from being named. Today, we also got an opportunity to question him about the demands made on Area Representatives by the electorate. He told us that this culture of voters requiring ministerial involvement in so many things may account for why the names of 13 of his current and former colleagues ended up in the Auditor General's reports into the issuance of visas, passports, and nationality certificates. Here's that back and forth:
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Area Rep., - Mesopotamia
"If politicians, if ministers and area representatives doesn't intervene on behalf of constituents, everybody will chance poor people out there, because its only so that poor people get their piece of lands at lands department. Only so they get their birth paper and their little matters settle the immigration department, at fisheries department or any. I'm just calling names out of hand - post office or at the income tax or customs and so. Only so people get satisfaction when their area representative intervene on their behalf. And if you is an area representative and you stop intervene on behalf of people, then you'll have chaos in the city. It will be chaos and then people will not vote for you, because people vote for you to help you."
"Let me give you a story: when people wakes up in the morning and they want a letter for recommendation, you know what's the first thing that ran through their minds? - The area representative. On Thursdays, you know how many letters of recommendation my secretary writes, based on recommendations where people come there by the drove and ask for. Am I to tell them I cannot give them? Because maybe after they go with the recommendation you find out one was at jail or one they deport one? And so what?"
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir, isn't that in itself, if the letters aren't necessary a wrong culture being created and promulgated years before you time?"
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Area Rep., - Mesopotamia
"This is true, but I don't want to get into that. Poor people needs to be assisted and I assist the poor and if I cannot do anything for the poor or I cannot help the poor, then I am prepared at this right stage to come out of public life."
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