| ...And Cordel on Why He Walked | | Wed, December 29, 2004 | |
 And while Espat's differences with the prime minister was the flashpoint
that led to the Cabinet unraveling, for Cordel Hyde the situation is different.
He could have remained in the Cabinet; in fact, 7NEWS is informed that
he was offered another somewhat inert ministry. But he declined, he says on
a matter of principle. What was that principle, and how could he have been so
compelled by it? Well, he told Jules Vasquez that it is a matter of honor,
a commodity that seemed to be in short supply in the G7.
Jules Vasquez,
As we understand it, from government sources or sources from the Musa administration,
you were not only offered a lateral move of retaining the Ministry of housing
but you were offered an added incentive, another ministry. We were told you
were offered the ministry of sports, why would decline this? Why did you refuse
this?
Cordel Hyde, Lake I Area Rep.
"Jules there comes a time in a man's life when he has to stand up for what
he believes in, stand up for a principle and I could not, in all clear conscience,
accept an offer to serve in the Cabinet in light of the fact that one of my
colleagues was being ousted for no clear or justifiable reason. We had a pact
as a group of 7 in August of this year that we would all stand together. We
lived by that pact and up until yesterday I had no reason to think that things
would be any different and so I stood by that. If there was ever a time when
we needed to stand together, I think it was yesterday."
Jules Vasquez,
So then if you stood out of loyalty to a pact you made in August, what do you
make of those 4 other ministers, other members of the G7, who chose not to stand
by that principle?
Cordel Hyde,
"Well let me say this also: I would have stood up and in clear conscience
decline the offer from the prime minister not just because it was Mark but whether
it was the deputy prime minister down to the Senator because I think we had
common principles and philosophy which we lived by and which we supported and
stood up for in August. I can't speak for the other members, they would have
to speak for themselves on that matter, but I think that yesterday was a defining
moment for us. It was that time when a man had to stand up for what he believes
in and not just talk the talk but actually walk the walk and I felt like I had
to do that. The other members I think will have to speak for themselves on that
matter but I wouldn't want to be the judge of that."
Jules Vasquez,
How does the comedown feel? It must feel very deflating, you have been a ranking
minister of government for two successive terms, on good standing, and now you're
a civilian.
Cordel Hyde,
"Well I've always tried to keep it real Jules. I don't get too high
off the job. I live among my constituency. I've always been there and I don't
get elected as a minister, I get elected as an area representative first and
foremost. I've never felt like I had any special design or claim to any particular
ministry. I've never demanded any ministry and never pleaded for any ministry.
I've always just asked the prime minister, that if he feels it fit to appoint
me to the Cabinet, that he gives me the opportunity to serve my people to the
best of my ability and don't put me in a position where I wouldn't be able to
do that."
Jules Vasquez.
Many of the constituents feel that the institution of government is uncaring,
selfish, and greedy even. What now are your supporters saying?
Cordel Hyde,
"Well they are not very happy. I've had a lot of visitors, a lot of callers,
to express that to me and even on the radio they've been...to say that they
are not happy is an understatement I think. But the one thing that comes out
from what they're saying to me is that they give me full-fledged support. They
think I had no choice in the matter cause where we come from, honor matters.
Where we come from, your word means something. If you say you will live by something,
if you can't stand up to that principle and that belief, then you are a little
less than a man."
Jules Vasquez,
How much are you able to restrain what may be some of the more heated passions
in the city which emanate from Lake Independence? Restrain it so that they don't
feel that what you have chosen to do is an injustice dealt upon them?
Cordel Hyde,
"Well the last 21 months they felt the pinch. They felt like we've been
going through difficult times and I've always restrained them. I've always told
them that we'll continue to work the process and we will continue to work the
process. This is a difficult and unique time though and a defining moment at
that. I will have to consult with them and continue to do that and continue
to stay close to them. But things are building up, energies are building up,
people are concerned, some people are very worried, and time will tell where
we go from here."
Jules Vasquez,
How do you continue playing in a power game, because politics is the art of
manipulating your power or gaining power and wielding it one hopes with a sense
of hope and justice but wielding it none the less, how do you remain in the
game which is defined by power being basically a backbencher who is powerless?
Cordel Hyde,
"Jules anybody who knows me knows it hasn't been about power for me. I
entered politics to try to uplift my neighborhood because where I live, I've
always lived there; for all my life practically. So that I had no choice. I
had to try and participate in the life and the upliftment of my constituency.
It will be difficult, it will be a grave challenge but I will bring everything
I got to the table. I will continue to press forward and be as aggressive as
I possibly can on behalf of my people. I'll speak up in the House, I'll have
a bit more latitude now than ever before, and I will try to work with my colleagues
who are there to try to assist my constituents where their needs are and I will
walk everyday and continue to work for them to the best of ability."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you expect that someway somehow down the line, for example if a new budget
is presented and its your feeling that the taxes, and there will be new taxes
all indications are, that the taxes imposed are inequitable in terms of putting
an uneven burden on those who are least able to pay. Do you foresee that you
could vote against a budget which makes recommendations like that?
Cordel Hyde,
"If I feel that the budget is not equitable, if I feel that the people
who can least afford to pay more are being burdened and I feel that the persons
who can pay more, who ought to pay more, are not paying more I will have to
stand up against such a budget; my conscience will leave me no choice. At the
end of the day Jules, whatever we do ought to be in the best interest of the
majority of the people and that shouldn't be sacrificed for the interest of
a few. The People's United Party, as I understand it, has always been about
social justice, and yes the party has strayed from that a bit over the most
recent past, and the events of August were about getting us on the right track.
It was about steadying things and getting us in the direction where we ought
to be. And everything I do from here on will be about trying to ensure that
we do the right thing."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you ever see yourself joining or making a coalition with the UDP?
Cordel Hyde,
"Jules we are in uncharted territory. I don't think there's a roadmap
anywhere that speaks to these times, its unprecedented. As I've told my colleague
Mark, I've said, we are on a blind curve but on the right road and its better
to be there than to be in the open on the wrong road."
Jules Vasquez,
In your opinion has the downsizing of the Cabinet, which the prime minister
says is for streamlining the government, has that downsizing of the Cabinet
assisted in anyway in making the difficult time ahead more manageable?
Cordel Hyde,
"I don't think so. From my personal opinion I don't think that the Cabinet
has been strengthened one bit. I think the Cabinet has lost a number of persons,
it has not resulted in any additions. It resulted in some re-alignments but
no real addition so I don't think that in a real sense it adds anything. In
fact I think it subtracts."
Jules Vasquez,
Are you being led astray by the bad pickney, in terms of is Mark Espat's marriage
with your sister and influence, you said you would do it for any member of the
G7 but according to the prime minister I've long known this that he thinks Mark
Espat is the problem and he proved that by removing him. Are you falling victim
to that?
Cordel Hyde,
"Jules we signed a pact in August, the 7 of us, to stand together. We sent
a letter to the prime minister to that effect; we'll leave together and we'll
come back together and we'll stay together. I made it abundantly clear to all
my colleagues in that group of 7 that I think we have common principles and
beliefs and that we should stand together, I made that abundantly clear yesterday.
Up until late yesterday it wasn't only Mark Espat who was being asked to be
out of the Cabinet you know, it was a couple other people out of that 7; it
was like 3 people. And my position was the same, it's a hard sell to say well
there isn't a good reason for removing a person from the Cabinet but at the
end of the day, I can't tell the prime minister what to do. I can only say well
sir thanks for the offer to be in your Cabinet but I respectfully decline."
Jules Vasquez,
It's a personal question but you've taken a big pay cut as a area representative,
as a member of the national assembly you get maybe I think its $4,000 a month
and as a minister you would have gotten at least another $40,000 or $50,000
and the prime minister has just announced he's going to ask members of the national
assembly to take a pay cut.
Cordel Hyde,
"It's a terrible time noh."
Jules Vasquez,
You could afford that change of life?
Cordel Hyde,
"Good one Jules but I've never really lived above my means and I used to
work before I entered politics you know."
Jules Vasquez,
So you'll go back to writing?
Cordel Hyde,
"I'll go back to what I can get paid to do and try to live honorably and
respectfully."
Later on, we'll have much more on the Cabinet shake-up including a comment
from the leader of the Opposition, and the first public explanation of the decision
by the Prime Minister.
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