Antigua’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne last month delivered a warning that any government legislator who defied him by failing to support a contentious piece of legislation before Parliament would be fired. Yesterday, he followed through on that threat by axing Senator Wigley George.
He had been among Antigua Labour Party (ALP) appointed Senators who rejected the Statutory Corporations General Provisions Bill when it was first debated on August 15, expressing concern about Clause 7 which states that the Cabinet may, if it considers in the best interest of public administration, transfer an employee on secondment from one statutory corporation to another, or to the public service. The Bill was sent back to the Lower House for review, at which time Browne urged Senators to toe the line.
But yesterday, when a motion to pass or reject the clause went before the House, George signalled that he would again reject it. He explained that while he had no problem with government employees being moved, he could not support that happening without consent.
Shortly after, as he sat in the Senate session, George received a revocation of appointment letter.
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