Warner gives Martin Joseph two 'red cards'
Ria Taitt Political Editor
Thursday, January 31st 2008
Drawing on his vast football experience, Jack Warner yesterday used the metaphor of the "red card" to order National Security Minister Martin Joseph off the field of play, or more directly, told him to quit as Minister.
Exercising the power and adopting the demeanor of a referee, Warner dramatically opened a brown case.
"In football, when you want to get a player off the field, you give them a red card, Minister...," he said, giving Joseph his marching orders.
Warner held up not one, but two red cards, as he made the statement.
Joseph, however, did not leave as he was instructed to, but instead joined in the general laughter. In fact, the only stern face in the Parliament chamber was Warner's. Amidst the mirth, Warner said since Joseph did not appear to be able to see the resignation letter recently tendered in the House by Dr Roodal Moonilal, he (the Minister) could not miss the sight of the big two red cards.
The Chaguanas West MP was speaking in the debate on the crime motion in the House of Representatives yesterday. During his contribution, Warner also criticised a calypsonian "clown" who, he said, Government had managed to get to sing "the same old trash that he has been singing for the last ten years on Basdeo Panday and Oma".
"For the last six years, this country has had traffic jams like mad, crimes aplenty, water shortage, the city of POS is being systematically destroyed, health is in shambles, education is crisis and the calypsonian clown, whose son was murdered, could sing on Bas and Oma and of course, now on Jack Warner," the UNC Deputy Political leader stated.
He said it was because of the PNM that the calypso artform was dying, and the artistry of George Bailey and Harold Saldenha and Tito Velasquez was being replaced with bra and panty.
"That is what they (the PNM) have done," he said.
Turning back to Joseph, Warner said he meant no disrespect, but "God made some of us tall, some short, some fat, some thin, some bright like me and others like the Prime Minister". He said in the same vein, Joseph just did not look or act the part of National Security Minister.
"He just doesn't cut it," Warner said, suggesting that San Fernando West MP, Junia Regrello, had more of the bearing.
"Tall, stately, threatening," he said, speaking of Regrello and causing chuckles.
Warner ruled out Trade Minister Dr Keith Rowley, predicting that the PM would never make him National Security Minister.
"If that were the case, the Prime Minister would never leave the country," he said.
Quoting Citadel Limited (I95FM) owner Louis Lee Sing, Warner said the blame for the escalating crime had to be laid solidly at the Prime Minister's door. He said the present crime situation was a "direct result" of PM Manning, who wined and dined the community leaders at the Crowne Plaza and at the Ambassador Hotel.
"The only community leader I wined and dined at the Crowne Plaza was Basdeo Panday," Manning shot back, referring to the famous Crowne Plaza Accord.
"Having wined and dined the community leaders, he cannot now destroy the tiger that he has fed ... that he has kept strong," Warner said.
"The Prime Minister has been feeding the crime tiger and he cannot stop now. If he does, he is in deep trouble.
Panday chimed in, saying: "That's right! He cannot dismount the tiger."
But Warner claimed that Manning, who fired non-performers from his last Cabinet, could not fire Joseph because he owed Joseph some favours from the time when he (Manning) faced a challenger for the PNM leadership in 1996 "and some party groups were formed quick, overnight".
