Gonsalves says response to Frederick may have been misconstrued

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves says his response to Opposition senator Vynette Frederick about a young woman working at Frederick’s mother’s home, may have been misconstrued.{{more}}

The exchange between Gonsalves and Frederick took place in Parliament on December 4, as the senator debated the 2012 Estimates.

The prime minister told the Unity Labour Party’s convention Sunday that when he told Frederick that there must be a specific reason why a young lady with eight ‘O’ Levels and four ‘A’ Levels works at her mother’s house, he meant the employee was also a family member.

“Other people who heard what I said may have thought something else,” Gonsalves told the gathering at West St George Secondary School.

“All I meant is that that must have been a family member,” he continued.

Gonsalves interrupted Frederick’s contribution to the debate of the Estimates after she charged that a number of the nation’s youth were underemployed and mentioned the case of the young lady who, she said, had no choice but to resort to doing domestic work.

“Underemployment is the order of the day, so that a young lady with eight ‘O’ Levels and four ‘A’ Levels would catch her hand by cleaning my mother’s home two days a week — what a revolution,” Frederick said.

The prime minister interjected, saying that there had to be specific reasons why someone that qualified had to find work at the residence of the senator’s mother.

Frederick further commented that it was better that the young lady works at her mother’s residence than that of the prime minister.

“…we know what happens at your home,” Frederick said.

Gonsalves later asked the senator to tell Parliament what sort of activity takes place at his residence, but she declined comment. (DD)