Senator claims his wife was verbally abused by painters

Senator Camillo Gonsalves says that any person on his payroll during the run-up to the next general elections who does not conduct himself or herself in a proper manner will be instantly fired.

The declaration came on Thursday, October 1, at around 1:40 p.m., via the social network site Facebook, after Senator Gonsalves, {{more}}Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Consumer Affairs and Information Technology claimed that his wife was verbally abused by men who were painting symbols of the New Democratic Party (NDP) on the road at Fairhall.

Gonsalves will contest the East St George seat in the next general elections on a Unity Labour Party (ULP) ticket against the NDP’s Senator Linton Lewis.

Explaining what had happened, Gonsalves said via Facebook, “Driving up the (newly resurfaced) Fairhall road with my wife, I exchange pleasantries with Clemroy Bert Francois, who I passed on the road. The NDP has a team of workers on the (newly resurfaced) Fairhall road painting pro-NDP graffiti on the walls and (newly-laid) asphalt, presumably in advance of their meeting this evening. Four or five guys with a few buckets of yellow paint and a stencil.”

The minister claimed that as he approached, the men blocked his car and started to hurl obscenities, not at him, but at his wife.

“Says a lot about men who feel good about cussing a woman who’s sitting quietly in a passenger seat”, said Gonsalves via Facebook, while adding, “I thank her, not only for her maturity, but for keeping me calm. She was without a doubt the most adult person on the road.”

He went on, “if any of MY campaign workers ever felt the need or the urge to scream obscenities at any passers-by, they would no longer work for my campaign. Their conduct speaks volumes. I’m all for passion and picong. But there can be no excuse for that type of stupidity. I want to run a campaign that touches the better angels of our nature. As hard as it may be sometimes, I refuse to cultivate, acknowledge, or reward ignorance. #LabourLove.

Later that night, during a political meeting, NDP Senator Linton Lewis, gave what he said was the painters’ side of the story, stating that some men from Calliaqua became enthusiastic and were painting the road in preparation for the night’s meeting.

Lewis, describing the Gonsalves couple as “a foreigner and his wife,” said: “The foreigner decided to drive his vehicle over the men that were painting and were hurrying them out of the road and his wife decided to call Vincentians ignorant.

“So are you gonna call the boys from Calliaqua ignorant? You already called the girls three for 10, now you gonna call the boys ignorant?

“I would not tell you what the response was, but I want to say to you if you are not yet elected or a member of parliament and you want to treat the people of East St George like rubbish, what would you do when you are given the reins of government in this country?”

Lewis said that both political parties are involved in painting roads during the elections and it is not just the NDP that does that type of campaigning.

Monday, when approached for a comment on the incident, Senator Gonsalves said that he did not want to take the matter further, as his wife has asked him to forget about it.(LC)