PM Not Impressed with Panton’s Performance

Prime Minister John Briceño is speaking bluntly about Opposition Leader Tracy Panton’s budget presentation. He says her long contribution lacked substance and didn’t land—even with members of her own party. Briceño also pushed back on Panton’s claim that he mocked her disability, addressing the criticism directly. Here’s how he responded when pressed on both issues.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I guess she had to find something to say and she spoke over two hours and like I’m going to be kind. She’s doing as best as she can as the Leader of the Opposition to try to come up with some kind of rebuttal but even people from within her own party  have not been satisfied and they’ve been savage to her with her presentation. So I would leave it to them. And I think I would leave it as that.”

 

Reporter

“Will you apologize to Panton. She said you mocked her, quote unquote, disability.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I don’t remember I was mocking her about her disability. I mean she was mocking me on grandstanding. So you know.” 

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“I think it is wholly unacceptable that the highest office holder in this country thinks that it’s fair game to ridicule or poke fun of at a person’s disability or challenge or medical setback that they may have. If the prime minister of this country can get away with bullying, ’cause it’s, that is what it amounts to. It’s bullish behavior. If he can get away with disrespecting and disregarding persons who are differently able in this country, what can we expect from anybody else.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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