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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Jack Warner versus Caribbean Airlines board ...</span>
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - Works and Transport Minister Austin 'Jack' Warner yesterday gave the six-month-old Trinidad and Tobago government an ultimatum: either side with him or with the board of directors of the Caribbean Airlines (CAL). "At the end of the day based on the Cabinet action it would seem to me that the Cabinet has to decide whether it stands with the board or it stands with me," Warner said, adding "and if it does choose the board I have no problem with that, if it is I, I have no problem...".Warner said that the disrespect shown to him by the board is a reminder of the Calder Hart issue that plagued the Patrick Manning government when the former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) was allowed to have a free reign over government multi-billion dollar projects. "Calder Hart did not become Calder Hart the terrible overnight it came so after he overlooked his line ministers and he believed he was only accountable to the Prime Minister. Now what you are seeing here is the same situation," Warner told reporters.Warner and CAL have been at loggerheads after the line minister accused the board of disregarding a government directive regarding the US$200 million deal to purchase a fleet of aircraft from French manufacturer ATR in favour of negotiating a new deal with Bombardier. Media reports quoted Warner as saying that Brunton was dismissed following a disagreement between himself (Warner) and the board's chairman George Nicholas over the purchase of the planes.Warner told reporters yesterday that he is surprised that the board, which he accused of "doing its own thing" had not done the ethical thing and submit its resignation."It is shocking to me that if there are fundamental differences between the board and the line minister that the board has not done the correct thing," he said."...If the Prime Minister (Kamla Persad Bissessar) and I have a fundamental disagreement, I would do the correct thing and leave the government and therefore I would expect the ethical thing to do, is since the board and I can't see eye to eye and will not see eye to eye then it seems to me that something has to be wrong...and they should do the ethical thing," he told reporters. Warner said that the board "does not report to me" and he regarded the statement which the CAL issued late on Thursday as one showing him to be a "liar" "That is the kind of combative stance that they continue to portray. I have not gotten anything from the board, I have not spoken to the board since about two weeks ago... they don't talk to me, they have by-passed me...," he added. But in its statement, the CAL board of directors said that it had "done nothing wrong" as it relates to its relationship with Warner and dismissed suggestions that the minister was being kept in the dark. (Observer)
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Jack Warner versus Caribbean Airlines board ...</span>
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - Works and Transport Minister Austin 'Jack' Warner yesterday gave the six-month-old Trinidad and Tobago government an ultimatum: either side with him or with the board of directors of the Caribbean Airlines (CAL). "At the end of the day based on the Cabinet action it would seem to me that the Cabinet has to decide whether it stands with the board or it stands with me," Warner said, adding "and if it does choose the board I have no problem with that, if it is I, I have no problem...".Warner said that the disrespect shown to him by the board is a reminder of the Calder Hart issue that plagued the Patrick Manning government when the former executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) was allowed to have a free reign over government multi-billion dollar projects. "Calder Hart did not become Calder Hart the terrible overnight it came so after he overlooked his line ministers and he believed he was only accountable to the Prime Minister. Now what you are seeing here is the same situation," Warner told reporters.Warner and CAL have been at loggerheads after the line minister accused the board of disregarding a government directive regarding the US$200 million deal to purchase a fleet of aircraft from French manufacturer ATR in favour of negotiating a new deal with Bombardier. Media reports quoted Warner as saying that Brunton was dismissed following a disagreement between himself (Warner) and the board's chairman George Nicholas over the purchase of the planes.Warner told reporters yesterday that he is surprised that the board, which he accused of "doing its own thing" had not done the ethical thing and submit its resignation."It is shocking to me that if there are fundamental differences between the board and the line minister that the board has not done the correct thing," he said."...If the Prime Minister (Kamla Persad Bissessar) and I have a fundamental disagreement, I would do the correct thing and leave the government and therefore I would expect the ethical thing to do, is since the board and I can't see eye to eye and will not see eye to eye then it seems to me that something has to be wrong...and they should do the ethical thing," he told reporters. Warner said that the board "does not report to me" and he regarded the statement which the CAL issued late on Thursday as one showing him to be a "liar" "That is the kind of combative stance that they continue to portray. I have not gotten anything from the board, I have not spoken to the board since about two weeks ago... they don't talk to me, they have by-passed me...," he added. But in its statement, the CAL board of directors said that it had "done nothing wrong" as it relates to its relationship with Warner and dismissed suggestions that the minister was being kept in the dark. (Observer)