By ANDRE BAGOO Wednesday, September 16 2009

WORKS and Transport Minister Colm Imbert early yesterday morning advised his former Cabinet colleague, Dr Keith Rowley, to “do some introspection” in relation to his place within the ruling People’s National Movement as he defended the Government’s decision to award a $368 million contract to the company that later came to be called Sunway.

Imbert began his contribution to the Budget debate shortly before midnight on Monday night and finished early on Tuesday morning.

“Before I conclude, Mr Speaker, I think it is incumbent upon me to deal with some of the remarks made by my colleague from Diego Martin West,” Imbert said at about 12.30am on Tuesday.

“I will tell my honourable colleague that I really think he needs to read his Hansard record, see what he said and do some introspection,” Imbert said. “Because to make a statement that much of what the Government has done, has brought no political credit when he was a member of the Government I think is an unsustainable statement.”

“I think in his cold, sober moments that he will realise that what he has said was not accurate, and I have some advice for him (he may not wish to take it) that he really needs to do some introspection, because the statements that my colleague is making are just not accurate, and not sustainable.”

At the time, Rowley had already left the chamber after having spoken hours earlier in a presentation in which he criticised the Government’s priorities.

Also absent from the chamber at the time of Imbert’s presentation was Prime Minister Patrick Manning who left the debate on Monday night at 7.11pm.