Speaking in the House of Assembly recently, Rymer said after having talks with the Director of the Public Works, it was noted that staff members were being under-utilised. So to remedy the situation, workers in the department were placed on bush-cutting and ghut-cleaning duties.

But Rymer said some Opposition legislators were displeased about this and called to complain.

“The members called me cussing,” Rymer told the House. “‘Why they here? I got man sitting down on the block, why Public Works here in my place? Why Public Works cutting bush, and I got people sitting down here could do it?’”

The Minister explained that it was the same taxpayers’ money that would be going to fund either exercise.

He also applauded the Public Works Department which he said has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Rymer made the statements as legislators debated the prospect of exempting House Speaker, Julian Willock, from paying legal fees in an aborted court injunction.

While he said bush-cutting had no relevance to the debate, he opted to speak on the subject as a response to the aforesaid Opposition legislators who had raised the issue moments earlier.

At the time, the Opposition said the government was unconscionable to want to use taxpayer funds to pay Willock’s exorbitant legal fees when the monies could be better spent on bush cutting contracts throughout the territory.