The Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe

¶ 01 Give me another two or three minutes. I will adjust our Members’ time. We will reduce from our Members’ time and manage it.

¶ 02 Now they talk about hunting down people. Who are the real hunters? Those calling from 6922229668 — they are the hunters. We never hunted anyone. After the 2010 Presidential Election, do not ask me about how your father, Sarath Fonseka, was hunted. What cases, what laws, what court heard them? Mahinda Rajapaksa, your father, within a week after the 2010 Presidential Election, seized Sarath Fonseka, threw him into prison, and put a jumper on him. Yet you speak about war heroes and ending the war. You talk about war victory while you humiliated Sarath Fonseka by stripping him and putting a jumper on him. So the country knows what you did. You can try to act holy in Parliament dressed in white, but you cannot cleanse yourselves. There is a poem: “When committing sin, it seems like nectar — when reaping its fruit, it burns like fire.” That is what the Opposition is facing today.

¶ 03 You are agitated. When we appoint committees to probe the frauds in the Cultural Fund, you get agitated. There is nothing for you to ask about it. There is an MP on that side — I have not seen him for days. Is it the “Kalutara Rattaran” or who — I have not seen him for days. Now they rush to Parliament, shout a few words, and run out again. That is how agitated they have become.

¶ 04 There is no witch-hunt. But the National People’s Power Government is clearly and correctly proceeding, fulfilling one by one the promises given to the people. That is why they are agitated. If we are doing so badly, you should be happy, shouldn’t you? If we are failing, why are you not happy? Who is your next Presidential candidate? Is it you? Is it Mr. Sajith sitting over there? Or is it Mr. Dayasiri?

¶ 05 We promised the people of this country, and now we are delivering. We have ensured the highest ever wage increase in history for employees in the private sector. But none of this is sufficient. There are still many issues in the public service and in the private sector. Working people and labourers face many problems. We must resolve them one by one. Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, these are problems they created, established, and worsened. Therefore, at this moment, I make one request from all trade unions in our country: yes, you have issues — in nursing, postal, railway, the teaching service, the principals’ service — everyone has issues. We know them well. We, who were trade union leaders, fought with those issues then and we fight even today. We are taking every possible intervention to resolve them. For that, you should grant this Government time and an opportunity.

¶ 06 Just as we implemented this wage increase, we are preparing plans to resolve the other issues one by one. We are discussing with the Ministry of Public Administration to appoint a strong Wages Commission and to eliminate all salary anomalies in the state sector. We have already initiated steps to establish an Education Council. The supportive committee to set it up commenced on the 8th. On the 25th we will meet for the second time. Through that Education Council, we will resolve issues across all services in education — the Teachers’ Service, Principals’ Service, Teacher Educators’ Service, Education Administrative Service, and Teacher Advisors — regularize them as professional services, and establish a professional council. We are moving forward, fulfilling one by one the promises made not only to workers but to the entire nation.

¶ 07 On unauthorized constructions, I saw claims about this place and that place. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation stated policy very clearly: currently 48 tanks have been identified, and all unauthorized constructions around those tanks will be removed. In the first 22 tanks, demarcation of reserve boundaries is underway. So, stop bringing random claims here. We have stated the policy clearly: unauthorized constructions around the selected 22 tanks will be removed. That is the position and policy. We will not jump from place to place like bulls breaking into a betel stall. We are doing everything systematically and in order, including through the judicial system, in a proper manner.

¶ 08 It won’t be long. All who did wrong will be brought in. So do not panic. Indictments have been filed. There is nothing to panic about. Panic makes you forget where you were, what you said, what you did. You forget your history and now talk as if you were saints.

¶ 09 For the private sector of this country, today is a historic day. We ensured the greatest wage increase in history. We will also resolve other sectoral issues ahead. Finally, I request all private institutions in this country to grant this increase from 1st April. I saw notices put up in front of some factories in the Biyagama area saying, “The Bill is not yet passed into law; so when it comes, we will pay.” When the Ministry of Labour made inquiries, we said, “Grant the increase from April; we will definitely pass the Bill; pay until then.” Today we call on all institutions to pay the increased salary with arrears from 1st April. With that request made, and thanking you, Hon. Chair, for the time, I conclude.