The Grenada government says Senator Rae Roberts’ public criticism of a pay increase for the prime minister’s press secretary is misleading and lacks context and background. Leader of government business in the senate, Simon Stiell, said Roberts is ignoring the fact that previous prime minister Tillman Thomas had employed a direct support staff of five persons working for more than half a million dollars. Compared to current Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell’s one-person support team, Thomas’s team was made-up of a chief of staff working for nearly $100,000 a year, a press secretary for almost $75,000, an aide employed for nearly $90,000, a policy advisor whose annual salary was more than $155,000 as well as an attaché. “We have support staff… Prime Minister Thomas, five persons, attaché, chief of staff, aide, policy advisor working for 522,000 dollars. Five people,” said Stiell as the 2016 budget debate in the upper house was winding down. “Prime Minister Mitchell, one person, 60,000 dollars with one thousand dollars per month increase. "Coming into office Prime Minister Mitchell was very conscious of the resources within government, knowing he cannot have a bigger staff …because of the financial constraints," he said. Roberts, who represents labour in the upper house, but who reports suggest is earmarked to be an opposition candidate in the next election, is against the $1,000 increase for the press secretary. Steill pointed to an increased workload for the press secretary who, he argued, is doing the job of five persons. “We are into the third year, the workload is excessive and she is doing the work of five people, who earned 522,000 dollars a year,” said Steill. “Senator Roberts, there are more numbers in this book than in the phone book and the only number in the entire book that you can pull out is 1,000 dollars per month allocation. Shame on you! Shame on you! Senator Roberts. Shame on you! That is the best that you can do?” he said. Source: caribbeannewsnow.com