DOES PINTARD HAVE A REAL JOB?

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As reported in The Tribune by Leandra Rolle on 12 March 2026:

“I want you to know that being a playwright is a job,” he said. “I want you to know that writing poetry is a job. I want you to know that performing on theatre or in the square is a job. I want you to know that all those things you denigrate are, in fact, jobs.”

Mr Davis replied that he has never denigrated the arts. He pointed to his administration’s initiatives, including CAPAS and assistance to the Dundas Theatre, as evidence of support for the sector.

He told Mr Pintard that it was he who initiated the broader exchange when he questioned his role as a lawyer, a profession the prime minister said he is proud of. Mr Davis highlighted his contributions to legal education across the Caribbean and said his work is widely recognised throughout the region.

 “Tell us what you did in your lifetime,” Mr Davis said. “You’re saying poetry is a job. Who said it wasn’t?”

#He also rejected Mr Pintard’s claim that he had said creatives are “disqualified” from holding the post of prime minister, insisting he never made such a statement.

#National Security Minister Wayne Munroe entered the debate, criticising how Mr Pintard describes himself on the FNM’s website.

“If he was proud to be a creative, the first thing would be, I am a poet. I am a writer, not I am a human resource consultant,” Mr Munroe said. “That’s what you claim. You didn’t claim the creative. This the Free National Movement website. Stop being disingenuous.”