BLP explains MPs’ absence

As the fifth and final day of the Estimates debate continued in the House of Assembly yesterday, it was only the Government’s side contributing to the discussion on the Heads, as the Barbados Labour Party’s Members of Parliament were noticeable absent from the proceedings.

In a statement released yesterday afternoon, Leader of Opposition Business in the House, Member of Parliament for St. Michael South East, Santia Bradshaw sought to explain their rationale. In doing so, she raised two issues, including the Minister of Finance, Christopher Sinckler’s failure, during his wrap up of the debate on the Appropriation Bill, to answer any of the question posed by the Opposition, as influencing their decision.

She explained that when the Opposition MPs made their respective contributions on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the financial year 2018-2019 and spoke, too, on the contents of the Barbados Sustainable Recovery Plan, they repeatedly called on the Government to answer a series of questions, but none were addressed, she said. Among the areas answers were being sought for, the MP indicated, was the country’s current foreign reserve position; the continued printing of money; and how Government intends to deal with the “country’s crumbling infrastructure”. Those questions were among eight in total that the BLP posed to the Finance Minister in a paid advertisement in another section of the press, and on the floor of Parliament during presentations from the various MPs.

“The second reading speeches have now ended and the Minister of Finance wrapped up the debate yesterday [Thursday] without any of the pressing issues facing this country being addressed. For us to move on to debate expenditure in individual Ministries commonly referred to as the Heads without properly accounting for the state of the economy makes the entire process farcical,” Bradshaw contended.

Additionally, she charged that the situation was compounded by the fact that it was only on Thursday evening that notice was given of the Heads that were likely to be debated. Bradshaw, adamant that this is not the norm, expressed concern as she indicated that it is often felt that debate on the Heads not only allows for “full and proper ventilation” of the issues in various ministries, but it provides the Government with the opportunity to give reasons for the expenditure earmarked under specific line items.

“At this time when Barbados is in crisis, we the Opposition Barbados Labour Party believe that we can only participate in meaningful discussion and debate if there is full disclosure of the true state of the economy. Otherwise our contributions become meaningless. We believe that we owe it to the public of Barbados to explain our decision to be absent from the House and I give the country the assurance that we remain ready to participate in any discussions regarding the economy provided that the true state of the economy is presented by this Government,” she concluded.
(JRT)