Senator McClean: There’s nothing wrong with hard work

AS the country moves toward its 50th independence anniversary, one government senator is reminding people that there is nothing wrong with hard work. 

Insisting this is the foundation upon which this island has been built, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean said that sacrifices are already being made, and continue to be made for its further development. 

“For the last 50 years, for the persons who laid the groundwork for some of us who were children in that Independence era – who did not have the luxury of a middle-class existence – we appreciated education, the sacrifice of our parents, and the support of our neighbours. We appreciated the fact that we wanted to make this country look good, and that there was nothing wrong with hard work and being productive. 

We appreciated that nobody owed us a living or owed us anything for that matter. At the end of the day with the sheer dint of hard work, commitment, dedication, support for each other, a good strong community spirit, we made it from 1966 right through to 2015. 

“I want to say to people that I have seen Barbados in tough times, I have seen Barbados in good times, I have seen people make sacrifices,and seen people be wasteful. I have seen people respect institutions and I have seen people disrespect institutions, but I think that as the Father of Independence and now national hero the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow will have challenged... What image do we have of ourselves?” she asked. 

At the time, McClean was speaking in the Upper House during last week’s wrap-up of the Appropriations Bill debate. (JMB)