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DLP's Privatisation Dilemma

I have come to the conclusion that many local politicians seem to have an aversion to telling the truth, even when the truth would not hurt them; their default position is to lie. Nothing has borne that out more than the privatisation debate that is presently gripping the country. Opposition Leader, Owen Arthur, articulated a…

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Caswell Franklyn, Head of Unity Workers Union

I have come to the conclusion that many local politicians seem to have an aversion to telling the truth, even when the truth would not hurt them; their default position is to lie. Nothing has borne that out more than the privatisation debate that is presently gripping the country.

Opposition Leader, Owen Arthur, articulated a policy on privatisation that almost mirrors previously stated DLP policy. Unfortunately, that policy inflamed the passions of a section of the community, particularly the trade union movement, to the extent that the president of NUPW called a press conference to reiterate his union’s opposition. Sadly, the DLP chose to shift gears and disavow their longstanding policy, claiming that it would lead to job losses. Interestingly enough, only Minister of Finance, Christopher Sinckler, had the courage to admit publicly that both parties are at one on the privatisation issue.

It is that either Owen Arthur is extremely clever or the DEMS are exceedingly dumb. He set up the DLP by outlining their well established policy, on privatisation, as his; and they, with the exception of Sinckler, were silly enough to repudiate everything that they stood for.

The DLP’s longstanding policy on privatisation was issued as a ministerial statement in the House of Assembly on November 10, 1992 by the then Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, David Thompson. The statement can be found at pages 2600 and 2601 of Hansard for the First Session 1991 – 96.

Please follow the link below to pages 2600 – 2601:

120 responses to “DLP's Privatisation Dilemma”

  1. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ac
    “…..where in barbados are YOU going to find any of these people whom you have indictaed as possible torch bearers of brining good goverance to barbados,”
    ************
    …clearly not in your household or Onions’s, but fortunately, there remains a remnant from which we MAY be able to salvage some sanity……all depends on Caswell.

  2. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    When you hear these BLP politicians conveniently now talking about these state entities needing to be “reformed”, you would ask yourself : When these people had the power to make changes to reform these same agencies with a mandate of 26 – 2 majority – what did they do ?

  3. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    My fellow Barbadians, you do not have to go back to 1991 for your quotes- simply less than 10 years ago and quote the receipient of the Grantley Adams award before he was paid off, and I quote
    “as a manager, he (Owen Arthur) is a monumental failure. He is reckless with spending the public’s purse and as a Leader, he is a disappointment. Sir, with two of the biggest electoral mandates in our history, he has not moved us forward as a country. He has failed to inspire us as a people…

    That is the man who the BLP should be quoting.
    The BLP hypocrisy never ceases to amaze.

  4. ac Avatar
    ac

    bush tea

    @ac
    “…..where in barbados are YOU going to find any of these people whom you have indictaed as possible torch bearers of brining good goverance to barbados,”
    ************
    …clearly not in your household or Onions’s, but fortunately, there remains a remnant from which we MAY be able to salvage some sanity……all depends on Caswell.

    ac true dat cause giving your viral attack on bjans in general it would take a lot of comprising on our part to be included since our household does not fit into the categories you have described bajans as being drunkards and handto mout.

  5. equal rights and justice Avatar
    equal rights and justice

    i believe GOV’t cant afford to keep certain entity’s because GOV’t is not making enough revenue to keep supporting them, de money just aint coming like one time so tell de truth how long can we keep companies that are not making money??? when de pot boil down CBC and de lot got to go or keep them and let go workers, but smart ppl know present conditions prove that just now ya cant keep all two fa to long.

  6. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Bush Tea | November 22, 2012 at 9:17 AM |
    The solution to our problem lies NEITHER in selling assets to private interest NOR in continuing the current inefficient arangements.

    The solution is to hire and appoint PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT STAFF and allow them to manage the people’s entities professionally to maximize efficiency and meet set targets.
    ………………………………………………………………………..
    I agree with you entirely Bushie, .and I cannot keep harping on about the time when the Transport Board was managed under such a professional, who is on record as the only boss of that entity in its entire history, to realise a profit. We still have many such professionals today in Barbados, who are capable of turning around these dead wood ,albatrosses , but unfortunately many of them are not closely affiliated to any particular political party. So out goes them.
    Its not a matter of what you can do for your country ,but rather what you have done for your party.

  7. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Colonel Buggy | November 22, 2012 at 12:56 PM |
    “The solution is to hire and appoint PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT STAFF and allow them to manage the people’s entities professionally to maximize efficiency and meet set targets.”

    Bushie’s proposed solution is indeed one based on a measure of high ideals and optimism for the expected dividends from the billions invested in the Bajan people through education and social services from cradle to old age.
    The last time we saw such a dividend from our major capital resource (our people) was way back in the time you alluded. If only we had another Captain Hill at the Transport Board (TB) then talk of privatization would not even be on the cards far less the Wild Wild West scenario that prevails with the ZR’s and the other cowboys parading as PSV operators.

    Colonel, the problems that lie at the heart of statutory corporations like the TB is not the dearth of any professional management staff but the overabundance of ‘professional’ politicians and a surfeit of ministers with empty portfolios who see interference in the day-to-day management of these entities as achieving a day’s work and a rite of passage to electoral success and a right of way to get rich quick through the micro management of the tendering and contract award process and outcomes. These modern day black politicians view politics not as a calling to help their fellow brothers and sisters but as a career path to get rich quick and swindle taxpayers in the process.

    Corruption, inefficiency and the endemic sickness of largesse or pork barrel politics are the order of the day resulting in too many square chiefs in round holes and certainly too many indians to while away unproductive time doing nothing but only on the payroll not to work for their real paymaster the taxpayers but to vote for their political party masters.

    Now here lays the strongest case why most of these statutory corporations must be privatized or many of their services and functions- including management- outsourced to the enterprising private sector.

  8. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    BLP + PRIVATISATION = Civil servants jobs GONE!

  9. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    NONSENSE from Carson Cadogan
    The nasty lies that the DLP EMPLOYED TO win the 2008 elections and all the wicked things that they did came back to haunt them. Wunna see what happened and wunna have not taken warning. The DLP has always relied on lies and nastiness to win an election. I would never forget the lies , the lies , the unfilled promises.

    Look We are voting for Owen Arthur because we know that he is capable, If we dont want privatization we wll let him know. Contrary to what you Carson Cadogan ,and we know that is not your real name, is saying privatization has been embarked upon for the longest time.

    Talking about losing jobs.
    With the coming of the amalagamation of several Goverment departments, how will any Government not send home people ?

    JUST ASKING

  10. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    These modern day black politicians view politics not as a calling to help their fellow brothers and sisters but as a career path to get rich quick and swindle taxpayers in the process.

    THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND STATEMENT EVER MADE ON THIS BLOG

  11. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    We do not want back Owen Arthur | November 22, 2012 at 10:00 AM | When you hear these BLP politicians conveniently now talking about these state entities needing to be “reformed”, you We do not want back Owen Arthur | November 22, 2012 at 10:00 AM | When you hear these BLP politicians conveniently now talking about these state entities needing to be “reformed”, you would ask yourself : When these people had the power to make changes to reform these same agencies with a mandate of 26 – 2 majority – what did they do ?

    THIS IS THE MOST ASININE COMMENT
    EVER MADE ON THIS OR ANY BLOG ANYWHERE .
    I HATE TO HEAR THE SHIT coming after the BLP rescued Barbados from the depths of despair during that ttime,

  12. ac Avatar
    ac

    BLP rescued what economy it was tourism money that rescued barbados and with the million or billions OSA had he did not have the vision to put barbados on a path of sustainabilty . so all the nonsense aboutOSA rescuing barbados is another perception but for those who have the past to refect on knows better as we can see through the lens of a global recession which has debunked the hyperbole of a “rescued economy” by OSAbut an economy driven by tourism dollars and yet left to fend for itself

  13. Nia Avatar
    Nia

    I would have Carson know that I am not a yardfowl as he is and no party is my party. Just because i disagree with your position does not make me an automatic Bee.However based on what i’ve heard (or have not heard) from the government, there is no way i can vote for them. They have not been honest with the Barbadian people and i cannot, as a first-time voter, vote for a party who refuses to tell the public what is going on in a timely manner.

    Anyway, I cannot fathom why a political party would come with a plan to send home civil servants. It makes absolutely no sense for the BLP to publicise and vigorously put forward a plan that would end up in civil servants being sent home. This leads me to believe that the dems are taking Barbadians as fools by playong politics with us.

    If the bees get in and send home civil servants do you believe they would have a second term? Absolutely not! No government would deliberately make itself a one term government so this nonsense about civil servants being sent homehas to stop and the government should honestly tell us what is the difference in policy between them and the blp in how they plan to solve the problem of statutory corporations guzzling taxpayers money!

    I can respect the BLP because they at least try to explain what it is they plan to do at these People’s Fora and the Government really must do the same. It is frustrating as a young person to never get any informationnfrom the government without a long protracted process like the Alexandra enquiry, CLICO report and so on. It’s liek pulling teeth and if they cannot be upfront with me then they will not get my vote. I would vote for the government if they tell me what they plan to do and that it sounds feasible.

  14. ac Avatar
    ac

    How can one respect a goverment who squander billions of dollars how one can respect such an injustice on its own citizenry is beyond unbelievable and whats worst is the past government is asking to be bestowed another chance while bodly stating that there are going to SELL the people,s assest to pay for the high debt .How could this be possible? or even happening! Unreal!

  15. Realists from Haynsville Avatar
    Realists from Haynsville

    Ask Donville what a paved road can do for us poor people up here in Haynesville. We want food and jobs not a hot barbergreene road to sore we children bare foot toes

  16. Realists from Haynsville Avatar
    Realists from Haynsville

    Donville when my last child did want school shoe and books at the start of school where you did? Miss Husbands is the one who foot the whole bill for all they and did not call the nation paper or cbc to show everybody how kind she did or want praises

  17. ac Avatar
    ac

    Look realist check the niggers who youlay up in bed wid before having dem babies mek sure they got plenty money in de pocket to buy shoes nuhbody owe yuh a dim.

  18. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Ac behave yourself.

  19. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    No need to use a derogatory racial term.

  20. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    How do you know that one or more of the parents, haven’t lost their jobs, or deserted the children, or died, or got sick, or fell in love with someone else and had a child in the new relationship and now the money is not enough to go around.

    There are all kinds of resaons people have to beg for assistance for therr children.

  21. ac Avatar
    ac

    Yeah, YEAH, no need for the person asking for help to be so arrogant to believing that some one owes them anything in respective even if they are having a hard time a certain sense of decency and decorum should be attached instead of trying to be insulting and demeaningto those who might not have met their needs. the attacks level on those of which help was asked should have been directed to the person or persons who is/are the parents what was the purpose of attacking Innis.

  22. ac Avatar
    ac

    What sense does it make in airing one,s dirty laundry in public while at the same time attacking those who could not meet a need. this person is/a free loader and have no problem demonstrating it

  23. Rational Son Avatar
    Rational Son

    Barbados should preserve its tradition of supportive governments

    11/25/2012

    Randy Batson’s letter in The Barbados Advocate (11/23, ‘Our Society Needs to Find a New Way Forward’) provides a cautionary tale for why comparisons of the US economic system to that of Barbados is dangerous, and why viewing FOX news and especially Bill O’Reilly needs to come with a warning label at the bottom of the screen!

    Let’s first get straight some marked differences that are elicited by Mr. Batson’s missive:

    1) Bill O’Reilly is regarded by a clown supreme by most of the intelligent, educated and informed electorate of the US. This was even before he made his lame “wanted stuff” remark.

    2) The term “entitlements” as used by O’Reilly and others of the careless pundit class is a misnomer because they are not free! American workers have paid into them with significant taxes their whole lives (somewhat like Barbados’ National Insurance scheme).

    3) There is no “universal health care” in the United States! Medicare covers a limited range of the elder populace (those over 65 years old who’ve worked at least 40 quarters) while Medicaid covers the poorest indigent – usually working populace – not paid a living wage by which they could buy health coverage on their own. The “Obamacare” system the US Right (like O’Reilly) made such a fuss over is not free, rather people must sign up to a private insurer and pay their rates, else be fined by the government.

    4) College tuition-grants were never part of the “stuff” to which O’Reilly and earlier Romney referred, but rather Obama enabling a different federal loan scheme by which part or all of the loan balance could be forgiven after 10 years if conditions were met (especially if the students were never able to get out of low wage, i.e. Walmart pay scale) jobs.

    5) The contraceptives for young women, and also older, were not “free stuff” as described by Romney and Bill O’Reilly, but always part of the Obama Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act because it was known that otherwise – impecunious, struggling women and their families would have to shell out over $99 000 in order to prevent having more kids – meaning they’d also likely have to turn to abortions.

    The people that have consistently invoked O’Reilly and his “free stuff” comment (as a positive take) simply don’t get it. They don’t understand the working dynamic in the US nor ask why it was that Mitt Romney actually promised a scale of true “free stuff” (to his benefactors) that made Obama’s provisions look like chump change.
    Hence, had Romney won, the millionaires and billionaires would have reaped not only $5 trillion in tax cuts, but an end to regulations protecting our food, water, medical prescriptions even air standards. All of this so the top 1 per cent of American society could become even wealthier at the expense of the rest of us.

    My point here is that Barbados, under NO circumstances, should consider any solution (including indiscriminate “privatisation”) that destroys or eliminates the essential support of positive government – as similarly advocated by the likes of Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney here in the US.

    That is a prescription to increase economic inequality and that is one thing we don’t need anywhere, whether in Barbados or here in the US.

    Philip A. Stahl
    Colorado Springs, USA

  24. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ Rational
    The operative word in Stahl’s piece is “indiscrimante”, which itself is subjective. But since you are clearly a supporter of President Obama, as am I, let’s take a look at education. You would notice that there are both private and public primary schools in America as well as universities that students have to PAY to attend whether privately or publicly owned. There are a number of publicly funded loans available to assist students requiring financial aid and MOST depend on this facility. President Obama expanded PELL grants and introduced some measures to make repaying loans less burdensome. What is wrong with asking UWI students to make a greater contribution to their tuition and providing loans to do so (as well as grants based on financial need), which are then repaid once they graduate and start to work for a set minimum salary? Don’t students who pursue studies not offered in the Caribbean had/have to take out student loans?
    The Republican party’s idea of privatisating education is to turn ALL schools over to private sector bodies and disband the Department of Education–the equivalent of our Ministry of Education. I have not heard the BLP propose to sell HC,QC, Combermere, Graydon Sealy, Gollop Primary or any others; or shut down MOE. What I have heard are education tax credits and what appear to be incentives to expand the number of existing private schools. An idea similar to giving out Speightstown bus route permits to PSV operators.
    The fact is that President Obama and Democrats like the BLP understand that government does not have to own everything to influence the way they operate or to maintain a ‘mixed economy’, the new buzz word of PM Stuart, but also through policy.As I have said before, President Obama, against vouchers for private primary schools, is in favour of Charter Schools and offers budgetary assistance. He also implemented a College Tax Credit!

  25. Checkit-Out Avatar
    Checkit-Out

    I was shocked to read in today’s nation newspaper that the RBBT’s managing director, Dulal Whiteway, has disclosed very sensitive aspects of the Government’s deal to sell off the remainder of its shares in RBTT. I was not only shocked but saddened that we have reached such a sad pass that there does not seem to be anything that the Government can do to withdraw from the deal or protest the massive insensitivity of Mr. Whiteway in making the unwonted comments he made about the circumstances surrounding the apparently done deal of the current sale of shares and the Government’s making a big mistake in rejecting the earlier share offer while now accepting a much lower price and losing 11.33 million dollars in the deal.

    No head of an intraregional bank should display the kind of insensitivity that Mr. Whiteway displayed in this matter.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have got the insight on how this matter transpired and from the horses mouth no less and confirmation that that was how the matter would have gone down, but something does not seem quite right here. Why not the usual minimal statement on the deal? why the apparent crowing and seeking to portray the Government as somewhat “idiotic” by a non-bajan seeking to do business in Barbados?

    The new masters seem to be revealing themselves.

  26. Observing(...) Avatar
    Observing(…)

    @ac 1:22
    Ya like ya losing it. Uncalled for.

    @checkit out
    Are the new masters now showing or are the new slaves giving up the battle to hide?? That entire article is loaded.

    Btw, my view is privitisation will fall off the agenda. Duguid, Donville’s silence, AX, independence, Christmas, preconco, Clico, Barack, cost of living, the economy and both parties’ willingness not to make mistakes on the debate will change the narrative by January. For example, look at the BLP’s next meeting topic. Right back to the original message. The DLP is losing winning control of the news cycle.

  27. David Avatar
    David

    The Managing Director is telling it like it is through the eyes of a T&T businessman. You are correct that others would have couch the language but the substance remains, we have sold out and we have to take what we get.

  28. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ David
    You see what I tell you about FOI? We aint ready to handle the truth..lol

  29. Checkit-Out Avatar
    Checkit-Out

    David; It is not just that a trinidadian businessman is telling it like it is through a businessman’s eyes but that he must have a total and utter contempt for the Min. of Finance and the other Government agencies he has to deal with. He could not do that with impunity to the government in any other territory where RBTT operates.

    Things really bad in trut! Indeed, if one fills in the dots in the talking points mentioned by Observing above, it becomes clear that this current Government is probably the most incompetent one we have ever had and that it is almost impossible to escape the abyss they have wrought on us.

    btw, what is the blp’s next meeting topic?

  30. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Checkit-Out wrote “he must have a total and utter contempt for the Min. of Finance and the other Government agencies”

    You seriously expect Trinis to respect Bajans. Wheel an come again.

  31. David Avatar
    David

    @Checkit-out

    Understand your point by RBL holds the upper hand here. Did you read the MD when he stated that it is the government chasing the deal.

    The BLP will be holding a meeting at 7PM, the topic, Fruendel Stuart: A Failure of Leadership.

  32. ac Avatar
    ac

    losing what ! the insensitivity from that person demanding attitude in an attempt to demean and ridicule those who did not meet the demands she wanted was uncalled for .hence my respond advisably hopefully next time the person or persons would think twice.. no apology.

  33. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Checkit-Out | November 25, 2012 at 2:21 PM |

    As the miller advised earlier the government has no say in this matter. Next, the NIS capitulation despite what the poor son of robin has to say.
    This jokey guy is being used. He has been put there as a sidekick to do the DLP bidding with the people’s NI contributions.
    Where do you think the DLP administration is getting the money from to pay the monthly 7,000 and climbing politically chosen parasites aka “off balance sheet” public sector workers who are not ‘gazetted’? From the old piggy bank BNB of days of yore?
    What else is this administration going to do to win elections: sell its mudda scunt under the pretext that the international recession made them do it?

  34. Observing(...) Avatar
    Observing(…)

    @miller
    Welcome back. Did you help craft Duguid’s apology? 🙂

    @ac
    You preached tolerance elsewhere. Tolerance is not a trait of convenience

    @david
    Government seems to be chasing a lot of things lately. For who/what is another story.

  35. ac Avatar
    ac

    observing……
    @ac
    You preached tolerance elsewhere. Tolerance is not a trait of convenience

    that does not include ignorance! disrespect! or bad manners !all of which the person is guilty of!

  36. Think Avatar
    Think

    Of late Ive started reading Guyson Mayers in the Sunday Advocate his articles are uncomplicated easily understood without fuss he lays out Owen Arthur’s privatization manifesto impact on the island if the BLP is elected. Barbados in a hurry becomes a basket case the rich get richer the poor become destitute public servants nos cut in half government revenue dwindles crime up unemployment up and social services disappear. Guyson asks voters to THINK before casting ballots.

  37. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    @ Think
    I would be shame to let anyone know Guyson Mayers influences my way of thinking.

  38. ac Avatar
    ac

    mia mottley pulls out another piece of paper using david THOMPSon position as proof for DLP on Privatisation. really! i was not aware that David Thompson is PM of Barbados beyond the grave.

  39. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    AC

    Come on! You are smarter than that. Of course David Thompson is not PM from beyond the grave, but the policies of the DLP did not die with him. He made a MINISTERIAL STATEMENT on the floor of the House which in effect made it not only DLP policy but Government policy. Before you say it, let me acknowledge that policy can change, however, when it changes, you announce it. In this case, Sinckler was not even aware of the changes. The changes only came after Arthur had announced his policy and he was taking some licks for them. Mind you, he should take licks because he made the announcement and did not credit the original author, David Thompson. Right now it appears that the DLP is making up policy on the trot in reaction to the news.

  40. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    If you wanted proof of how worried the BLP are that people in Barbados are rejecting the BLP “Sell everything – Paro Politics”, Owen Arthur is now running about Barbados quoting the late David Thompson in 1991.
    Interesting when you talk about Errol Barrow, the BLP say we going back in time, when you talk about the wastage of GEMS, Greenland , the Silver Sands golden showers,etc the BLP says stop looking back but they spend a whole meeting referring to statement nearly 20 years ago by a now deceased PM. They should also quote Mascoll is 2004 when he said that Owen Arthur wasted money and opportunities to restructure the Barbados economy.
    Remember Mia Mottley saying that Barbados cannot be ruled from the grave.
    The BLP is full of hypocrites and Arthur has been caught with his pants down on this issue.It has exposed the BLP and the plan they have to send home thousands of government workers.
    The workers at The Transport Board and the thousands of other public sector workers and their families are realising that a vote for the BLP means that they can kiss their jobs goodbye.
    The BLP plan is to sell out the entities and let the Private sector send home the workers and therefore try to rid themselves of that responsibility.
    Voters can see through that gimmick.

  41. Jan Jan Avatar
    Jan Jan

    The preceeding submission by whoever that name is . is such a stupid submission. it really is disappointing that such submissions could get exposure on any medium whatsoever.

  42. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ ac | November 26, 2012 at 6:34 AM |
    ” really! i was not aware that David Thompson is PM of Barbados beyond the grave.”

    Is that how you respect your dear departed? So who was managing the country all along? We were of the view that the country was still under the influence of DT through the ghostly indecisive and inept leadership of a sleeping fumbling rambling deadwood dick of a giant.
    Next thing you will do, ac, is to shift the blame for the country’s woes from the international recession onto to the dead shoulders of DT. Or is that for the sole preserve of OSA 14 years of corruption and misrule?

    When the CLICO shit hit the Police fan in Trinidad with some of it landing right here in Bim we will see how you will try to bury it in St. John Parish Church yard.
    ‘The evil that men do lives after them but the good is always interred in their graves’
    The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones;
    So let it be with David.”

    It is said that dead men tell no tales but poor DT must be turning in his grave as his disloyal friends, like ac, spit on his grave and deny him of his political apotheosis.
    “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus;
    And we petty men (and women like ac) walk under his huge legs, and peep about
    To find ourselves dishonourable graves.”

  43. DR. THE HONOURABLE Avatar
    DR. THE HONOURABLE

    We do not want back Black Ugly Big Nose Thick Lips Board Nose

    We cant handle another five years og crap
    How about that
    Try it on for a fit

  44. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    Quote Clyde Mascoll (the recipient of the BLP HIGHEST award) in 2004. He is alive and part of the BLP campaign, their chief spokesman. I wonder why Owen Arthur does not quote him anymore at BLP meetings . Here is what Mascoll said referring to Owen Arthur after Arthur at that point had been Prime Minister for TEN YEARS.

    “Mr. Speaker, as I sat yesterday listening to the Right Honourable Member for St. Peter, once again I became convinced that the Right Hourable Prime Minister does not have any clue as to where he wants to take this country Barbados. The Right Honourable Prime Minister has no clear vision of the kind of Barbados that he wants to leave when he exists the political stage….The Right Honourable Member for St. Peter does not speak from a deeply-held philosophical position. His positions and policies reek of political opportunism and pragmatism. His blunderings and meanderings have been masked by excellent public relations machinery…”

    After watching Arthur AS Prime Ministter for TEN YEARS that is what Mascoll said.Mascoll could talk freely and honestly then,now he must sing for his supper. Poor Fella.

  45. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    @Dr. The Dishonourable
    “We do not want back Black Ugly Big Nose Thick Lips Board Nose”

    As Bob Marley said “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery,none but ourselves can free our minds”. It is a shame in a 95% black country that people like you can still speak this way after people were beaten, raped and imprisoned for their skin colour.You are an insult to Bussa,Frank Walcott, Nelson Mandela, Marcus Garvey,Martin Luther King, Errol Barrow, Wynter Crawford and all the other great people who fought the chains of physical and mental oppression of black people.

    Is this the way the BLP refers to black people? I hope that you do not speak for the BLP.

  46. ac Avatar
    ac

    truer words “misery loves company”can be attached to the BLP .now if my memory serves me right the DLP manifesto never makes mention of Privatisation.i am sure that if David thought so much of its importance in 1992 and a way of bringing the defecit down he would have indeed made it a part of the manifesto.therfore for the BLP to conclude that in the past David was in favour of such policy does not hold up well to scrunty as it is obvious it was not part of the DLP 2008 manifesto

  47. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ We do not want back Owen Arthur | November 26, 2012 at 7:44 AM |
    “The BLP plan is to sell out the entities and let the Private sector send home the workers and therefore try to rid themselves of that responsibility.”

    And it is precisely for this reason that you the DLP deserve another year or 2 to carry the shitty end of the stick that the IMF will be passing out sooner and rather later.
    If you guys think that some farfetched winter season will save your sorry asses keep dreaming. The amount of tourists Bim needs this winter season to save its economic soul from the IMF will outnumber the local population twice over. And where will they be accommodated? At the Almond Beach or camp out on the beaches close to the dilapidated rundown 30 odd hotels and guest houses that have been closed.
    Barbados will deserve the government they get if they vote back in the DLP. A bunch of nincompoops whose leader speaks in total contradiction to his Finance Minister and vice versa.

    PS: Mascoll is not running for Parliament or don’t you realize that? Why not attack some one like Mia.

  48. David Avatar
    David

    @ac

    FOI and Integrity Legislation were mentioned in the last DLP Manifesto so what is the point?

  49. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    This privatisation issue like a fish bone stuck in Arthur’s throat. It reinforces the idea that Arthur has no progressive ideas just try to sell off everything and drive consumption in the short term.
    Where will the foreign exchange inflows come from unless Arthur is trying to sell these entities to forteigners. So much for the worker enfranchisement argument.
    He always looks at short term political gain and not long term development. That is why the sugar industry was not restructured, nothing was done on alternative energy, Arthur did nothing to restructure a runaway drug service expenditure.
    He is not a bold politician, he will as Mascoll said in 2004 always take the political expedient position that is why he trying so hard to backpedal now on the privatisation talk because he realises that people are against it.
    We will not restructure this economy for the better if we turn back to Arthur. He has nothing new to offer.

  50. We do not want back Owen Arthur Avatar
    We do not want back Owen Arthur

    @Miller
    “Why not attack some one like Mia?”

    I would but I think Owen Arthur is trying to do that behind the scenes.I would not have to go back to 2004 for that but a few years ago when Arthur (not the DLP) declared that Mottley is not fit for national leadedrship.
    By the way, I understand that Mia is my biggest fan.

    We do not want back Owen Arthur.

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