Hal Austin
Introduction:
One of the persistent myths about parliamentary politics in Barbados is that we have somehow adopted the Westminster/Whitehall model and, by implication, the way our politics operate is the way things are done in Britain. This misleading belief is but one of many self-portraits we wrap ourselves in which have no relation to reality. Truth be told, all former colonies had their administrative and political models based on the mother country, but over the years we have grown apart. The myth of similarity goes along with the notion that we have 98 per cent literacy, that we are a first world nation, that we punch above our weight, that we are the best cricketing nation in the world and that our public discourse is highly sophisticated. Not a single one of these is true, or nearly true: we are a functionally illiterate nation unprepared for a modern technological world; we are not first world even if we do well to call ourselves a middle ranking nation; our voice is irrelevant in world forums; the independence cricket match, Barbados versus the Rest of the World, should have put paid to our claims of cricketing supremacy; and the yaboo politics centred around the economic mess the nation is in should put paid to the idea of high-class debates.
Analysis:
In the very fist paragraph of the summary of the House of Commons research paper on collective responsibility, “The Collective Responsibility of Ministers – an Outline of the issues”, it is stated: “The convention of collective Cabinet, or ministerial, responsibility is at the heart of the British system of parliamentary government, yet, like individual responsibility, it is a concept which is not regulated by statute, although some guidance has been formalised in the Ministerial Code.” Barbados is an independent jurisdiction and makes its own laws and develops its own customs, but if our constitutional experts continue to refer to the Westminster/Whitehall model, then our parliamentary practices must be judged on that model, that is the yardstick we set ourselves.
Chapter Four of the Cabinet Manual, the official guide for Westminster parliamentary practice, tells us in the introduction: “Government is a large and complex organisation and so it needs formal and informal mechanisms for discussing issues, building consensus, resolving disputes, taking decisions and monitoring progress. “By convention, Cabinet and Cabinet committees take decisions which are binding on members of government. “Cabinet and Cabinet committees are composed of government ministers, who are then accountable to parliament for any collective decisions made. “Collective responsibility allows ministers to express their views frankly in discussion, in the expectation that they can maintain a united front once a decision has been reached.” Under the Westminster system of government, business is brokered informally in committee and sub-committees and in the corridors of Whitehall before they get on the Cabinet agenda. In this way, by the time Cabinet comes to discuss an issue there is an informal understanding as to people’s positions and the compromises that have to be made, what Professor Robert Hazell, the constitutional expert, calls “pre-cooking”.
Section two of the British Coalition Government’s Agreement for Stability and Reform states: “(para: 2.1) The principle of collective responsibility, save where it is explicitly set aside, continues to apply to all Government Ministers. This requires (a) appropriate degree of consultation and discussion among Ministers to provide the opportunity for them to express their views frankly as decisions are reached.” That, in brief, is how the Westminster model of collective Cabinet responsibility works, which minister Estwick has driven a coach and horses through with an incredible arrogance. Equally surprising is that the prime minister, Freundel Stuart, a senior barrister therefore presumably familiar with parliamentary conventions, has allowed Dr Estwick to challenge his authority by first, going public with his opposition to government economic policy, and, second demanding that he be allowed to put his views to a full meeting of parliament. This is political blackmail.
It follows on similar dissent from Donville Inniss, who has spoken out on a number of occasions outside his brief as a minister and the comment made by the governor of the central bank, a technocrat, that VAT should be abolished. Cabinet collective responsibility is also embedded in the Ministerial Code (para 2.3), which binds all minister to the principle of collective responsibility. As the Cabinet Manual points out (para 4.3): “In practice, this means that a decision of Cabinet or one of its committees is binding on all members of the Government, regardless of whether they were present when the decision was taken or their personal views.”
The historic Westminster tradition is that if a member of the Cabinet, or a minister at any level, disagrees with the government to such an extent that he or she wants to break rank, the first thing that minister does is to resign and return to the back benches. David Butler, in his essay: “The Changing Constitution in Context”, published in The British Constitution, edited by Matt Qvortrup, writing about collective Cabinet responsibility said: “The old doctrine survives that ‘any minister who disagrees with government policy must resign – or at least keep silent,’ for the old reason ‘we must all hang together lest we hang separately’. “But leaks about ministers’ disagreements and reservations have vastly increased, and the fact that so much less is now debated in full Cabinet means that the doctrine has been seriously eroded, even though recent decades have still seen principled resignations over collective responsibility (eg Heseltine 1986, Lawson 1989, Howe 1990, Cook 2003).”
It is right and proper that a dissenting minister who feels strongly enough about an issue should resign and make his/her case from outside the Cabinet, but a minister at odds with his Cabinet colleagues cannot in principle stay in the Cabinet while at the same time publicly distancing him/herself from its decisions. What ministers do not do is to hold on to their portfolios while taking pot shots at the government from inside; it is not only wrong in terms of parliamentary tradition, but ethically despicable also. One of the most famous examples of a secretary of state walking out of a Cabinet over a disagreement with his colleagues was when Michael Heseltine, then defence secretary, walked out of the Thatcher government over the Westland affair. Then there was the youthful James Purnell, then work and pensions secretary, who walked out of the Gordon Brown Cabinet, and followed up his resignation with a letter to the news media calling on prime minister Brown to resign. In his letter, he stated: “I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely.” Although Dr Estwick has not articulated his disagreement with the government with such sophistication, apart from a flawed call to borrow money from the United Arab Emirates, he is clearly out of step with its economic policy.
One recent example in British Cabinet government of a deep division was that of the Tony Blair government in which Gordon Brown served as Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is now a matter of historical record that the two men had their differences of opinion, but as far as collective Cabinet responsibility was concerned, apart from the occasional press leak, they stuck steadfast to the convention. So, even at its most divisive, the British Cabinet sticks to the principles and conventions of joint responsibility. Again, this is the real Westminster model at work. David Feldman, in his essay Constitutional Conventions (in The British Constitution, ed Matt Qvortrupp), quoting Peter Morton, reminds us: “First, conventions arise from and operate within a constitutional tradition which, in the UK, is one of respect for fundamental values, including government by consent, individual freedom, diversity of opinion, contestation as the essence of political life and ethical standards of behaviour in politics.” By no single measure has Dr Estwick’s terrible behaviour can be described as ethical or showing the slightest respect for fundamental political values.
Conclusion:
These brief examples of the lack of discipline in Cabinet send the message, if it were needed, that the Stuart Cabinet is not united and that policymaking is a lottery. Maybe one reason the prime minister tolerates Dr Estwick’s eccentricities is that this government is so grossly incompetent voters rightly see his opposition as the voice of the majority. Of course, cynics may equally say that prime minister Stuart gives greater weight to holding on to power than the principles of government. Dr Estwick’s behaviour may be understandable in the context that there has not been any serious economic policy discussion in the government and his idiotic idea of accepting a loan from the despotic United Arab Emirates has political legitimacy. This flawed and badly thought-out idea does not address the widening wealth gap in Barbados, the cosy lives that the expatriates enjoy at the expense of local people and the drift back in to mud huts by an abandoned minority of often mentally disturbed and acutely pauperised men and women. In fact, it does not address the unforgiving nature of Barbadian society in which the well-connected do well and the marginalised have to look after themselves, a classic demonstration of social Darwinism.
Yet again it is another example, as if further proof was needed, of our academic economists not allowing their precious hands to be dirtied with any such thing as a discussion on economic policy and our journalists not holding them to account. Dr Estwick’s behaviour also has implication for ordinary citizens and the rule of law, since of our lawmakers clearly do not play by the rules, it is very difficult for the boys and girls on the block to accept the authority of our institutions.
Finally, I want to reiterate a point I have made on a number of occasions: the reason why Dr Estwick’s irrational behaviour has not met any public opprobrium is a direct result of the poor quality of public debate in Barbados. Rabble rousing and personal abuse have long substituted for detailed analyses of opponents’ view and policies and it is one generally endorsed by the general public. The price we pay is the diminishing of our society. Further, it does not help Dr Estwick’s case that he has an unfortunate personality and often comes over like a Rottweiler on steroids. In time, the Estwick case will be taught in legal, political and parliamentary history classes for years to come as an example of the collapse of collective Cabinet responsibility under a weak prime minister. In the unique case of this Barbados government, it is a symptom of a failing state. As the Westminster Cabinet Manual says: “It is for the Prime Minister, as chair of the Cabinet, or the relevant Cabinet committee chair, to summarise what the collective decision is, and this is recorded in the minutes by the Cabinet Secretariat.” Collective responsibility can also be canvassed by electronic or traditional correspondence. At some point the people of Barbados, and in particular the ruling political and social elite, must come to the realisation that Barbados is a little island, the size of some Australian and Brazilian sugar cane plantations, which just happens to do relatively well. But as to being world class, even in cricket, they must come alive some day.
@Hal
Time for a change; not of government but of systems. This may be a signal of that change coming.Sorry to shock you. in addition, it is time to stand up to the bullies; IMF, Wall Street, The Capital markets,and seek alternative sources of funding that are less onerous
.
RE the independence cricket match, Barbados versus the Rest of the World, should have put paid to our claims of cricketing supremacy;
BULLSHIT
MOST OF THE TEAM WERE DRUNK OR HALF DRUNK DUE TO THE DEATH OF FRANK WORELL
BARBADOS CRICKET WAS SUPREME UP UNTIL ABOUT 1990 WHEN WE STILL HAD SOME OF THE GREATEST PLAYERS ON THE PLANET
‘In time, the Estwick case will be taught in legal, political and parliamentary history classes for years to come as an example of the collapse of collective Cabinet responsibility under a weak prime minister. ‘
Up to this point, it would appear that Estwick has been humbled. He made threats to topple a government that has a mere 2 seat majority. Some would say 1 seat majority if we exclude the speaker. Another PM would have hastened to reshuffle the cabinet or bow under this pressure. This PM stood firm and up to this point, looks much more of a man than Estwick.
How many really expected this PM to win that election in 2013 but he did. He successful staved off the threat that came from the eager 11 and those who can read between the lines may wish to say that he has dealt with them in a smart way, showing them who is boss. He has managed to hold the government together at a time when many believe it will fall.
Conclusion: This thesis that says this PM is weak needs to be re-assessed.
@Hal A
In time, the Estwick case will be taught in legal, political and parliamentary history classes for years to come as an example of the collapse of collective Cabinet responsibility
+++++++++++++++++
Which schools? In your dreams, in your dreams. As you wrote the island is comparable in size to sugar plantations in Brazil and Australia, and Estwick is the latest manifestation of Bajan politicians who cross the floor at will and are for some policies that they were previously against and vice versa. In any event the minister’s recalcitrance won’t travel beyond the island’s border.
The history of this time will be Crimean War redux or “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it,”
“Conclusion: This thesis that says this PM is weak needs to be re-assessed.”
Where your analysis falls down is in its inability to recognise that the common thread is to stick together no matter how silly it looks to ensure that the implosion which occurred in Mr Sandiford’s time does not re-occur to the pension detriment of all concerned.
t follows on similar dissent from Donville Inniss, who has spoken out on a number of occasions outside his brief as a minister and the comment made by the governor of the central bank, a technocrat, that VAT should be abolished.@
We agree VAT NEEDS to be ABOLISHED, The VAT nothing more than a money PIT for the crooks liars and scumbags of the DBLP Government set up for UDC to launder the land they dont and can never own under Fraud.
How can people who is to be so-called free TAX themselves , crooks just want people money to play with.
Mia Mottley Political Stunts – Act 8, scene 1 – Mottley makes an ass of herself again by trying to play cheap politics with the 375th anniversary of our parliament.
After our country is trying to build its heritage tourism offerings and with the head of state of our biggest tourist market in attendance and thousands of cruise passengers, the idiot that we have masquerading as an opposition leader tries to win votes by saying we should not spend any money on this occasion.
We should have told the British media and the Royal family not to come and then Mottley would have said “look what Barbados has come to”.
More and more Bajans are realizing what Owen Arthur realized that this woman Mottley cannot be trusted and is clearly putting her own selfish ambition above anything national.
Mottley is a national embarrassment.
If she cares so much about public funds, she should stop asking donors to fund her current political meetings and ads and give that money to the displaced workers by setting up a fund.
But no because she is a selfish hypocrite.
@Hal
Many with commonsense have established a long time now we never practiced the Westminster model of governance. In fact the small numbers who occupy our parliament do not allow for working committees to function in the manner a Westminster system was originally designed.
@ David
You are right, but many of our politicians and public intellectuals, including a number of people at Cave Hill, still talk nonsense about the Westminster model.
The big problem how do we push implement the necessary reform, shedding blood can’t be the only option.
@ David,
We need widespread reform, from the composition of parliament – House of Assembly and Senate – to reform of the civil service and the courts.
It is too complex to go in to here, but for the Senate members should be there as individuals, for there expertise and public service, and not representing any political party. It should be a review chamber, scrutinising bills coming from the lower house.
Membership should be aone-off, for seven years, then that person becomes ineligible to bew a member again.
In this way, Senators will be able to speak and act without fear or favour.
Hal
What Dr Estwick has done for this country will be remembered for a long time. He was man enough to start the discussion by first confession.
Admit it, you wanted one of two outcomes;
1. Estwick crosses the floor
2. Estwick fired and crosses the floor.
The Prime Minister has not ignored Estwick, they have been quite regularly working on a plan to deal with Barbados’ debt and fine tuning a growth plan.
@jug
The Estwick matter is small manifestation of what is wrong with a dysfunctional system. We must lift our gaze higher to see where the real issues are located.
I’m with you Oilman the PM gets a bad rap from his detractors when you dig deeper there is substance to the man. The Alexandra issue was an eye-opener he was vilified for his slowness in decision making in the end he made the correct decision. There was a school of thought that the unbossable Jeff Broome and Mary Redman were too powerful to tame. Mary Redman acted as if the school system was her personal fiefdom. She barely stopped short of a threat to topple the government. Jeff Broome diametrically opposed to Redman told the political directorate and everyone else bring it on he’s not leaving Alexandra. Fast forward to 2014. Broome is removed from Alexandra and happily settled at Parkinson. Redman an extremely disruptive egomaniac has retreated. Peace reigns in the educational system. The cancers are in remission.Stuart won that titanic battle. Then he beat the mighty Owen Arthur and his big business cohorts when frauds from Wickham to Caribbean leaders bet on him to lose big. Stuart is no pushover. He may not talk a lot but when he does he can be devastating to opponents.
According to the Daily Nation newspaper of Thursday, February 27, 2014, another public figure is advocating the scrapping of the VAT.
But just as we essentially said some mornings ago on BU in the case of Dr Worrell’s position that the VAT should be scrapped, we shall also hold forth with regard to the reported position of Senator Marshall that it be scrapped – but without necessarily repeating what we said then now.
However, what we will challenge at this stage is the reported position of the Senator that “it might be better and more productive for us to implement a charge of ten percent ON all goods entering this country at the point of entry than to rely on the collection of duties and VAT”.
Well, what Senator Marshall ought to know is that under no circumstance whatsover in the past, present or future, can there be any charges at any rates by any governments whatsoever ON any goods (or services for that matter) entering this country. NONE whatsoever!!
What there is though, in the case of the operation of those evil wicked tax systems at the Air and Sea ports, is NOT ANY TAXES being imposed ON any goods, as Marshall himself so wrongly falsely believes, but actual officials of these wicked evil intellectually politically bankrupt and discredited DLP and BLP governments STEALING ROBBING CONTINUING TO STEAL ROB importers exporters of goods and services of their incomes, payments or transfers in the circumstances of the ports of entries that the people of this country themselves already own.
By STEALING ROBBING CONTINUING TO ROB STEAL from the incomes, payments and transfers of the relevant persons, businesses and other entities NOT ONLY in the circumstances of the ports of entry, BUT ALSO across many parts of Barbados, there CANNOT LOGICALLY REASONABLY be said by any one in this country or beyond that any TAXES are being charged on any goods and services.
And it would be equally outrageous too for any one too to suggest that such evil wicked anti-people anti-productive TAXATION is being imposed on the value when such goods and services do NOT have or possess any monetary value whatsoever.
Finally, we urge the broad masses and middle classes of this country to do some serious things with this THIEVING ROBBING TAXATION system in this country that is one of the primary reasons why this country continues to dedevelop stagnate at a rapid rate.
PDC
@ Sargeant | February 28, 2014 at 12:33 AM |
“(The history of this time will be Crimean War redux or “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it,”)”
Estwick’s political buffoonery has as much international academic appeal as a mongoose crossing the road in Dark Hole St. Joseph.
The irritant and nuisance Estwick will soon go away when he finally realizes the PM is getting a bit angry with his childish behaviour by refusing to give him that much desired cookie from the empty jar.
The upcoming Estimates debate will show how much Estwick himself is behind the Sinckler plan as the Ministry of Agriculture is asked to carry a heavy burden of fiscal sacrifice to meet the country’s debt servicing obligations. He Estwick will again be singing the praises of the MoF and will be voting with his ‘yes-man’ poodle silent voice instead of voting with his feet.
What “enlightened” Bajans should be more concerned about are the unfolding events in Eastern Europe that could have some impact on international travel and by extension leisure travel like tourism.
A very serious event is about to unfold if the bully Putin feels the slightest indication of cowardice from Pres. Obama especially in the pending withdrawal from Afghanistan in similar shame and failure as the Russians. Putin feels he is the most powerful man in the world and his ego will not stand in his way to invade the Ukrainian territory to show them who is boss.
Maybe a replay of the charge of the Light Brigade on the fertile fields of Balaclava using modern weaponry could be a solution to many economic and environmental challenges facing modern Western world.
We wonder whose side China would be on. Certainly not the same as the Japanese!
@Millerdenuksie
What “enlightened” Bajans should be more concerned about are the unfolding events in Eastern Europe that could have some impact on international travel and by extension leisure travel like tourism.
LOL you always wishing and hoping. Tell this forum how a Russian invasion of Ukraine or any other disturbance in Eastern Europe will impact upon tourist traffic coming from our major tourist markets like the UK.
@ Hippy | February 28, 2014 at 8:20 AM |
“ He may not talk a lot but when he does he can be devastating to opponents.”
You sound too sweet. And you are right about the sleeping vacillating silent Fumbler being “devastating to his opponents”. But to use the defeat of OSA as earth-shattering evidence of his ‘superior’ leadership and decision-making competence is really stretching the joke a bit too far.
To reinforce your ironic joke you could have mentioned his breaking of commitments made to the public sector workers that there would have been no layoffs unless caused by a computer glitch.
What about breaking of the commitment to the BCC students about maintaining free university education at the UW!?
What about the promises to Al Barrack and CLICO policyholders?
Would you consider these people (not to mention lying to the little schoolboy) ‘devastated opponents’ left behind in trail of broken commitments?
What we would also ask you is if you would consider his upcoming breaking of the commitment Not to privatize or devalue the currency examples of his strength and competence to fight the IMF.
Now that could be one fight that would find the arena pack to capacity and only you in his corner.
@ David
Thank you. It is sad that every attempt to discuss serious matters are somehow turned in to party political tribalism in Barbados.
Is this the extent of Barbadian discourse?
@Hal
So when you post your so called theses, don’t they also form part of the Barbadian tribal and partisan political discourse?
@Miller,
You should read the sequel to “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and learn the fate of those “heroes”. A complete waste of lives, limbs and energy because of selfish stupid egos. It continues today. tell your leader to stop with the stupid games,settle down, let the country settle down, and grow. When there ts nothing left in the pot, the result when the heat is kept on is that what is in the pot burns and nobody gets anything.
@ Oilman
I call them blogs. They are part of the Barbadian tribal discourse, not party political. If that is how you read them then my apologies.
@ Oilman | February 28, 2014 at 8:48 AM |
The same way an outbreak of a contagious disease in Barbados (if you don’t clean up the place and protect your public health systems) would stop people from visiting your once lovely clean island.
Or even how a tax imposed by the UK government was blamed for the significant drop in tourism traffic out of the UK. How come you are no longer blaming the APD for Bim’s tourism woes or have you switched to another set of scapegoats in the form of the local hoteliers including poor Adrian Loveridge.
You blasted small island idiot. Why don’t you look beyond your 2×3 banana republic and see the bigger picture?
Can’t you see if there is an outbreak of hostilities in whatever form in Europe involving NATO and opposing Russian back forces it could have an impact on long haul travel to an exotic destination which very few people in the ‘World’ know exists unless it is imagined to be a place somewhere in Jamaica.
We know Bajans like to think they are punching above their weight but come on ‘slickman’, get a grip on reality and realize such braggadocio does not apply in the area of intelligence or even commonsense.
@Hal A
We need widespread reform, from the composition of parliament – House of Assembly and Senate – to reform of the civil service and the courts
++++++++++++++++
A few years ago Owen had some proposals for Constitutional reform on the table and he consulted with Bajans at home and abroad (he even made a rare visit to TO) for feedback. I think (my memory may be fading) that a referendum was in the cards which would validate the Gov’ts plans. The response was negative and the referendum scrapped because Bajans are not amenable to change- in the vernacular of the local populace- we like um so.
@Millerdenuksie
Your geopolitical analysis in relation to Eastern Europe is way off.
@ alvin cummins | February 28, 2014 at 9:11 AM |
“You should read the sequel to “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and learn the fate of those “heroes”. A complete waste of lives, limbs and energy because of selfish stupid egos.”
But Alvin , that is what war is all about. Just one of mankind’s methods of culling the species and part of his endless struggle for economic and political hegemony through the cyclical order of destroying to rebuild.
You seem to be well-read man so you must be aware of the lands in which the seeds of destruction that ignited the First world War were planted.
But did mankind learn from the “complete waste of lives, limbs and energy because of selfish stupid egos” or did the second World War involving those very lands occurred 2 decades later?
You do have a point regarding the LOTO. The matter is too small to involve any point of principle. But that is her right to oppose and our obligation to separate the political wheat from the chaff of ignorance and stupidity.
But shouldn’t you be just as condemnatory of the David Estwick for trying to make your administration look (in the eyes of the “world”) like a bunch of fools led by an impotent joker?
So which plan are you backing? The Stinkliar plan or the Estwick alternative path? Now you can’t be in church and in the mosque too. In your case it’s either Yahweh Jewish dollars or Allah oil sheik bucks.
@Milleretc.
There won’t be a hot war between Russia and NATO, but Russia has made a move to “balkanize” Crimea as men in uniforms have suddenly appeared at key institutions e.g. Airports to secure them. I would bet my bottom dollar that these are not local militiamen but Russian military, the Russians have a great deal of support in the area as much of the population is ethnic Russians and value ties with Russia more so than relations with the rest of Europe. The makeshift Gov’t in Kiev is too weak to respond and the West doesn’t have an appetite for war.
Putin 1-the rest 0.
@ Sargeant
I think you are referring to the Henry Forde report, whicha s far as I know has not yet been made public.
Whast hasd been reported to my mind seriously misrepresented t he views of Barbadians in the UK.
I thinkl in one report it said something about UK Barbadians backing the idea of the Crown.
I addressed that meeting at Lambeth Town Hall and not a single person came out as a Royalist, if I remember correctly.
What I said, and was endorsed by the meeting, that the notion of an elected President was a red herring, that Barbados faced more important issues, including the need for structural reforms. How the chickens have come home to roost.
But there are other constitutional matters: if you have an elected government, and an elected president of another party, and, in time, an elected constituency council, no matter what the written legislation says it will be a recipe for disaster.
@ Oilman | February 28, 2014 at 9:20 AM |
“Your geopolitical analysis in relation to Eastern Europe is way off.”
It might be “way off” but still a possibility given the geopolitical state of the world and the consciousness of the negative impact of war recedes in the mind of postwar generations as America and Western European states loose the hegemonic power and control over a modern world that could see China and Russia and its satellites “fight” for top position.
My take on it is just an intellectual exercise that should help you to focus on your own vulnerabilities from a more panoramic perspective with possible ramifications for small-island tourism dependent states which have allowed their agricultural base to literally collapse in the last 30 years.
If you think the world is a peaceful place with heaven on earth since Iraq and Afghanistan then you are a supreme idealist of whom we should be proud.
Any political upheaval in Europe leading to standoff between NATO and Russia is not an occurrence we would wish to see come about because it would have significant practical consequences.
Unlike you my oil slick bogged-down Bajan friend the miller is a man of the world and likes to see it in all of its beauty and physical splendour if you can read between the lines or see the varied colours of the rainbow instead of just in black or white.
@MillerdeNUKSIE
lol you too full of youself fuh you own good. I am well aware of the discourse that says the world is very close to a major conflict. As is normal for you, you have mistaken a moment in time for eternity. This crisis in Ukraine as it stands now is no threat to our tourists numbers. All these national squirmishes are par for the course as we build up to the ‘big event’ but we not there yet.
@ Bajanfuhlife
“Mottley is a national embarrassment.
If she cares so much about public funds, she should stop asking donors to fund her current political meetings and ads and give that money to the displaced workers by setting up a fund.
But no because she is a selfish hypocrite.”
First, you have all rights to express your opinion, but maybe you should look at both sides and then make a rational comment. During the 2008 and 2013 the DLP spent large amounts of money funding their election campaigns. One must remember that Barbados was still in recession during the lead up to the 2013 campaign and the DLP were able to solicit vast amounts of campaign funds. The members of the DLP have stated they were hurt having to lay-off thousands of lower-level public sector workers. Could not Bobby Morris, Stuart, Sinckler, Inniss, the election campaign committee, et al, seek money from those campaign donors to also help the displaced workers as well, especially at this time when they need it most? Under these circumstances who is more hypocritical?
The country being stagnant during Thompson’s illness, the eager eleven; ministers making contradictory statements or publically disagreeing with their party’s stated policies; a rouge minister with a grouse because he was overlooked for the Minister of Finance portfolio and his subsequent threats, out-bursts and negotiations with another foreign country without parliamentary permission; this same rogue minister reflecting in his economic proposals that the warnings and suggestions made by the opposition were correct; the way in which the layoffs in the public sector was handled; consecutive downgrades by the international rating agencies; the minister of finance admitting that confidence was lost in this economy; etc.
Do you not agree that with all this confusion happening within this DLP government can also be deemed a national disgrace as well?
@ Oilman | February 28, 2014 at 10:14 AM |
Unlike you, the youthfully vibrant ‘nookie’, this Nuksie is too old to be ‘full of himself’; simply “WYSIWYG.
Tell us then, Nookie, what would you consider to be threats to your tourist numbers? A change in government through a coup d’état by Estwick?
For sometime now, Barbados has been killing the goose that laid its forex golden egg.
The same way you refuse to entertain any possibility of a negative impact from political events external to your cocooned little tourism world you ought to look inside your own tourism house to see where you guys are going wrong.
First you should treat the tourism industry an export industry which must not be seen as a direct source of easy tax revenues to keep an army of occupation in place or as opportunities to “oil” the palms of corrupt officials through the granting of unjustified fiscal concessions to one player against the other loyal players.
The weather this winter season has been unexpectedly kind to the Caribbean with Barbados enjoying the overflow. Just hope it remains that way.
Until Barbados returns to a level of tourist expenditures that leaves a significant impact on the local economy, tourism will not be the saviour of your sacred cow currency.
millertheanunnaki wrote “The weather this winter season has been unexpectedly kind to the Caribbean with Barbados enjoying the overflow. Just hope it remains that way.”
I am willing to continue suffering (lol) through this harsh winter (-11c today in the Tdot) as long as it helps Barbados.
Just heard the temperature for the month of march is going to 11 degrees BELOW normal. track pants under my Jeans for another month.
I am sure the Minister of Tourism,the BHTA and all Hoteliers in Barbados will SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY to get frozen Canadians and Americans to thaw out in Barbados.
I look forward for a massive advertising campaign similar to the current “Chum FM Breakfast in Barbados” blitz which is constantly on TV and Radio in Ontario.
buh wha wrong wid me doh….I tek a personal day today an pun BU writin foolishness buh uh hope de Tourism big ups read bout de opportunity.
I so believe in Karma, I agree with Mottley that the DLP should never waste taxpayers money on any 375 year anniversary of parliament which is nothing more than a fraud and a symbol and reminder of the maliciousness wrought on the island’s people by the designers of the westminster system…….
.What i realized is that Mottley does not even know what she is opposing and Donville dumb ass that he is did not surprise me one bit, since he is so self-absorbed with how rich he can make himself off the backs of his own people, I will not do his research for him but it will pay him to do some research and find out the name of the bank owned by buckingham palace that is an off-shore entity in Barbados evading paying their fair share of taxes in the UK even though the taxpayers in the UK already funds buckingham palace and has been doing so for centuries…..now I don’t know how Inniss defines disrespectf but in my books disrespectful is taking taxpayers hard-earned dollars and funding this charade of lies that is parliament…if Fraser, Donville and all the other carrion birds want to continue to fund the fraud parliamnet, they should do so out of their own pockets. It’s a grave insult and horrible disrespect to the taxpayers of Barbados……Karma Mia, Karma.
@Artax
We should not forget the government delayed the IMF consultation because the late call of general elections. Does anyone think this had an affect on the current state?
@MillerdeNUKSIE
You does read what you does write? How you does move way from de essence of a debate so? Look skippah, the bottom line is that de troubles in Eastern Europe will not affect our tourism numbers and any expectation of a wider conflict involving the rest of Europe is remote.
@ David
I forgot about that, and yes it would have had an effect on our current situation.
Just saw some documents where Judge Leroy Inniss is on paper in black and white as being a very close business associate of Peter Harris of CGI, let’s hope that no claims from the public against CGI goes in front of Judge Inniss in the Supreme Court because it is a direct conflict of interest among other things.
@Well Well
Justice retired many moons ago.
Did not know that, it’s good to know, thanks David.
–Again I ask
why do supporters–yardfowls – of political parties seek to
justify everything their party does
Are politicians Gods around here
Wow !
Salop !
@Artaxerxes | February 28, 2014 at 12:24 PM |
@ David
I forgot about that, and yes it would have had an effect on our current situation…………………………………
Add to the list the long time that the economy was on auto pilot during the days when David Thompson’s illness was hushed up. Barbadians were asking….who is in charge of this country’s finances. Then someone sent Darcy Boyce to do a disastrous press conference. Later the man who is now PM said that he was only keeping house during that period and if someone leaves you in charge of their house, the person cannot change the drapes or the furniture.
I am convinced that great, great damage was done to the economy during the period DT disappeared from public view until the day he was interred.
Donville Inniss could really tone down his “moral ” outrage at the the BLP’s boycott of the 375th celebrations. It is their right to do so. My spouse and I were invited and we declined, not because we do not love our country but because we think it is a waste of so much money when they sent home workers and have not paid them a cent.
I would like Donville Inniss to tell me how many events put on during the BLP years that he and his DLPites attended. As I remember, they would not even attend the Independence service or the Independence day parade. Now he feigning outrage at the LOTO’s so called disrespect to the Queen………..and old white woman.
Give me a break, Donville…….you are the one with low morals!
Fortuitiously MIA came on Brasstacks and lucidly and deliberately gave us reason(s)for the absence of HMLO at today’s function.A reasonable decision.On the other hand the lying Pornville Inniss came with his nastiness and sought to create an impression of ‘holier than thou’attitude.You can’t make silk of a sow’s ear.All you lying fatted calf poor rakey members of the dirty dems can go to hell.Wunna bag blind oars!
http://www.popularresistance.org/colorado-will-release-all-marijuana-prisoners-expunge-their-records/
God is Great , no crime if Nature made it pure
Hear the BLP yardfowls, Mottley is in damage control mode after a planned boycott as part of her ongoing, increasingly desperate political campaign, the public clearly has not reacted in way she thought.
Everyone on the ground saw right through her latest stunt with her manufactured empathey except the blinded yardfowls like Prodigal and Gabriel.
The same Mottley that as Minister of Education let a former BLP MP waste more than $100 000 at the refurbishment of St. Leonards School as that former BLP MP was suddenly given the building contract and left taxpayers holding the mess.
Shame on that hypocrite Mottley . Owen could not take her nonsense and publicly distanced himself from her. Mottley is more about cheap political tricks and stunts than putting a serious plan on the table.
@ Bajanfuhlife | February 28, 2014 at 2:25 PM |
Poor you, I know that you are so ashamed of the incompetent job you and your party is doing that you have to find a way to divert attention by constantly lashing out at the LOTO. Carry on smartly, no amount of cursing and pulling down of the LOTO will help you or the DLP. you have lied stolen and deceived the people of Barbados. Your own David Estwick said the DLP is to be blamed for the mess this country is in.
Keep doing what you are doing, inch your way to 2018 as are entitled to…..in the meanwhile taking Barbados off the fiscal cliff. I hope you can live with yourselves thereafter.
@ Bajanfuhlife
“The same Mottley that as Minister of Education let a former BLP MP waste more than $100 000 at the refurbishment of St. Leonards School as that former BLP MP was suddenly given the building contract and left taxpayers holding the mess.”
It seems as though when an individual is in agreement with the policies of the DLP, he is lauded for being patriotic and having at heart the interest of Barbados first and foremost. On the other hand, if that same individual disagrees he is labeled a BLP yard-fowl and reference is made to things that happened “when his party was in power”.
My friend, it is nonsense to keeping harping on the past highlighting such as the St. Leonard’s school contact, Greenland, GEMS, Dodd’s prison; Supreme Court, etc. The BLP was severely punished at the 2008 polls for all the “crimes” committed during their three term reign.
However, we must accept that a time is coming when this DLP administration will have to answer at the polls for all the bungling, confusion and failure to address the issues confronting the populace during these recessionary times.
You are bringing trivial matters to a serious discussion. It seems as though no matter what the topic, you guys can never address the issues at hand and make a substantial contribution to the discussion. Instead, you seek to be derogatory in your remarks, while calling those who rebut you, “BLP yard-fowls”. In actuality, in doing so, your actions are indicative of what a “yard-fowl” truly is.
Bajanfuhlife…. Can you tell me if there was any significant increase in tourism arrivals when over $250,000 was spent to host the queen’s son and his entourage [ironically this event was boycotted by none other than the DLP’s advisor on poverty, Hamilton Lashley]?
Are the hotels full for the 375th anniversary event? Will Hammy-Lah attend this time? Have those workers who severed from NEEP, NHC and NCC received their severance payments as yet?
@Artaxerxes
Not up to last week. It is despicable how this government has treated these poor people of whom they claim to be champions……….aided and abetted by the unions.
Can you imagine the uproar this country would be in had this been a BLP government treating workers like this? It is an indisputable fact that public workers have always feared better under BLP government because unions do not let up on BLP governments. You have these DLP supporters on BU bragging that the BLP is vexed because the unions will not march with them.
The unions would do well to remember the story of Esther……….her uncle helped place her in a position to be in the king’s court and her told her when she was hesitant to defend the Jews against Haman that if she hesitated……the time will some when not even she would be safe in the king’s house. The moral of the story……..let the unions side with this government against the people…..the DLP will not always be in power and the people will then have their say. It may be the end of them!
Has ace New York journalist Tony Best been asked to explained his story about Sir Roy being appointed to the diplomatic corp in light of his denial?
@David
And what bout de part in de Nation paper that claim Marion leffin she post? I thought I hear Marion get reappoint to Geneva.
David,
You have to listen to what Sir Roy said carefully. He said he had not been offered anything at this point in time. To me, he seemed to be hedging………..leaving room for “I did not know at that point in time”!
@Prodigal & Oilman
We shall see when the truth is finally revealed. The games which people play and which we accept.
“The makeshift Gov’t in Kiev is too weak to respond and the West doesn’t have an appetite for war.
Putin 1-the rest 0.”
it does seem that the West has indeed lost its appetite for war as evidenced from Mr Obama’s inaction against Syria despite his threats to Dictator Assad which were humiliatingly ignored.; but the question is whether losing appetite for war is a good thing or bad thing. What do you think? there will be no winners should the West respond and the West do have the vwherewithal to respond; remember Russia no longer has the sateelite states to rely on and since the breakup is still rebuilding their military might- so let Putin keep the province which was Russia’s before Khruschev stupidly gave it away.
Is Mia Mottley saying to give each laid off worker $33.The reason for not attending the function is stupid. Money voted for functions cannot be paid to workers. I think she will be a very irrational leader. Owen seems to know something that we are not picking up
Balance, President Obama would do whatever it takes to secure America’s interest at home and abroad but he haven’t any interest in committing American troops to any further conflicts.
5.30 news………….workers still have not been paid. But the DLP can party.
I know the Royal Commonwealth Society is organising the event but the government is footing the bill. Did they need to invite 800 people? Who is the caterer? Is it Donville’s sister?
Yea…..you really think that this money was included in the last estimates? This government is not that good. The Stinkliar was transferring millions to Michael Lashley at the NHC every month and it was not voted for in Parliament.
Shut the PAC down and we would not know what this lying, thiefing, cheating government is doing!
Once again the hypocrisy of the BLP/DLP is evident. We are approaching 50 years of Independence and neither the BLP/DLP has canvassed for Republic status. All this hot air about two parties , who cant’ bring themselves to remove a European Queen as the Head of State of our nation. It is high time we get our own president and make a complete break from a monarchy that is of no real significance to our country.The same party(s) that boycott today, will be at the “Throne Speech”. The same party(s) accept Knighthoods and have all the trappings of the colonialists.
Prodigal
You are really nic picking about caterers. All government hire caterers for functions, your party did it for fourteen years and this one is doing it also. Have you missed that catering money?
“Money voted for functions cannot be paid to workers.”
Clearly money was voted for “functions” but not salaries!! I don’t know about other bloggers, but comments like these infuriate me as I see them as an attempt to insult my intelligence. Where is it written that because it was voted for it MUST be spent?
@ MCG
Um is Queen Elizabeth that mek we run up debt and deficits? stupse
Mahogany…….the black leaders in both political parties should be ashamed of themselves right about now, but we know they both have no shame, their only ambition in life is to kowtow to the same very people and insult the memories of their ancestors, all day that is all that’s being discussed. Donville is dumber than anyone can imagine, as i said if that is what Harrison College is producing, the school should be closed.
The only significance a dying monarchy has is it’s to itself and use Barbados to hide money from the UK taxpayers, these blasted leaders in Barbados are mere pukes, fcking disgraces.
Well Well | February 28, 2014 at 6:00 PM | @
10,000 workers and Plantation Deeds agree
Has ace New York journalist Tony Best been asked to explained his story about Sir Roy being appointed to the diplomatic corp in light of his denial?@David come on ..
Fraud Tony Best, leave that Fraud alone , We may need to look at his holdings in Barbados , lets see how far the rabbit hole goes.We stand 1000% on all of Plantation Deeds Posting on this traitor of Barbados and Bajans, and all rules dealing with free NEWS.
@Balance
so let Putin keep the province which was Russia’s before Khruschev stupidly gave it away.
+++++++++++++
In May 1992 the Russian Parliament voted to rescind Khruschev’s decision.
In May 1992 the Russian Parliament voted to rescind Khruschev’s decision”
Thanks for the enlightenment but did the status quo ever change or remained the same
@Artaxerses
“My friend, it is nonsense to keeping harping on the past highlighting such as the St. Leonard’s school contact, Greenland, GEMS, Dodd’s prison; Supreme Court, etc.”
The truth must be told . Mottley is praised as a good public speaker but look beyond that and she must be held accountable for obvious ministerial failures. It is not personal.
With all due respect sir the current leader of the opposition was Minister of Education when the putrid fiasco occurred at St. Leonards Boys school receiving one of the most scathing reviews of any school project in an auditor general’s report. It even prompted Clyde Mascoll on the floor of the house to say that Mottley was a disaster as Minister of Education. The truth must be told when she runs around Barbados with a holier than thou attitude.
Why do you think that the former chairman of the cabinet has twice publicly stated that she should not be given national leadership. He is well aware of what would happen if she gets power from his unique observation point. A word to the wise or you can continue to bury your head in the sand.
@Hal
We are told the advantages of the Westminster system are, legislation is easier to pass; government is in CONTROL, no filibustering bla bla.
Regrettably with the current crop of MPs – many who have studied in England – we are members of the Commonwealth which we hold dear, do we have the capacity to change/modify the setup?
@Enuff,
Money voted for in parliament that is not spent goes back in it the consolidated fund. (Do you know what that is? Idiot!!!}
It cannot be spent otherwise.@well well,
Still hanging in.
On another note, the flags of 52 other notions of the commonwealth were also unfurled yesterday. Obviously many other nations do not echo your sentiments.
@Balance
It was a symbolic vote but it came on the heels of the Crimean Parliament declaring Independence from Ukraine. Ukraine then granted Crimea autonomous power within Ukraine (self governing status) and that resolved the matter until recent events. As a majority Russian speaking territory most of the people feel more kinship with Russia just like some Quebecers feel more kinship with France and campaign for Independence from Canada. Imagine if Quebec /Canada shared a border with France (not counting St. Pierre & Miquelon) look what happened when DeGaulle visited Quebec and gave a speech in which he said “Vive le Quebec libre”.
These ethnic/religious and language divisions occur all over the world, there are the source of conflicts in Africa and still bedevil Europe, e.g. look at how many countries evolved out of Yugoslavia after Tito died and the Russians have their own problems with Chechnya
The Russians have the upper hand in this dispute and they are not going to let Crimea remain part of Ukraine unless they are given ironclad assurances of their continuing access to the Black Sea ports and that Ukraine tones down any talk of joining the EU.
Alvin..glad to hear you are doing well, but redirecting funds designated for that event was not my point, my point is not spending any taxpayers money on anyone coming out of buckingham palace at all, period.
@ David
Yes we can change things. The questions is if we have the stomach fore change.
Being educated in Britain does not mean as much as the beneficiaries claim. Bering in a class room in which lecturers and tutors expect less from overseas students does not say much.
On the other hand, we have have some of the brightest people studying in Britain from the Caribbean.
For real constitutional change we need good government, a politics of ideas, not of a flawed party loyalty.
Let us debate constitutional change instead of character assassination. .
@ Hal 🙂
“….Let us debate constitutional change instead of character assassination,
+++++++++++
…man you could be a real spoil sport sometimes hear….?!
David,
Other than Santia Bradshaw who are the other MP’s who studied in England.As far as I am aware since the introduction of UWI to Barbados,the connection to UK studies ceased.But I stand to be corrected.
“Donville is dumber than anyone can imagine, as i said if that is what Harrison College is producing, the school should be closed.”
What does Harrison College have to do with anything about CATERING CONTRACTS?
I find it rather immature to make statements like these. Sinckler went to Garrison is his behavior then as finance acceptable? Would that then explain his obvious incompetence at the job?
Donville is not what Harrison is producing. He is what it produced at some point in the past. This class-ism of schools always reminds me that Bajans have not emancipated themselves from mental slavery.
Isn’t that one of the unsaid clauses in UWI’s social contract? To give all who felt badly they didn’t go to the older grammar schools a chance to redeem themselves with a spanking new, hard earned bachelor’s degree? Upward mobility, no?
This conversation on which secondary school you attended is beaten to death and it’s ultimate definition of who you are and what you do… almost pathetic. It definitely screams a level of ignorance for one to to put the individual failure of a person on one school.
“The Russians have the upper hand in this dispute and they are not going to let Crimea remain part of Ukraine unless they are given ironclad assurances of their continuing access to the Black Sea ports and that Ukraine tones down any talk of joining the EU.”
in agreement with your analysis.
Mr Sarge, seems that Mr Obama’s plea to withdraw the troops from Crimea has been rebuffed by Mr Putin. What do you make of this?
@ Bajanfuhlife
“With all due respect sir the current leader of the opposition was Minister of Education when the putrid fiasco occurred at St. Leonards Boys school receiving one of the most scathing reviews of any school project in an auditor general’s report.”
Point taken. However, do politicians have access to the treasury to pay businesses that provide the government with services?
David Thompson was $3.3M through his law firm under the guise of providing services for CLICO, when in actuality it was a gratuity payment for Parris, and Thompson became Prime Minister of Barbados? Was Thompson not “holier than thou” when he was going the length and breadth of this island preaching about corruption and his intension to introducing transparency legislation, and the forensic audit into CLICO revealed the above mentioned activity?
@Dr.Estwick
Tick tock tick tock…
@Balance
Mr Sarge, seems that Mr Obama’s plea to withdraw the troops from Crimea has been rebuffed by Mr Putin. What do you make of this?
++++++++++
No one expected Putin to summarily withdraw because Obama asked him to that would make him weak in the eyes of his fellow Russians. The US and other Western powers actions are limited to diplomatic or economic actions.
The economic actions would hurt the most as the Russian gazillionaires who swallowed up State assets following the dissolution of the Soviet Republic may not have a venue to park their money, what’s the use of having money if you can’t spend it as you like?
David | March 3, 2014 at 6:39 AM |
@Dr.Estwick
Tick tock tick tock…
Wishing and hoping, hoping and praying .Heard the PM on news calmly state Estwick is a highly intelligent man an asset to cabinet and if his proposal has merit it will be considered. Froon cool as a cucumber while Mottley hot and bothered running around purposeless begging for boycotts, marches ,riots . She hopes against hope for Estwick to demit cabinet. Following what Froon said it appears as if the Estick explosion has died down for now. Back to the drawing board for Mia and her wild boys and girls. Not only that the BLP big ups Sir Simmons , George Griffith and co feasted in parliament yard on horse doves and wine while hob nobbing with royalty. Poor Mia lose again. Arthur in the bush waiting. Who really at the hellum of de Bees. Cuh dear. Lord come for your world.
Putin has issued his ulimatum let us see what happens tomorrow.
“The US and other Western powers actions are limited to diplomatic or economic actions.”
Apparently countries like Germany while they loathe the Russian administration still depend on pipeline running through Russia and some of its controlled states for their gas. So while they may support economic sanctions in principle they cannot really take decisive action having been caught between a rock and a hard place as the military might of the wily and slippery Mr Putin entrenches itself without hindrance on Ukrainian soil. Shades of Czechoslovakia and Mr Alexander Dubcek repeating itself it seems.
“.Heard the PM on news calmly state Estwick is a highly intelligent man an asset to cabinet and if his proposal has merit it will be considered.”
What else do you expect the Prime Minister to say my friend. As with the Eager 11 fiasco, He has acted true to form. Preservation of position is the order of the day. Are you inferring as well that it was Ms Mottley who inveigled Mr Estwick to ignore Cabinet convention and hold his Government up to ransom in the hope that the administration would implode and Ms Mottley get a chance to sit in the Prime Minister’s chair.
@Balance
Shades of Czechoslovakia and Mr Alexander Dubcek repeating itself it seems
++++++++++++++
20 years after that Prague spring the Berlin Wall fell, short term Putin calls the shots but long term it may be a different story.
Waiting for the other shoe to drop.
@ balance | March 3, 2014 at 7:52 PM |
“What else do you expect the Prime Minister to say my friend. As with the Eager 11 fiasco, He has acted true to form.”
And true to form we can expect the neutered Rottweiler now turned Fumble’s lapdog poodle to react in a sabbatical of golden silence.
Fumble is saying between the lines Estwick is a silly boy who needs a bit of attention and simple recognition. Now how the hell can the fumbler refer to Estwick plan to rescue the economy and save thousands of jobs as just ‘another presentation that could be worthy of consideration’?
One thing you have to give the man Fumble kudos for is his ability to pull at the naive heart strings of the simple folk of St. Philip and the wider family of DLP supporters.
He is basically telegraphing to Estwick if you cause the premature fall of the current DLP administration before all qualify for full pension you will never be forgiven by your family and especially the people of St. Philip.
And Estwick like a true back row (backra, no pun intended) johnny would be most ashamed of his genetic tree and fall back in line.
The upcoming Estimates will determine if Estwick really and truly believes in his own ‘alternative UAE plan’ to rescue the struggling economy from a 5:1 devaluation of its weakening currency or has indeed succumbed to an exacerbated bout of genetically explained madness.
“20 years after that Prague spring the Berlin Wall fell, short term Putin calls the shots but long term it may be a different story.
Waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
But Mr Putin seems to be playing all his KGB acquired skills to his advantage at the moment and playing Mr Obama for a fool taunting and teasing him and other western leaders into believing that he holds all the aces. Now he threatens not to pay his debts to America and down grade the US dollar should sanctions be imposed.
Millertheannunaki and Balance;
I think that re. the Estwick situation, the PM, even if he and his cabinet do not realize it, is faced with the most difficult decision that any PM has ever had to face in Barbados. Any choice he makes is fraught with danger to the economy and to his legacy. So far he has shown that he tends to avoid any kind of decision making and, even then, takes inordinately long to make them.
The most likely decision, and one he has clearly telegraphed despite some watering down to assuage Estwick (who clearly holds the balance of power in this government), is that he will stick to the traditional tried and tested GoCB/CS path. That path spells intense horrors in the years to come and even the dreaded devaluation appears to be a distinct possibility. The PMs legacy will almost certainly be an abysmal one and the DLP will likely suffer in the polls for years to come if he makes that decision.
The unlikely decision is to go with the Estwick proposal. That path has many imponderables but promises to be a path to restructure the Economy, clear all our debt problems, avoid IMF prescriptions, etc. Overall, such a decision could solve all our immediate problems with the economy but the possible outcomes are not all rosy. It would take an inveterate gambler to make that decision after weighing all the pros and cons. However, in spite of his appearance and history, several aspects of the PM’s decision making history suggests that he is a gambler at heart and not afraid to make asymetric odd decisions. He might surprise most of us by going down the Estwick road. A very negative consequence coming out of that decision could also spell intense horrors for Barbados and for the Freundel Stuart legacy.
All things considered, I suspect the decision will be to maintain the status quo in which case Estwick will ultimately leave cabinet and, if it is well timed, the BLP will be left holding the bag to implement the IMF inspired measures, including the dreaded devaluation, bequeathed them by an inept DLP government.
@ Are we there
If this is the case, why am I told that 22 Barbadians are in China for up to 20 days telling the the story of how nice a place Barbados is for business?
Should they not be in the Middle East?
Hal;
I think I said that the most likely scenario is for the PM to stay with the status quo but that his outlier instinct might arguably suggest that there is a minimal possibility that he could go with the UAE solution (if it is still on the table). The 22 Barbadians in China for up to 20 days promoting Barbados’ tourism might be deemed a sensible though costly exercise that introduces the new Barbados Ambassador there with a bang and might be useful whatever decision the PM makes about the Estwick proposal. There is no mutual exclusivity in the rumoured Chinese initiative as far as I can see.
Now if you had said they were in the UAE, I would have gone Hmmmmmmm!
@ are-we-there-yet?
My reading of the situation is that Fumble will eventually say to Estwick when he gets around to it…….I am going to stick with the governor and Sinckler……….and dared him to do what wants to do! All the while pushing the party paramountcy card! Estwick will then meekly submit, the DLP is paramount, not Barbados or Barbadians!
@ are-we-there-yet?
Fumbler could not be going with Estwick’s plan as they are still going ahead with the layoffs which Estwick told the Fumbler to his face is not a policy!
I await the spin from the DLP blaming Barbados’ woes on what is happening in Ukraine!
Hi Prodigal Daughter,
Your last comment about Ukraine is very instructive.
The turmoil in the Ukraine and the threatened intervention from Russian forces could not have come at a worse time for Barbados and other Caribbean countries.
We have to keep our eyes on that one.
“That path spells intense horrors in the years to come and even the dreaded devaluation appears to be a distinct possibility”
Fellow mourners, brace yourselves for phase one of the IMF austerity programme.
Prodigal Son;
True! All indications are that Freundal will reject the Estwick proposal. That means that all the rigours of a typical IMF programme are almost certainly in the offing, including the dreaded devaluation. At some stage Estwick must balance his undeniable support for the DLP with his own credibility if he meekly allows the PM to lead him by the nose into supporting something which he is clearly against and the undeniable fact that the horrors of the restructuring programme will almost certainly leave not one DLP man standing whenever elections come a calling. That tussle between Estwick and himself is sure to lead to some serious political theatre in the coming months.
Look for the unthinkable to happen.
@ AWTY
Was a commitment to implement the IMF agreement a condition of the 2013 Credit Suisse loan? P.M. Stuart made a decision to implement the IMF recommendations so the consideration promised to the “Estwick Plan” is very similar to the consideration promised to the BWU’s enhanced packages. Both will be written of like over aged accounts receivables.
Bajan in NY
If you don’t know where you want to go then any road will do. That is what is happening in Barbados right now. This Government is not about governing is about surviving so they will whatsoever buys them more.
The Ides of March are here.
Bajan in NY;
I don’t know if there was a formal connection but it seems reasonable to think that there might have been, in which case your analysis is spot on target.
BREAKING NEWS
Cabinet at its meeting today approved without reservation , the US $ 5 billion UAE loan.
As PM Stuart said on CBC tv last Saturday night ” it would be a foolish PM and a foolish government , not to look at all options on the table , including Dr. Estwick’s plan “.
The first drawdown of this loan will commence on 1st April, 2014.
All the recently retrenched workers will be reinstated – just like the 2 Shop Stewards – Trottie was able to get back on the production line !!!!
The reinstatement of workers will commence on 1st May, 2014 ( Labour Day ).
A symbolic reinstatement ceremony is slated for Baystreet on that day…..where Trottie will be publicly commended by government for keeping the opposition BLP at bay ( no pun intended ) by not taking the workers on the streets to protest….while the UAE money arrived.
That is what you call an ENHANCED SEPARATION PACKAGE….for those who were thinking otherwise !!!!!
David of BU is extremely thrilled by this good news !
So too are the keepers of the FATTED CALF ……Prodigirl and Miller….included !
Hoorray. Hoorray Hoorray to Dr. Estwick….at last the FATTED CALF has a new lease on life !!!!!
I too grew up “stupid under the Union Jack” but on hindsight I now wonder if those islands that remain loyal to Britain are not doing better that those who splitted. I was part of the Independence Ceremony and felt proud to be BAJAN, today I’m hanging my head in shame of what Barbados has become. This country had some good leaders in the past, but now we are starved for good leadership and sadly there is NONE projecting themselves for the future. I srutter to think who MY COUNTRY will become in another 20 to 30 years. Our ancestors fought hard to bring Barbados to be a respected country, we ought it to them to leave a similar country for our children. Speaking to many young people recently, most of them consider politics and a joke or worse. THERE HAS TO BE A NEW DIRECTION SET AMONG THE POLITICIANS AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY FOR THIS COUNTRY OR OUR OFFSPRING WILL HATE US FOR THE PIT WE HAVE LEFT THEM IN.
@ Fractured
If the government is accepting the $0.5bn UAE loan, and is reinstating the redundant workers, then what has changed? This is lunacy, the nation has gone mad.
So, once we have spent this money, we will be back were we were – looking for more money to borrow and overloading the public payroll.
@Hal
Ignore Fractured, his is a poor attempt at humour. It is how these political surrogates operate.
BREAKING NEWS
“Cabinet at its meeting today approved without reservation , the US $ 5 billion UAE loan.”
Congratulations are therefore in order Fractured but why not give Mr Estwick the chance to bask in his glory rather than leaking information from Cabinet.
I am happy that all the workers will be returned to work moreso to dispel the myth conveniently propagandized by persons like you that the Public service is over-bloated what ever that means and there will be no need to request the support of the opposition to cut the salaries of the over-bloated public sector. All hail King Estwick.
@ David
I realised it was a hoax, but played along. Parliament is streamed here in London. We can watch the debates.
@ Fractured BLP | March 6, 2014 at 6:17 PM |
Fractured, you forgot one fragment of your own “Breaking News” which is clearly a figment of your mad imagination.
‘Stinkliar will no longer be the MoF from April 2014’ after he has delivered the 2014-2015 Estimates based the IMF plan which Estwick will vote for.
Let the DLP keep the government you guys are doing a fantastic job by living up to the letter “D” in your name and all that it implies.
Even the fatted calf appears to be suffering from the same “D” disease that is slowly leading to ‘Death’.
PS: Make sure you guys put in an adequate provision in the upcoming estimates for the physical completion, outfitting and staffing of the St. John Polyclinic of a falling erection aka David Thompson Memorial Priapism.
Now that would be a great tribute to the “Dead”.
“The Russians have the upper hand in this dispute and they are not going to let Crimea remain part of Ukraine unless they are given ironclad assurances of their continuing access to the Black Sea ports and that Ukraine tones down any talk of joining the EU.”
They surely do because the West would only window dress but not intervene and Mr Putin knows this . Sarge, I do not believe that Crimea is the real issue because it is already under Russian control given its genealogical history as well as the might of the Russian naval military muscle permanently stationed on its shores. I think the ultimate goal is keeping the Ukraine out of Nato and having a puppet Government amenable to Russian interests in control again.
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Email: chuateo_loansfirm@yahoo.com.sg