Submitted by Beresford
Click to review Draft Estimates 2104-2015
This Friday will be a watershed for Barbados.
The vote on the Estimates will determine whether hypocrisy will continue to subvert conscience and the DLP Government renews its hijacking of the economy and lives of Barbadians, or there will be a summoning of integrity, national and social responsibility in support of the proof of what the BLP has said about the economy – that the DLP is unfit to rectify the massacre of the country’s fundamentals – supported by no less than senior Cabinet Minister David Estwick.
It is clear from the Estimates that, regardless of the last ditch statement from the usually rambunctious Ronald Jones which merely served to reinforce the efficacy of Estwick’s stance, that the DLP has steadfastly ignored Estwick’s prosecution of its economic policies as complete failures.
The only dignified path left for Estwick, who up to the time of writing, has not spoken in the Estimates, is to have the courage of his convictions and stand for his principles in the full knowledge that truth is his amour and, when called to do his duty, he rightly put country before party or self.
It is also evident from the vicious personal attacks and nasty slurs on one hand, and the excursions into everything from self-taught historic diatribes and creepy sermonising, in a surreal performance that reinforces a dogged detachment from the realities of Barbados and is mind-boggling in its tenacity, the DLP Government is exultant to be adrift and has absolutely no intention of changing course.
Sinckler often contradicts himself; he has also managed the art of eating his own words. The DLP, he being one of the quad poster images of prominent incompetence, persists, in Sinckler’s words, in drinking their own muddy coffee.
Instead of the Sinckler bringing to the country a set of Estimates grown out of a strategy to turn the raging tide of mushrooming debt – 60 cents out of every dollar – that is suffocating Barbados; instead of deliberate constructs to demonstrate an understanding that the productive sectors must be stimulated; instead of retooling of programmes indicated by money allocations to incentivise momentum for future growth, Sinckler delivered the usual slash and burn, mish-mash shrouded in incoherent meanderings for two hours with no connection to what is needed in the dire circumstances now.
Trotting out this and that project that will not impact for any time to come does not change the harsh daily grind of Barbadians. People being sent home, taxi-men fighting over a trip, a hospital in shambles, empty towns, banks without customers – no amount of spin can change the unraveling of Barbados.
Again, in his own, words, the facts do not lie. The stats do not lie – not that he would be any wiser given his history at the UWI, reputation for scrupulous misstatements and non-performance as Minister of Finance.
The facts of the economy are known – no need to repeat. So where is the money coming from .. to do anything? Build the new police stations of Adriel’s Brathwaite’s imagination? Where is the logic in persisting with a programme in Brazil which in the course of a whole year only delivered 134 people to Barbados? What kind of self-indulgent Minister of Tourism would allocate the same $2 million to the UK market, our biggest, as to Brazil? The appalling lack of appreciation of the realities of Barbados by the DLP knows no bounds.
Sinckler’s attempt to be contrite could not withstand the flood of his natural venom. Faced with a clinical and comprehensive rebuttal by BLP leader Mia Mottley, displaying all the knowledge and experience of 20 years odd in Parliament and Government and exposing Sinckler’s shortcomings, the 2014 Estimates degenerated as expected into a full-scale personal attack and rehashing of history.
Isn’t it amazing how those who like to accuse are themselves guilty as they protest innocence?
His disposition and ego, and that of those who invariably follow him like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, would have been even more wounded by the series of speeches from the BLP, which cut to the heart of Government’s destructiveness and irrelevance.
The dissection of tourism by Santia Bradshaw and tour de force by Ronald Toppin; the calling out of the DLP on its victimisation in its hacking of public servants by Dwight Sutherland; Dale Marshall’s barb on how a serious Government could ignore the Scotland District, one-sixth of the land mass of Barbados; Bostic’s steadied reasoning; Edmund Hinkson’s conviction of the DLP in forsaking education as the base when other countries are ramping up; Owen Arthur’s class-by-itself lesson on what is required and that the Estimates will not help – all of these and the rest obliterated the facade of normalcy in the face of economic terrorism that Sinckler, the likes of Michael Lashley, who did not seem to remember the consultants like Jepter Ince and even the now Minister, Dennis Lowe, at Transport Board, and Sealy would wish to conjure.
Poor Freundel is totally out of it. In the face of a mountain of irrefutable evidence in every form of media that he was the cheerleader that not a fellow would be cut loose from the public service, Freundel in his confused and comatose state still maintains he never said so.
Lowe, whose newfound religious fervor reminds one of the saying close to God and far from heaven, matched Sinckler’s vitriol. His new-found Christianity did not extend to charitable discourse but extended to indignant protestations like Peter in the final hours of Christ’s life on earth. He should do himself and his party a favour and turn his self-promoted diagnostic powers to the particular form of political schizophrenia that is a permanent affliction of the DLP.
A year after elections, the Estimates debate turned into a blood sport by Sinckler and co. proved that the DLP in still in a bog weighted down by historic baggage; obsessed with the past, not an eye on the present and blind to the future. When not trying to invoke times of Barrow nostalgia – long past and irrelevant – in an attempt at legitimacy by association, from leader down or, as most of them would say, up, indulge in a mindless blame game, conveniently ignoring their own recidivism in six years.
The public does not care, DLP. The demagoguery and inflammatory rants do not appeal or recommend either that you are serious or worthy.
What Barbadians care about are their livelihoods and lives. They worry about the chronic liabilities of Freundel, Sinckler and Sealy, in particular, in the womb of the reincarnation of Rudolf Havenstein in Barbados at the Central Bank.
Cursing Mia Mottley and the rest of team BLP does not cure the bronchitis of Barbados. Sinckler’s indulgence in poisonous irrelevance does not change the fact that he is not fit to run a bread shop and will not change his place in history as the man who charted the course of catastrophe for Barbados.
The DLP should be inspired by the cleaned up Constitution River to remove the mud from their surroundings, come out of the discoloured party water clouding their vision, leave out the razzmatazz they cannot help indulging in and clean up their literal act.
Today will signal whether there will be sober reflection, introspection driven by something other than remaining in power, and someone, somewhere in the DLP will stand for Barbados rather than keep on railing against their leader and the Government’s performance in cloak and dagger fashion in the dark while grandstanding on the floor of the House that all is well. When they all know it is not.
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The Barbados Labour Party is saddened at the passing of Hon. Lionel Seymour Craig CHB., J.P, who was a loyal longstanding member of the BLP. He served as a Member of Parliament 1966-1986 representing St. James and was a member of Cabinet from 1976-1986.
His funeral will take place on Saturday March 22, 2014, 10.00 a.m at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael. Relatives and friends may pay their last respects at the Barbados Labour Party Headquarters on Friday March 21, 2014 from 4.00 p.m – 6.00 p.m.
The Leader of the Opposition Hon. Mia Amor Mottley conveys deepest sympathies on behalf of the Parliamentary Group, the National Council, members, supporters and friends of the BLP to his wife Tracy, daughter , son and other members of the family.
May He Rest in Peace
HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND
v The Christ Church West Central branch invites you to a meeting this Sunday March 23, 2014, 4.30 p.m at Foundation School, Christ Church. Speakers will be the Rt. Hon Owen S Arthur; Indar Weir; and Wilfred Abrahams. The meeting will be chaired by Akil Daley.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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p align=”justify”>v The 76th Anniversary Service of the BLP will be held on Sunday March 30, 2014, 9.00 a.m at Power In The Blood Assembly, Kew Road, Tudor Bridge, St. Michael.
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