Local and international newsfeeds have understandably been choked with Covid-19 news in recent weeks. It is not surprising that an important debate which took place during the 65th Sitting of the House of Assembly 2018-2023 Estimates has gone largely unnoticed by the general public.
Those of us who follow the politics of the country took note of the debate late on Friday night seen from 2hrs 00min on the video.
Leader of the Opposition Joe Atherley was unusually critical of the government for allocating a $150,000 subvention designed to assist political parties in parliament to itself (Barbados Labour Party). It seems to the blogmaster Prime Minister Mia Mottley followed through on a promised made at the last BLP Annual Conference that the PDP – political party led by Bishop Atherley – would not benefit from the subvention.
The blogmaster understands but disagrees with the technical argument offered by Minister Ryan Straughn to defend government’s decision. Given the unprecedented result of the 2018 general election that resulted in the BLP winning all 30 seats in parliament, Prime Minister Mottley possessed the discretion to change the criteria how the subvention could have been allocated.
A government interested in supporting a quality democracy given the current state should have had no difficulty amending the criteria for qualification of the subvention. A precedent when it amended the Constitution of Barbados!
The blogmaster agrees with the leader of the Opposition that the intent of the subvention must have been to give fledgling political parties in opposition assistance in the interest of safeguarding a fragile democracy. We operate in an imperfect system therefore the government should not allow myopic parochial considerations to influence an important decision.
Very disappointing.
There are no substantive regulations on political party financing in Barbados. However, under the Parliament (Administration) Act 1989 (CAP. 10), parliament provides an annual subvention of BD$ 300,000 (US$ 148515), which is shared among the political parties that have a parliamentary presence. In addition, each constituency is entitled to an office and a stipend of BD $750 (US$ 370) as well as the provision of a constituency assistant accorded to each MP under Section 10 of the Parliamentary (Administration) Act.
Dictator wannabe, slave trader wannabe, let’s see how well it all works out in this new order post Covid.
Open your eyes people, you are being played, the black faces for leaders have always beeing using this same handbook against you for the past 60 plus year, is time to stop them in their tracks so they do not continue these crimes to stay in control. There is now a paradigm shift, use it wisely..
https://www.facebook.com/WorldEthnographies/videos/1047921488606382/?t=112
I do not understand this criticism of the government at all.
The day before yesterday, bloggers accused Mia Mottley of being a Mugabe-style dictator (especially Piece the Legend). Yesterday they wanted the medical dictatorship. Today, they say, the dictatorship is bad again.
You have to be a little more consistent with your opinions.
A close analysis of decision-making in the current government shows quite clearly that it is not Cabinet government; it appears – and nothing said in public has contradicted this – decisions from the leader down, that is a presidential form of government
In a parliamentary system, a presidential style of government leads to constitutional conflict. However, when the ruling party has all the parliamentary seats, it is what the late Quintin Hogg called an elective dictatorship.
The role of parliament is to scrutinise the Executive, but in Barbados the Executive and parliament are one and the same.
The senate, the second chamber, also performs a scrutinising role, but then again the representation of the ruling party is such that its policies just get an almost free pass, apart from the occasional objection from minority senators.
The withdrawal( denial) of a subvention to the Opposition confirms to my mind the course of our democracy. Instead of arguing about what party X says or party B, we should be concerned about this course of history. Watch out for further abuses of the Misuse of Computers Act and other forms of repression.
No..you are no longer in control re how the country will be moving forward or the inevitable changes to come, anything and everyone evil created by corrupt ministers, politicians, lawyers in the last 80 years and at the expense of the people have to go…
This IGNORANT CRIMINAL is still trying to prove a point that he is still in control of the island, he is yet to understand that he is only in control of the corrupt, black face fools in parliament whose time has finally come for them to pay for their crimes against the people.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/03/24/hyatt-a-go-says-maloney/
@Hal
that is in theory but the sad reality is that a PM in parliamentary forms of govt has more power than a President in US govt system. the senate is a joke and a mere talk shop- it can only delay.
with regard to Cabinet, depending on the PM and the strength of individual cabinet members, the PM will either be consultative or not. MAM from what i can see believes she is the smartest person in the room and those cabinet members all look like they are glad for the work so i doubt she will get any opposition from them.
time will tell tho.
With the exception of Stuart all former prime ministers of Barbados have been dominant in the system of government we practice.
@ Greene
You are spot on. As long as intelligent, bright, well qualified young men and women behave as if they are domestics and glad for the pick, Mottley will walk all over them. They do not have to swear or threaten violence, but let her know they have principles.
If they walk out of the Cabinet it does not mean they walk out of parliament; all it means they will go on the back bench. But in a tiny society with very few career opportunities outside law, medicine or bookkeeping, one can be held to ransom.
As we say in Fleet Street, sometimes people do not object to being kicked up the backside, what they object to is being kicked in public.
@David
i was led to believe that Bree was not but that may have been because he was not elected as PM. and dominant could mean a lot of different things in a Cabinet setting
@Greene
Did not include Bree for obvious reason.
@David
all these conventions must become law. no use having them then relying on the fair-mindedness of the Govt to enforce them.
in any case it is baffling that MAM would designate the money for opposition parties to her party. that make no sense given the purpose for the subvention in the first place. and for it to be defended is even more disingenuous.
what is the BLP going to use the money for?
@The argument as put forward by Straughn who led the vote on the head is that the party must have faced the electorate. Atherley did as a BLpite and further the PDP did not face the electorate. This is a quick Mottley could have fixed given the unprecedented situation. To quote what the framers intended is a cop out.
So tell me the Ministry of Miseducation has set up so the schools organize their teachers to have tutorial studies online for their students as real first world, punching above their weight countries are currently doing to minimize the impact of corona virus…to the education of the nation.
try not to turn it into another cockup.
@ David BU
What was quoted in the last paragraph is nebulous. What is meant by shared? Is it equally shared?
It also states ” party with a presence in the HOA” . Does Rev, Atherley represent a political Party? And is he not in the HOA? Where does the law state anything about a party facing an electorate?
Thirdly we all know the purpose of the subvention. Surely we should abide by the spirit of the Law as well as the writing of law?
The Bishop should sit down and shut up, he was granted the opportunity to be the leader of a sham opposition with all the perks of the office including a large boost to his salary. If the BLP believes that that is all he is entitled to I say good for them and as a man of the cloth he should be familiar with the phrase “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away”.
And to the folks querying this action, please familiarize yourselves with the phrase “tyranny of the majority”
Can bloggers recall what happened when 4 members of the DLP crossed the floor?
@David,
sounds like an absurd argument given the fact that crossing -the- floor is recognised in fact and function. so if a majority of the BLP cross the floor and form a new party it would not be a govt becos it did not face the electorate as such?
everyday i become jaded by our system if not people.
what would be the harm in giving the PDP the subvention?
@Sarge
Are you suggesting MAM is a despot, acting in a tyrannical manner?
At a time when the future of Barbados is uncertain, our political leaders are arguing about US$75000, a pittance. Where is the political leadership? Why do we have such tiny minds? Why is such a matter obsessing BU at a time like this?
@NO
That “despot” is “‘Piece’s” territory but Atherley shouldn’t have been surprised because Mia announced it at a BLP branch meeting.
However, we have seen that playbook before in our neck of the woods it’s what ruling parties do to frustrate the opposition (yuh don’t give a man a stick to beat you). Harper did it to the Liberals and Ford has done it to the Liberals (seems to be a pattern here)
“Hants” take note liquor and marijuana are essential goods 😊.
Mr Blogmaster, I have seen my share of grotesque imagery and I understand the oft repeated mantra that those who ignore their history pay the heavy price of badly repeating the same errors …
But all that said amongst this group of savvy and informed bloggers can you PLEASE enlighten me as to what exactly the grotesque imagery of a mock up or real decapitated young Afro lady’s head at 12:54 AM is for!
Why is it there and why do we have to see it… yes we can scroll pass but why is it there… we can’t unsee what we see!
Thanks. Maybe I’m getting too old and my sensibilities are becoming too ‘sharp… Ah well!
Ha. Ha. Hal good observation as to why
BU in the weeks coming would be serving koolaid a plenty as Corona takes the spotlight and shines a light of transparency on the govt
This issue has no place at this time on BU when the lives of barbadians hangs in the balance of life and death which is of uttermost importance
Barbados has bigger fish to fry
than Atherly and his do nothing opposition. Atherly can take this matter through the law courts
Now on to knowning what other surprise govt have in store for the people of barbados as Corona moves from country to country flying with a warning
No one is exempt
@Vincent
The quote at the bottom of the blog is random and posted to add to the discussion.
@ David BU
I’m a bit confused.
If political parties with elected representatives in Parliament are eligible/entitled for the $150,000 government subvention, is it fair to ‘say’ the BLP allocated the subvention meant for Opposition” People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PPDD) to themselves…….
………… or did they take what they were entitled to and with-held the funds from the PPDD?
However, I have to agree with Mr. Greene re: “what would be the harm in giving the PPDD the subvention?”
@Artax
Where is the entitlement if the law can be changed at the stroke of a pen? Other laws have been changed. Are we comfortable with a one party state?
It is good that we currently have no legal opposition in parliament. We all know that the red bishop is still part of the club. The same is true of the senators nominated by the bishop. Senator Caswell’s stomach has clearly benefited from the state banquets. He is not expected to offer any resistance.
So all we have now is an extra-parliamentary opposition beyond the constitution, which therefore bears the stench of illegality.
In my personal assessment as an amateur constitutional lawyer (LOL), it is therefore not necessary to declare state emergency in Barbados. Our Most Honourable Prime Minister already has already very extensive powers. Just like John Locke’s Leviathan. She could already have a law passed at this stage to imprison or simply shoot all those who oppose the Corona measures. Or she could simply have the constitution suspended by parliamentary decree. She has the 100 percent “majority”. Not even the Chinese can order corona measures as easily as in Barbados.
So what is the point of a state emergency if we live permanently in a democratic one-party state? The people anticipated the Corona emergency quasi in May 2018. What a clever people.
@ Tron
Seriously. You should be writing for television comedy. You would make millions in the UK. Every time I read you I smile to myself, which is not easy.
Have you heard of Yes, Minister?
“But all that said amongst this group of savvy and informed bloggers can you PLEASE enlighten me as to what exactly the grotesque imagery of a mock up or real decapitated young Afro lady’s head at 12:54 AM is for!”
OUR ANCESTORS…had to SEE and experience all of the bad things and they could not complain…grow some balls, just be glad you do not have to experience what they did unless you want to…you now have a choice, pretending it did not happen will not change anything.
just in case you have forgotten or have chosen to.
BTW…those same heads are still sitting in British or French or Belgian or even German museums somewhere, tell them to remove them and send them to Africa to be buried in respect to our ancestors, if you dare..
@ Tron March 24, 2020 10:49 AM
“Our Most Honourable Prime Minister already has already very extensive powers. Just like John Locke’s Leviathan. She could already have a law passed at this stage to imprison or simply shoot all those who oppose the Corona measures.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That contribution is of one of the highest form of comic relief deserving only of punishment with laughter.
You are a person of supreme wit and consummate satire infectious enough to make even Covid die from laughter.
Are you implying- from your compendium of intellectual thought with the foreseeing eyes of a “Hobbes” or a “Malthus”- that Life for mankind, unless the dark destroyer Covid is brought sooner-rather-than-later under global control, can become “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”?
Hal,
I love Yes, Minister und Yes, Prime Minister.
You don’t have to worry about my emissions on BU not finding their way into real life … 🙂
@Sarge
My observation is most political parties do it to their competition. It is part of the game. Some rather than an outright display of squeezing their opposition, choose to line their own party pockets. McGuinty was a boss. The only difference I have seen is the colour of the commenters undergears. I put them ALL in the same bucket.
@ Sargeant and other CanBajans,
Lower Ontario hydro rates for the next 45 days.
” gas prices will fall 8 cents at midnight on March 25, down to an average price of 65.9 cents/litre at most GTA gas stations. ”
Too bad we have to stay home.lol
@Tron. You missed your calling. SNL have nothing on you.
@ Miller
Ah see MM say the Hyatt erection is getting ready yuh arousal…you find out where the financial Viagra coming from – lol?
…fuh arousal*…
CORRECTION: Leviathan by Hobbes.
Tron the half-witted idiot. Now I’m so confused from all the Corona beer that I mix up the greatest English thinkers of state … 🙁
A short while ago, a spokesman for the Pope advocated harsher sentences for persons convicted of crimes which victimized tourists. Has the Leader of the opposition and the Pope offered any comment about what his spokesperson said? It seems to mean that the Pope first has to repudiate that mindset and publicly embrace the doctrine of equal justice under law before the public purse is further used to spew concepts that can only hurt our people.
Party not Pope
Gas prices dropping means little when yuh have no money because yuh have no job
The stinky capitalist have everybody under house arrest (they think)
However the reality bodes well to say that Mother Nature initiated a world wide strick
Not be long before the greedy captalist would be giving away free gas so some people can use it to find jobs and others to come to work in order for the greedy capitalist get their stinky factories up and running
Boy did Mother Nature hang a noose around them scamp necks
@ hamicb65 March 24, 2020 3:32 PM
“Ah see MM say the Hyatt erection is getting ready yuh arousal…you find out where the financial Viagra coming from – lol?”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What a panoramically embracing sight of a ‘flattened’ site there would be as those buildings are demolished to lend appearance to a wonderful window to the beautiful Carlisle Bay!
Do you, btw, know if the former property-owners have received their compensation packages?
Or would these pre-construction project expenditures be appearing as liabilities on the books of the BTII along with the cost of demolition in preparation of the building site fit for purpose of creating of a window through which would appear the ghost of Hyatt looking out from her Lighthouse of creative imagination?
Time will tell if the Central Bank of Bim will be releasing US 175 million from its fast dwindling ‘borrowed’ foreign reserves in this period of deep long-term economic crisis to fund the building a towering hotel where the guests will be flying in by ‘Duppy’ airplane and checking-in at a fantasy island of a pipedream with Covid the doorman welcoming all those alighting from a ZR van.
Miller,
If we believe Baloney today, construction on the Hyatt plantation will begin next month. I seriously wonder what kind of stuff Baloney smokes during the day. It seems to be pretty strong.
It’s as clear as day that no foreign investor or the Hyatt Hotels Corp. is going to stem the investments or bear the economic risk of running the hotel. Quite apart from the Corona hydrogen bomb, because of the under-occupancy in the hotel industry on the island. Any bet that the clueless Dr. Robinson will give his master Baloney an NIS loan. Just like COW succeeded with the Apes Hill plantation. When the project starts, it either ends up as a unfinished building or the government has to bear the deficit in running it.
I’m seriously wondering if I’m dreaming here or not. The government has quite rightly resisted Butch the slave driver with his Sandals plantation. It must now remain consistent: No tax money for hotel plantations!
My suggestion is that we deprive all citizens who have become insolvent with a mortgage of their civil rights. COW would no longer be allowed to vote, and Baloney would be the next candidate. The state used to disenfranchise blacks. Why not disenfranchise the white man now, for a change?
Eventually you reap what you sow
For the greedy and ignorant in Barbados, no more robbing vulnerable islands with the help of sell out negro leaders, all yall just went BUST…welcome to reality….yall need a serious introduction TO POVERTY….soon come when all that stolen wealth just disintegrates before ya wicked eyes..
“COVID-19 is ravaging advanced economies such as Italy, France, Spain, and the United States. Beyond the deaths and human suffering, markets are discounting a catastrophic recession accompanied by massive defaults, as expressed in the radical repricing of corporate credit risk by financial markets.”
Wonder which lowlife criminal minority is still trying to kill Bajans at these badly built roundabouts, that there is a complaint on FB for everyone to see.
“On way to Cora Ridge there is a development going in . at Ridge.The road going east(from St Davids to Coral Ridge) is straight and a roundabout is placed to the right of the road for the new developmemt,,Great!! but for some reason they have taken a straight section on the keft and intruded on it with a semi circle,,why in gods name? and did town planner approve this looks like a dangeroius thing to me(another Coverly) drivers are not going to notice this until too late..Theres a similar stupid thing by the Newton roundabout on way to Ocean Park…a bump in the road.not visible at night…..who dreams up these things?.”
“from its fast dwindling ‘borrowed’ foreign reserves in this period of deep long-term economic crisis to fund the building a towering hotel where the guests will be flying in by ‘Duppy’ airplane and checking-in at a fantasy island of a pipedream with Covid the doorman welcoming all those alighting from a ZR van.”
Let the ignorant criminal build the Hyatt protrusion, just perfect and in time to house any large amounts of corona victims, just perfect for quarantine and even more useful for the homeless who will be victims of the recession bearing down on Ms. Fighting Imperialism.
She is just lucky not everyone is as heartless toward and hateful of their own as they are and are still willing to offer up ideas free of cost unlike her crooked, useless multimillion dollar consultants who post millions of dollars are still to come up with any viable, workable solutions to help the island and are even more useless in this crisis….or there would be no asses on FB boasting and drooling at the thought of benefitting from the death, pain and suffering of potentially millions of people.
@hamicb65
Forget the financial Viagra. It is still a global health emergency and these brain dead IDIOTS ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT MAKING MONEY.
When I am critical of the Barbadian ruling class I am myself criticised. But here it is, from Kerrie Symmonds talking about tourism, to so-called business people talking about starting a hotel development, to a president talking about a golf course.
Leave them…when ya see Prince Donald is having a conniption fit because 6 out of his 7 properties are reported to be shutdown which means soon all will be and he can see himself clearly going dead broke, take note that he is one of the most well connected businessmen in US….
So let these little bottomfeeding parasites in Barbados believe they have some kinda control to prevent themselves from being no different to the struggling masses in less than 18 months..am sure the poor will be more than happy to welcome all these uppity thieves into poverty..
The poor knows what it is like to be poor and would continue with their lives as normal
The rich would soon be jumping out the windows heading towards hell
We done know Barbados’ leaders have a huge problem accepting reality, especially when it comes from hated bloggers, but just remember that most of your misguided love of tourists and bigger love of tourist dollars….COME FROM UK…so welcome to reality.
“Half of the country’s population could already be infected with coronavirus, according to an Oxford study. People in Kent, Oxford and Cambridge could be tested to back up the theory as soon as this week.”
So if this testing backs up the Oxford study…yall are shit outta luck, much more that ya are alrealy and as i and others have been saying all along…FIND OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME for the island AND LET GO THE DAMN MARIJUANA…so the people can survive or face the consequences which is real, real, real, real REALITY…and if wholesale deaths occur just because yall are dumb, all of you should be JAILED FOR MURDER by the international community.
Yes we know Ms. Fighting Imperialism is the one with the death grip on the marijuana because she does not want her own people to have it or to benefit from it in anyway, i dare her to say am lying.
If you want it broken down in REAL TERMS….cause we done know yall will try to twist and turn it into the impossible…half of a 66 million population…is 33 million people…who will have to isolate for who knows how long if they prove to be infected, maybe GP can help with those figures cause ya chief medical officer is a laughing stock…
However…..TOURISM DONE for the long term foreseeable future even without that study….no matter what the long face retard says…so get in gear…chop, chop..
.ya don’t have to listen to me, am laying on my bed in total isolation, not a fella have to tell me what to do, instinct and survival of the fittest is all that’s needed..
“There are no substantive regulations on political party financing in Barbados. However, under the Parliament (Administration) Act 1989 (CAP. 10), parliament provides an annual subvention of BD$ 300,000 (US$ 148515), which is shared among the political parties that have a parliamentary presence.”
One would assume that the money would be distributed based on the proportion of parliament members.
Is it 1/30th or 3/30th that Atherley could expect?
Let’s be real…
Atherley made another disturbing point during the debate and seen in the video posted. As a member of the Parliamentary Commission he was misled.
I am getting bored with Barbados’ pretend leaders, it’s a good thing that the population have a higher level of intelligence than those they elected, so anything i post going forward is for the benefit of the population TO PROTECT THEMSELVES….because they are clearly showing they understand the magnitude of the situation and we know that survival remains a main staple in their DNAs.
I just hope GP was not the one comparing this deadly unseen virus to the flu.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8149149/Expert-describes-one-coronavirus-patient-infect-59-000-others.html
“An intensive care specialist has described how one person with coronavirus could infect up to 59,000 others – as the virus is more than twice as infectious as flu.
Dr Hugh Montgomery, a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London, explained how the virus could be passed from one person to thousands as he called on Britons to heed advice on social distancing.
‘Normal flu, if I get that, I’m going to infect on average about 1.3 or 1.4 people – if there was such a division,’ he told Dr Xand van Tulleken on Channel 4’s Coronavirus: How to Isolate Yourself programme.
‘If those 1.3 or 1.4 people gave it to the next lot that’s the second time it gets passed on. By the time that’s happened 10 times, I’ve been responsible for about 14 cases of flu.’
Waru,
quote] Theres a similar stupid thing by the Newton roundabout on way to Ocean Park…a bump in the road.not visible at night…..who dreams up these things?.” [unquote
quite true. the way it is situated it is v dangerous.because there are not street lights. it was put in place to accommodate a Chefette on the right. i can only imagine what the traffic is going to be like when the Chefette is built. first off a major commercial venture should not be that close to a roundabout and if it is to be, there should be off lanes constructed, not make smaller and more dangerous an existing road.
Greene…we have to find out if it’s the same crooks maliciously building these death traps for the people.
Come to think of it we have been hearing complaints about this Coverley 2.0 death trap set up by the cemetry for the people for quite some weeks….so how come Ms. Fighting Imperialism is so silent when she was so vocal at election time at Maloney setting up the trap that killed the child….is it because election is not that near so there is no need to deceive the people yet…. why is it still there…and not only one death trap, but two of them
The adjustment near to the roundabout facilitating entry to the new hardware store at Kendal Hill is also confusing. I’m not sure why they constructed entrances to these places so close to the roundabout.
@ Sargeant
RE: “The adjustment near to the roundabout facilitating entry to the new hardware store at Kendal Hill is also confusing.”
I disagree…… it’s not confusing, well….. ‘at least, not to me.’
If you’re travelling from Vauxhall to the hardware store, you keep to the left and turn into the entrance, while all other vehicles would keep to the right heading towards the junction.
Those people going onto to Kendal Hill would remain in the right lane and people going towards Kingsland would branch off into the left lane, before approaching the junction.
Because the junction after the roundabout is so wide, indiscriminate PSV operators and some other drivers are forming a third lane to go towards Kendal Hill.
What I find nowadays is people seem to be in so much of a hurry to get to their destinations, they’re ignoring road signs and ‘doing their own thing.’
De ole man, contrary to popular belief, has not succumbed to Covid-19!
And thanks, those of you who were concerned, for asking.
That this is a serious health issue goes without saying.
But that a Barbados Labour party to be so petty and to decide that in the middle of a crisis that affects all barbadians, that it would be so petty to absorb this subvention that is by law, for the legally appointed PdP is something for examination at another level
What if Mugabe and Atherley both see the PdP as an appendage of the BLP?
Would that not mean that Mugabe has not in fact taken the deferred funds into the coffers of the “PdP?
De ole man knows that this comment will only elicit responses from the fearless Tron given that its content resides in Tron’s sphere of operation!
Were de ole man’s assertions not true, this man Atherley would have made this issue of a subvention denied into a national issue for every barbadian.
Where he would have paraded all over the island saying that Mia Mugabe Mottley DOES NOT like barbadians since the ones that he represeents are denied any type of monetary subsidies
While those that Mugabe lover LIKE WHITE HOARES sorry HOAX is being given $35 million dollars in a currency yet to be determined
But Atherley likes playing games with his boss Mugabe and barbadians have become a ballsless set of eunuchs!!
Your assistance please Honourable Blogmaster
@ Piece the Legend March 31, 2020 5:27 PM
“What if Mugabe and Atherley both see the PdP as an appendage of the BLP?”
That’s a rhetorical question, isn´t it? The answer is obvious. We live in a one-party state. Thinking it through to the end, we no longer have a separation of powers, but a unity of powers, because all members of the government are also parliamentarians. And vice versa.
However, our leader is not playing the game to the fullest. The Atherley Party is really a group of amateur actors. The Atherley party will perform very weakly in the next elections. Too weak. It must perform better to prevent the DLP from rejoining parliament. Exactly, that must be our main objective.
How do we do it? The Atherley party should copy the DLP, from the colors to the program. Best with some defectors like Verla. This would cause the DLP maximum damage in the next elections.
Of course, the Atherley Party must not enter parliament either. It must therefore be stronger than the DLP in every district, but always weaker than the leader’s party.
Especially remarkable is Senator Caswell’s participation in this Caribbean soap opera. He is now branded a member of the establishment. I thought he had far more integrity, but he obviously cares more about the state banquet at Senate sessions, as you can see from his increasing waistline. Our leader has also shown great talent in Caswell’s corrupting. Caswell was once a real threat. Not any more.
In addition, we get the right spin from the corona crisis for the upcoming elections. All the austerity measures postponed so far can now be marketed as God-given. The population will accept this and vote “correctly” again next time.