est. 2007

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Barbados Labour Party Grabs All the Money

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…

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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.

From Grassroots to the Airwaves

 

 

61 responses to “Barbados Labour Party Grabs All the Money”

  1. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    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.’

  2. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    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.

  3. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Greene…we have to find out if it’s the same crooks maliciously building these death traps for the people.

  4. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    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

  5. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    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.

  6. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ 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.’

  7. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    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!!

  8. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Your assistance please Honourable Blogmaster

  9. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    @ 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.

  10. David Avatar
    David

    TRIBUTE TO ASTOR B WATTS
    By President Verla DePeiza

    In current parlance, Astor B Watts is what loyalty would look like. He joined the Democratic Labour Party in its fledgling days and walked tall alongside noted cornerstones like Errol Barrow, Branford Taitt and James Tudor. He was not afraid to debate them on issues and was active from early in policy development.

    He never craved the frontline politics, but was active in the engine rooms. He related not only with the faces of the Party but also kept close ties with the Young Democrats.

    When I joined that associate body he was introduced to me as the go-to person for Party history and for a clear-eyed perspective on, well, everything. You did not have to agree with him; in fact, you could outright displease him. So long as it was in the best interest of the Party Astor was getting involved.

    In the best of times and the worst of times Astor raised his voice publicly on the call-in programmes in defence and promotion of his beloved Party.

    In 2000 he engineered and piloted the Astor B Watts Lecture Series to develop a platform for young aspiring politicians to have their point of view heard. That series has endured.

    To the end, he remained sharp and focused, a strong contributor to the re-shaping of the Party. He celebrated his 98th birthday just two days ago and there were hopes for his longevity. We have lost a warrior whose contribution will never be forgotten.
    On behalf of the Democratic Labour Party I would wish to thank his family, particularly his daughter and grands, for sharing him with us. Our loss is acute, yours unmeasurable.
    May God grant you strength, especially in these peculiar times.
    Verla DePeiza
    President
    Democratic Labour Party
    2020-04-21

    Image may contain: 2 people, indoor
  11. David Avatar
    David

    Former Barbados Labour Party parliamentarian Joseph “Joe” Edghill has died.

    nationnews.com
    Joe Edghill dies
    Former Barbados Labour Party parliamentarian Joseph “Joe” Edghill has…
    Former Barbados Labour Party parliamentarian Joseph “Joe” Edghill has died.

    • Blessings be on him as he passes to the after life. He was an example of a community man who made good on his promise to represent his community. Even when he was ailing Joe was still strong of conviction and voice.

      May he rest in peace. My sincere condolences to the Edghill family his friends and colleagues and his constituents who no doubt feel his passing deeply.

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