Now that the dust has settled on the wonders of the much anticipated budget by the Opposition, Barbadians from all walks of life have showered praise on the Budget.
The comments coming from the stakeholders of the Social Partnership indicate that there is an understanding of the prevailing economic conditions. The attitude of Barbadians reflects the maturity of our society at a time when the late Prime Minister David Thompson asked for unity.
The appeal for such was heard by all except the factions within the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). Barbadians must be commended for not adopting any narrow political posture in their response to the measures as announced.
The future of Barbados cannot be decided by any one person who speaks with a forked tongue. The current Opposition Leader is on record as admitting that the measures that are necessary will not be easy decisions. He drove home this point in an address in The Bahamas in the month of June 2010. At that same meeting he announced his belief in the second coming and that opened his regional campaign to rid the party leadership of Mia Mottley.
In an effort, to capture the imagination of the public, the Opposition is hurriedly setting about the establishment of commissions and committees to look at the way forward. It is always interesting to listen to former Prime Minister Owen Arthur in his reincarnation as Opposition Leader.
He is trying to reassert his relevance despite the expired date on his milk carton. Owen Arthur’s performance in the Budget of 2010 gave credence to the fact that there are no easy solutions to the current crises. The destruction and mayhem that have converged on countries throughout Europe has escaped our people. We were able to focus on strengthening
our social safety net as a priority to protect the poor and vulnerable. It is this aspect of our agenda that the Opposition has bitterly criticized as a waste of resources.
The condemnation of the Constituency Councils, summer camps and free bus fares has assisted in cementing in the minds of all right-thinking Barbadians what the true focus of the Opposition would be if returned to power.
There can be no doubt that that the Freundel Stuart-led Democratic Labour Party Administration will maintain the path as negotiated by our late leader. The calls by Prime Minister Stuart mirror those of his predecessor with regard to what matters in our society. There can be no doubt that continuity of the agenda of the Democratic Labour Party’s thrust to see Barbados developed as a society and not an economy is uppermost is his mind. The smoothness and sincerity of our new Prime Minister have allowed for a transition that has caused no disruption to the lives and interests of the Barbadians public.
Our people should be proud as they have signalled to the entire region that we are truly a people focused on country and not on narrow political gains. I trust that the events of the BLP that unfolded over the last couple of weeks will allow our people to see why some people enter politics and what motivates their actions. The Democratic Labour Party stands ready to represent the interests of all Barbadians as we chart Pathways to Progress.
