Responsible Budget

ON JUNE 26, BUDGET DAY, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) sent two former members of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and a defeated candidate to be the face of their party.
The slate of candidates for the Opposition is all but finished, yet the sunshine of the BLP’s main plank was in the form of two disgruntled Dems, Clyde Mascoll and Kerrie Symmonds, searching for their political rainbow. Lynette Eastmond has already been spoken for as she agreed to return on Owen Arthur’s urging to face imminent defeat by Dr David Estwick.
None of these people currently sit at the round table of Mia’s court. Arthur was extremely calculating in dispatching them to the media houses to conduct his bidding. On the inside of Parliament was yet another mystery in the form of Mottley, responding to the 2012 Budget presentation. The deputy leader and aspiring future co-leader Dale Marshall was able to spend time planning his retirement as Mottley stumbled from sentence to sentence.
Despite the pretence of the Mottley-Arthur team, the cracks are more evident. We are well aware of the males on the Opposition side who have made abundantly clear their non-intention to be led by a woman. This division has been framed in so many spectra. Gender, leadership style, lifestyles, and age are among some of the reasons the BLP members say they will not support Mottley or Arthur.  
The Mottley that Arthur claims to lead will be centre stage in the Barbados Labour Party’s campaign agenda. These two have no intention of piloting a viable course for our country. Arthur’s strategy of divide and rule is in full effect. However, he is somewhat baffled by the steady progress of Team DLP in getting the economy to respond more positively.
Team DLP has wasted no time in carefully crafting a responsible set of proposals aimed at maintaining our fiscal prudence. Of course, the BLP will not fault the relief for the BARP members announced in this most responsible Budget. This DLP Government, by that single measure, has embraced every member
 of the Opposition who is over 50 years old!
Also, the expansion of the tax band will allow for a greater number of people to increase their disposal income. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis of the 2012 Budget: “In a challenging economic environment, this proposed adjustment will restore some previously lost disposable incomes, thereby stimulating economic activity and growth”.
The underlying tone of the Budget was one that spoke to the environment and the needs of the people. The attention paid to renewable energy is critical to our future competitive edge. Our fuel bill must come down, and we are paying careful attention to it. The renewable energy policy and national greening incentives reflect our continued effort to restructure our economy.   
 The Barbados Labour Party was anticipating a Budget riddled with proposals that ran contrary to this Government’s Medium Term Fiscal Strategy. They continue to ponder on the measured and calculated way we continue to manage the affairs of our country. The reckless spending that occurred in the times of plenty has come back to pinch our nation.
The BLP’s election machinery is cranking up for their supporters. The deliveries coming from the Opposition will focus on vote catching and not the complete socio-economic picture of our nation. Our intention is to ensure our people are never taken from the centre of the development agenda. Voters, let’s not forget another irresponsible Barbados Labour Party’s economic growth plank: “Land must be sold to fetch its highest economic value”. Voters, be warned!
l Douglas Leopold Phillips is a pseudonym for the Democratic Labour Party.