The statement being bandied about that the current Opposition is an ineffective Opposition must be exposed for the propaganda that it is. This propaganda is no doubt being circulated by persons with an axe to grind, a chip on the shoulder or a simply in support of the other side.
The current Opposition – the Barbados Labour Party – must be credited for exposing the Clico affair and the Cahill fiasco. It must also be credited for forcing Government to withdraw the municipal solid waste tax.
The current Opposition has been outstanding in its work in Parliament where it has caused Government to revisit many of the bills brought to the House. The sharp legal minds in the Opposition have highlighted many discrepancies and deficiencies in such bills.
The Opposition has been mature in its approach in that it has offered critical support for many of the resolutions brought to the House, thus giving lie to the view that an opposition opposes for opposing sake. The more experienced members of the Opposition have shown much maturity in assisting the less experienced Government side, from sitting to sitting.
The effort of the current Opposition has been unprecedented. The Opposition has represented the people’s interests well and has been a source of critical information. It has achieved this through the Rubbing Shoulders exercise, the People’s Assemblies and the mass meetings convened in response to issues critical to the populace. Further, the Opposition has used all the tools at the disposal of an opposition – no-confidence motions, the Committee of Privileges, the Public Accounts Committee, marches and mass meetings – in response to the actions of the Government.
It must be remembered that such was the constant pressure applied by the current Opposition that it was asked by the same people now shouting “ineffective”, to ease off and give the Government a chance to govern.
In light of the above, one must conclude that it is the propaganda being circulated that is ineffective and not the current Opposition.
– E. Jerome Davis
