THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR. Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is taking over the face of the Ministry of Finance. The Attorney General is asking for the management of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) to be fired. Minister Jones has proof of a conspiracy at the Combermere School.
These seemingly unrelated events are connected as the political season takes root. The connection is emotion, that which strikes at the heart alone.
This is the season for evaluating which stocks have the most value and which can be sold or abandoned.
Any fair assessment of the performance of the Minister Chris Sinckler, especially since 2013, can only lead to one conclusion. From the start, it was always going to be difficult for the minister to shine. However, the one thing he does not lack is confidence, but it can only take you so far and no further.
In the final year leading up to 2018, Prime Minister Stuart has determined that in the absence of a reshuffle, the next best thing is to take the chance to become the face of the Government’s economic programme, something that he opted not to do before. His focus, however, would not be on enunciating any major policy details, rather it would be about selling the prospect of hope and recovery.
Emotive issue
In much the same way that the issue of privatisation emerged in 2013, it is hoped that some other emotive issue may emerge in 2017. The aim is to bait the opposition. Get them to commit on some emotive issue and then play it among the voters. This would be a repeat of a previous strategy.
What is fascinating is the Government that Stuart leads is in the process of selling the Government-owned oil company. By the way, this is called privatisation.
In 2011, Minister Sinckler committed the Stuart administration to the privatisation of specific public sector entities in a speech at the Hilton Hotel. Conveniently enough, Prime Minister Stuart used the lone television station to figuratively push Sinckler under the bus in a skit that highlighted the Transport Board. The rest is history. Since the strategy worked, there is nothing wrong with trying it a second time. Barbadians are now to believe that the sale of the oil company is divestment not privatisation. What’s in a word?
In similar vein, Prime Minister Stuart pronounced, prior to the 2013 general election, that not one public servant would be sent home. His administration, subsequently, sent home thousands. The workers were not sent home, they were permanently laid off. Recall that the word temporary has a specific meaning, when used in a specific context.
Temporary
In the circumstances, it should come as no surprise that Stuart believes that he is winning the next general election, notwithstanding the evidence of prolonged failure on the part of the Government. It is hoped that Barbadians are so irrational that poor performance can, somehow, be evaluated as success.
Like the minister of finance, Stuart does not lack confidence, but in remaining silent he is better able to disguise it. When the economic hardship was being inflicted, over the last eight years, it was wise to let Minister Sinckler be the poster boy.
Given that the word temporary has specific meaning, any temporary recovery of the Barbados economy is enough to suggest permanent recovery. In this case, a good quarter of tourism performance is enough, even though the foreign reserves have fallen significantly.
The specific meaning is that temporary is permanent in the context of a general election being constitutionally due in February 2018. The word assumes its meaning based on the political context.
Given the political context, the management of the BWA must be blamed for the poor state of the sewage system on the South Coast. This is without regard for the management’s request for funds to deal with the specific issues that were raised in 2014/2015.
Most of the economic and social issues so evident in Barbados today can be attributed to two things: (1) poor leadership and (2) lack of funds. They are related. Any economy that is not generating enough money to maintain the basic standard of living for its people will struggle to provide the Government with resources to provide basic social goods and services. This describes Barbados over the last eight years, at least.
It is difficult to digest that adult Barbadians will conspire to damage their future and that of their offspring. Education is still the single most important investment to be made in securing this country’s future.
• Dr Clyde Mascoll is an economist and Opposition Barbados Labour Party advisor on the economy. Email: [email protected]
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