With Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley calling her the “voice of the future”, 30-year-old economist Crystal Drakes was yesterday announced as his second senator.
On the eve of Prime Minister Mia Mottley delivering her “mini-budget” following a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Drakes is forecasting that Barbadians will have to make sacrifices.
“I think in the short term… we will probably have to make some sacrifices,” Drakes said during a press conference at the Opposition offices in the Parliament Buildings.
“But, I think that persons that have come before us in this country have made sacrifices to allow us to have the lifestyle and standard of living that we currently have.
“And it would be a disservice as Barbadians, not to make that same sacrifice for the future generations of this country,” the economist added.
Her selection by Atherley to be an Opposition senator completes the allotment of his two nominees senators to sit in the Upper House.
The first of these was trade unionist Caswell Franklyn, who was present at yesterday’s press conference after being named in a similar press conference a week earlier
A political unknown until yesterday’s announcement, Drakes currently works at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill as a research associate in the Centre for Resources Management and Environmental Studies.
Drakes also works as a research consultant for Antilles Economics and previously worked with other agencies such as Compete Caribbean.
She has an Associate Degree in Economics and Political Science, a BSc in Economics and Management and an MPhil in Economics.
Noting she did not want to delve too much into the Government’s decision to approach the IMF, Atherley backed up his young appointee by saying: “I think what Drakes is trying to suggest quite clearly to us, is that if we get into an IMF programme, we anticipate there would be some social and economic cost.”
Atherley, the Member of Parliament for St Michael West also declined commenting too much on tomorrow’s “mini-budget”.
Instead, he simply explained he had to wait and see what discussions took place between Government and the IMF.
Drakes will take the oath of office tomorrow at Government House. (AD)
