OPERATING ON THE BASIS OF FAIRNESS

Prime Minister David Thompson told the Lower House that his administration would not be raiding the treasury to give monthly payments to the people of this country.  Mr. Thompson was speaking in the House of Assembly during a debate for a $5 million supplementary for the Enterprise Growth Fund.  Thompson said “I have made it clear that I realized the taxpayers’ money was being used to help out people.  Am I supposed to raid the treasury and give people monthly payments?” “I have never seen anything like that anywhere else in the world.  You simply can’t break down the system of accountability to help whoever may come.” We will operate only on the basis of fairness, by being accountable and transparent.  We are not on any witch-hunt, we simply want to see problems solved.”

HOPING TO SEE  PRINCIPLES APPLIED

CHILD SUPPORT LEGISLATION

Responding to the Prime Minister’s remarks, Opposition Leader Mia Mottley expressed her wish to see the new administration undertake principles of transparency and accountability during its term in office. She replied, “I hope those principles will be applied across the board”. She added that the party was paying attention to how the Government would finance the programmes she heard the government ministers discussing in the media on a daily basis.

Minister of Family, Youth Affairs, Sports and the Enviroment Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo told the Lower House, “We will have to bring legislation that will deal with child support collection, maintenance of the children and collection of that maintenance. It is time that was no longer a burden for the parents, usually again the mother, who is collecting that child support. She spoke also of the need to have systems put in place to allow for a more humane method of collecting child maintenance cheques.

CHANGES IN BUSINESS

Mr. Donville Inniss, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business informed the Lower House that they would be some changes in the way business was conducted with regard to diplomatic postings.  He stated, “That is why you would see going forward, as we start to make our changes in our missions and embassies abroad, that we have Barbadians working abroad for and on behalf of the people of Barbados that have some kind of commercial knowledge, that have great interest in the areas that drive our economy such as tourism, international finance, international trade." Mr. Inniss made these remarks during a resolution to take note of the Throne Speech which was delivered on February 12, the official opening of Parliament. Related Link:  The Throne Speech February 12, 2008.

THE HONEYMOON IS OVER

Parliamentary representative for St. Thomas, Cynthia Forde told the House of Assembly during the resolution to take note of the Throne Speech delivered on February 12, “I am one of the firm believers that every young person in Barbados should get an opportunity to do some kind of social work in this country so that they can understand that we need proper linkages with our past, our older generation.” Stating that “The honeymoon is over”, she urged the government to continue the programmes which were about to be started or already commenced by the previous administration.