OWEN’S CHARGE
Owen Arthur: Give us recovery plan instead of reports
By Gibbons Wade | Mon, June 14, 2010 - 12:00 AM
by WADE GIBBONS
STOP BELLYACHING and tell Barbadians how their country will get out of this economic crisis, says former prime minister Owen Arthur.
Speaking at a joint Barbados Labour Party (BLP) St Michael North East/St Michael Central meeting at Combermere School last night, Arthur said it was time that the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Government stopped talking about the mess it had inherited and show what recovery programme it had to move Barbados forward.
Arthur said there were indicators that other countries around the world were starting to emerge from the global economic crisis, but there was no sign that the current situation in Barbados was getting any better.
He said far from inheriting a mess, it was the strong economy and $2.1 billion in reserves left by the BLP that was now keeping a floundering DLP administration alive. He charged that in just two years in office, Government was now faced with a serious cash flow problem. He noted Government's complaints were just an excuse for ineptitude and inertia.
Arthur said rather than holding weekly constituency meetings telling people what they had not done, the DLP should hold one meeting where the populace was informed about a
recovery plan.
The former BLP leader said he was fearful about the "drift" in Barbados where there were no policy initiatives to bring about a recovery.
"There must be a change in their mindset or Barbados will face an even more grim future," he said.
Arthur said the DLP needed to go back to the policies that worked for Barbados between 1994 and 2008. He said even if Government now felt ashamed to have to rely on the ideas of another administration, they should swallow their pride and do it in the interest of the country.
In any event, Arthur added, the little that the DLP Government had done since coming to power were things left by his administration to be implemented or were already in place.
The St Peter MP noted the justice project and the Four Hills housing initiative in his constituency were among several BLP programmes. He said the hoopla from Government over the recent Cultural Industries Act failed to indicate that it was a BLP initiative. He said Government would soon be coming with the Financial Services Act which they had also inherited.
Arthur said his administration had left plans for the development of agriculture, energy and the off-shore business sector, and they were all viable.
He questioned planned Government initiatives such as the acquisition of Sam Lord's Castle. He queried from where the money would be obtained to purchase and develop the property, adding it was still heavily indebted.
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Don’t be retarded. The people of this country voted for a new administration to govern. Therefore the Hon Leader should not be even considering or even asking the former PM for help. We elected you to govern, do it and stop telling us about the mess that was left. I tired of hearing it, tired.
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Comment LinkMr. Owen Arthur is “no economic genius, however this DLP government has made him one”; these words were echoed by then Leader of the NDP Dr. Richard Haynes more than 20 years ago. When the then shadow Minster of Finance Owen destroyed the ruling DLP government on every economic issue brought before parliament. Mr. Haynes made it every clear then that fiscal responsibility was not an invention of Mr. Arthur but the lack of responsibility by the then DLP government. Case and point here is, we need to give Mr. Arthur the respect he is deserving of, he has always made the arguments that are well supported by the facts, and he has led from the front, with a clear agenda when it come to the financial issues our country. Please swallow your pride (DLP Government) for the sake of our children’s future and go back to the policies that work.
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Comment LinkMr. Arthur you may not be a genius in some peoples books but you have raise the level of debate on financial matters to “highest heights” in our country for almost 3 decades, yet oppositions, and governments alike have failed to bring anything substantive to counteract your economic assertions. History will serve you well; you are a true son and a patriot.
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