Both sides do it

By – LEONARD ST HILL
| Thu, October 04, 2012 - 12:01 AM

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The public of Barbados must now be so well conditioned by political propaganda that the reality of generic ministerial dictatorship passes unnoticed when the magic phrase is uttered “Cabinet has decided”. Thereafter, neither the legislature nor the law is relevant.

It ceases to be significant that the Town & Country Planning Act binds the Crown if the courts do not recognize the law itself.

Apropos the recently announced Sugar Point Cruise Facility as a major development of land adjoining the foreshore of the island within Historic Bridgetown as a World Heritage Site the question is:

Does this proposal involve facilitating, establishment, extension or improvement of a system of transport by land, water or air as a matter for which provision should be made in Development Plans subject to due process for obtaining approval by resolution of both Houses at least 40 days before the dissolution of Parliament?

If the Minister Responsible for Town & Country Planning cannot determine an application for change of use of residence into a church in less than two years, it would be remarkable that due process could be observed or approval of a Harbour Extension Project in less than six months before Parliament is dissolved.

This could not be a consequence of the transparency advertised as national consultation. It has instead the consistency of mud in the eye as every incumbent minister pulls his special “rabbit” out of a campaign hat.

The statutory public inquiry required to effect a new Cruise Ship Facility in Barbados would have heard convincing arguments and representation for the location of any such necessity in Speightstown (before an airport in St Lucy).