Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley about to enter the House of Assembly yesterday afternoon to reply to the Budget. (Picture by Cherie Pitt.)

CALLOUS and betraying.

That's how Opposition Leader Mia Mottley yesterday described Prime Minister David Thompson's first Budgetary Proposal.

Dedicating her first Budget Reply to the women who head families in Barbados, Mottley severely criticised Thompson's three-hour Budget on Monday, saying it was the poorest she had ever heard in the history of politics in Barbados.

"The honeymoon is well over," Mottley said, alluding to the time-frame Thompson had to deal with the Barbados economy since taking over Government after the January 15 elections.

Would stand in history

In fact, she claimed Monday's Budget would stand in history when Barbados' economic history was eventually written, since the taxes imposed would be responsible for the highest level of inflation in the country's post-Independence history.

"The Prime Minister said at the start of his term his top priorities Nos.1, 2 and 3 would be the cost of living. The truth is, Barbadians had no way of knowing what he meant was increasing the cost of living," the first-time Opposition Leader told the Lower House during her three-hour presentation.

'It represents the quickest, and coldest betrayal in our electoral history, and that's unfortunate," she said.

Mottley noted she felt privileged to present her first Budget Reply, dedicating it to working matriarchs, who "are struggling to make ends meet because of this Government".

The Opposition Leader said that since Thompson's presentation, a number of people had either called or emailed her to let her know Thompson's Democratic Labour Party Government was not doing enough to protect their interests across the board.

Nothing wrong

She added there was nothing wrong with Barbados' economy that could not be fixed, but noted those things could not be fixed through "indecision or political gimmickry".

According to Mottley, it was quite unfortunate that the Prime Minister, instead of using statistics from the Central Bank, or the Statistical Department, instead chose to quote from statistics provided by the International Monetary Fund.

She added it was quite confusing why no Central Bank statistics from 2007 had been made available.

Awaiting figures

"We are still awaiting the unemployment figures and the retail price index figures to be released," she told the Lower Chamber. "The only way we can offer the best advice as a Government, or an Opposition, is by way of access (to these figures). It is of great concern," Mottley concluded.

The MP for St Michael North-East said she fully expected the rate of inflation to surpass 7.9 per cent, and that a high cost of living and inflation would continue to rise through 2009, since the PM's rates of taxation would have costs passed on to every sector of the community.

"It reflects a callous approach, which is uncalled for," the Opposition Leader added.

Claiming Monday's proposal could break the backs of middle class Barbadians, Mottley brought laughter from the chamber, when she noted that Thompson's decision to raise $6 million through increased taxes on car owners as "highway robbery". (BA)