by RICKY JORDAN

WHILE GOVERNMENT will provide $1 million to assist the controversial Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, it will not be threatened to do anything else.

Prime Minister David Thompson took this stance in the Estimates Debate yesterday, stating that as far as the much discussed environmental issues of the sanctuary and other lands were concerned, Government would "not be dictated to by anyone in relation to pursuing what is in the best interest of Barbadians".

"Nobody can hold over a sovereign government a threat that unless this Government agrees to a certain position that they will no longer be negotiating; and I want to make that abundantly clear again, as I've done outside of this Parliament," he said, noting negotiations had taken place on the matter and he had met with representatives, as well as the sanctuary's attorney and Ministry of the Environment officials, in trying to reach a consensus,

"We're making the $1 million available. We would like to see the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary continue. We will look at other issues [but] we are sending a very clear signal to the owners of the property that Government is not the owner, that we would assist them in whatever way possible to continue the good work that they are doing," Thompson stated.

He stressed that Government's main concern was to have the sanctuary reopened and to ensure that the Barbadians employed there kept their jobs, but he reiterated that the sanctuary was a private sector development and therefore Government had no right or ability to force the owners to keep it open if they didn't want to do so.

Adding that whatever assistance Government provided must be based on a clear understanding of the positions of Government and the owners, Thompson said he appreciated the owners' investment and had even waived the property tax on the original purchase.

In his two-hour presentation while moving the Appropriation Bill - which is scheduled to the 2009-2010 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure - the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance also defended Government's allocation of $6 million to the controversial, new Constituency Councils, along with large subventions for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital ($157 million) and the tourism sector ($90 million). Government's current revenue is estimated at $2.7 billion, and it will spend $3.6 billion over the next financial year.

The debate continues today from 10 a.m.