WHILE BARBADIANS AGREE there is a need for parliamentary reform, the general thinking is less rather than more Members of Parliament.
Online readers decried a suggestion last week by Opposition Leader Mia Mottley that more representatives were needed. She said it would allow civil society to have more say, but Barbadians are generally of the opinion that MPs don’t do enough work and are a drain on the public purse since some bigger countries have fewer representatives per capita.
Here are some of the reactions.
Peggy Stoute Morin: Bad move, Mia. Bad move! Rethink that one. The Government is already top-heavy with deadweight. Drain the swamp, Mia! Drain the swamp!
Wayne Webster: She would have a winner in her corner if she was proposing better accountability and some new method to give more clout for the Auditor General. She needs to clarify and she is usually excellent at expressing and defending an agenda.
Olutoye Walrond: Certainly not in the House, and far from increasing its numbers, the useless Senate should be abolished. In all of its existence this chamber has only vetoed an item from the House once. The financial resources of this country are being milked by [some] politicians; we don’t need to exacerbate the problem.
Kenrick Purcell: You start wrong already. Bigger Government is not the answer; accountability is.
Joy Ann Thomas: No Mia, we have too many already. Furthermore, get rid of the useless [Senate] and some of the useless politicians. Can’t assault the constituents with that thought.
Sterlin Blackman: Bad idea Mia, bad, bad idea. Thirty politicians to represent 270 000 people in 166 square miles is by far too much already. We should have one representative for every 25 000 persons and a local government set up for that constituency. This is the most effective way of governance.
Thomas Katt: Right now there are too many in Parliament getting paid and are either unable to function in the capacity they are in because they are square pegs in round holes, or just getting easy money while not driving a stroke. We’re sick of [some of] these from both sides.
Sheldine Dyall: Right now you turn me off from voting and I am a real BLP.
Everick Holder: Wrong timing. We are not in a loving mood towards politicians right now.
Sandra Madea: No, I don’t agree, Mia. The people want less, not more, so forget about that.
• Sherrylyn Toppin is THE NATION’s Online Editor.
