Weekly Column

We are amazed and astonished at the fact that so far there have not been any changes to any of the planned programmes and policies of the BLP Government. It is business as usual. We take this as a silent seal of approval of the job that we did on behalf of the people of 
Barbados.

Prior to the elections everything was wrong with the Barbadian economy and our social programmes. One thing that cannot be denied is that for the past 13 years much of what the BLP Government did was constantly at the receiving end of stern attacks from the supporters of the DLP.

Our record in recent times was constantly under the harsh and quite often unfair scrutiny of many a call-in programme moderator, some of whom now sit joyfully in the Cabinet of Barbados.

There was a strong belief by Thompson and his cohorts that the Eductech programme was a complete waste of taxpayers’ money and that there were no benefits to be derived at all from its existence. Today, we hear the DLP Minister of Education, Mr. Ronald Jones saying that it is here to stay. They never gave it the time of day and attempted to frustrate every effort of the BLP Government to reform how we teach and what we teach while decreasing the digital divide.

Suddenly, Minister Jones now remembers how information and communication technology can be integrated into the teaching system and how beneficial it can be. It should be recalled that he was a part of the roll out of Edutech at its inception.

The DLP has accepted the BLP’s Manifesto and intend to fully utilise its very progressive and enlightened programmes, including the plans for universal nursery and expanded tertiary education.

We have no problem with this. We are here to serve the people and if it is a case that the DLP agrees that it is in the people’s interest to use the BLP’s Manifesto, they are well within their right to do so. However, it does reflect a vindication of our policies.

Barbadians were also privy to hear the present Minister of Agriculture, Senator Haynesley Benn apologising for what will be an inevitable rise in the cost of meat and generally the cost of living. He, too, has suddenly discovered that since the price of the basic raw materials of animal feed has gone up, there is precious little beyond what has already been put in place by the BLP Government at the end of last year that can be done to shield the Barbadian consumer effectively from increases the price of meat, fresh milk and eggs. Did we not know this already? What has changed?

When former Prime Minister Arthur asked Barbadians to go back to planting their kitchen gardens, it was deemed as backward attitude. But we now see that this very idea is now being espoused by the David Thompson led DLP Government through Senator Benn and Mr. James Paul.

Even the present Minister of Health, Dr. David Estwick is contemplating the use of the redevelopment plan for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital that was commissioned under the past BLP Administration. And we understand that he may just do so since it is a well-conceived plan.

There is no doubt that the electorate was made to feel that the past BLP Government was recklessly spending taxpayers money without planning programmes that would redound to the benefit of all people. Now by the very actions of the DLP, we now know differently. The current Government has been left a superb wicket on which to bat.