Weekly Column

“The DLP administration’s attitude to accountability will be based on the understanding that as servants and representatives of the people there can be no secrets or matters to be hidden from the population. Consequently, a DLP administration will be accountable for its actions and policies and take the public into its confidence.” - DLP Manifesto 2008

Why then when asked by the Leader of the Opposition, Mia Mottley at the first sitting of Parliament to account for the use of CLICO’s private jet for three trips in the space of six days, did the Prime Minister studiously avoid any reference to his trips to New York and Miami, in the company of Leroy Parris, on CLICO’s aircraft?

Let us be absolutely clear. We have no difficulty with the Prime Minister traveling on Government business by private jet in the interest of saving time and money for overnight hotel accommodation sometimes imposed by commercial flight schedules. But we do have a problem with the Prime Minister accepting plane rides either for free or at a subsidized rate from a large commercial entity that could have implications for their future dealings with the Government of Barbados and the Minister of Finance.

We also have a problem with the Prime Minister, by virtue of his statements on the need for transparency and accountability during the election campaign, trying to convince the people of Barbados into believing that he would not engage in such questionable conduct. Furthermore, like the many Barbadians who have called to ask us about the Prime Minister’s newfound penchant for executive jet travel, we certainly have a problem with the Prime Minister not being able to account to Parliament and the people of Barbados on the cost incurred by the taxpayers for leasing the CLICO jet to travel to Trinidad.

What would have been the cost by commercial carrier for himself, Denis Kellman and the party of Government officials? What was the cost of leasing the jet? Was the cost subsidized or discounted by CLICO? Does the Prime Minister not see a clear conflict of interest in traveling on the same CLICO jet to attend to party political business in New York and to just plain party in Miami?

We can think of no other Prime Minister in similar circumstances who has engaged in this type of behaviour. In fact, we well remember the edict handed down by then Prime Minister Errol Barrow that his Ministers would have to travel economy class when on official business, much to the discomfort of his Cabinet colleagues. Alas, it appears that the Prime Minister is punch drunk from his Party’s success at the polls and has deserted reason and good judgment in this matter. Transparency, accountability and good governance have flown out of the window at 25,000 feet!

If the Prime Minister cannot be forthright with the people of Barbados on this issue the Opposition will table a Parliamentary Question on the people’s behalf at the next sitting of Parliament to elicit the truth.

While on the subject of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Trinidad we are curious too, whether the Prime Minister will still be intervening in the “wholesale sell-off of BS&T to non-Barbadian interests…before the ink is dry?” Well the ink still is not dry, so we must ask if he is no longer interested in halting the sale or helping Barbadians to preserve what is theirs since his visit to the twin-island Republic? Cheap politics often comes at a high price. The public has assured us that their desire for lower prices does not extend to meretricious conduct by their elected officials. It is a view with which we concur wholeheartedly.Back To Weekly Columns