Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne Responds to Budget Presentation

Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne on his way to Parliament to deliver his response to the budget presentation.

Introduction to the Budget Response

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC—Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne dismissed the Budget the Barbados government presented on Monday as a “report card” on an emerging ‘tyranny.’ He accused the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration of presiding over a “political apocalypse” marked by crime, economic hardship, and corruption.

Thorne’s Critique of the Government

Thorne identified crime as “the most dangerous and omnipresent of those horsemen that are marauding across what used to be this fair democracy, now a tyranny in the making.”

He said the cost of living, a culture of moral decay, constitutional malaise, a crisis of competence in the Mia Mottley government, and corruption were among the other “scourges” facing Barbados.

Thorne, a former BLP member who now leads the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP), said the Budget is a bad report presented by a good economist whose government must take responsibility for the “scourges” adversely affecting ordinary Barbadians’ lives.

State of the Country

“These scourges all conspire to distort our concepts and precepts of what is good government and what is good governance. Those scourges are conspiring to ruin this society. There is a disquiet across this country, there is a groundswell of discontent across this country, and if the government made itself familiar with this groundswell, with that discontent across this country, this government might realize that all is not well.”

Thorne said there are individual lives that are being destroyed and that these may be the worst of times.

“I heard a lot about this lost decade, but this is feeling like the last decade. It has never been like this, where men and women are afraid to leave home at night.

Economic Concerns

“This Budget comes at a time in our history at what appears to be tyrannical rule, and therefore, the Budget must reflect that tyrannical rule. Often, we create myths when we cannot understand the events around us. And we create that myth to ward off the fear and uncertainty that we feel when we do not understand the events around us, even the political events around us,” Thorne said.

He told legislators that Barbados is on a path towards economic suicide because agriculture accounts for only three percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and that food security is under threat, noting the intermittent shortages of essential food items.

Thorne said that while the cost of living continues to impoverish many in this country, “this government’s high cost of living is marginalizing the people who are already impoverished.”

Education and Economic Growth

Regarding education, the Opposition Leader said that the government must stop “the arbitrary practice of dislocating principals like if they are draughtsmen on a board.”

Thorne said adequate collection and use of data was missing from education, adding that there was over-politicizing of schools and urging the restoration of spiritual engagement, the absence of which may be one reason for violence in these institutions.

Thorne said the government was misleading Barbadians by presenting inflation-driven price rises as genuine economic growth, alleging that the administration was distorting economic data and failing the working class.

Inflation and Minimum Wage

“Now it is conceded that some economic growth has come out of COVID-19, obviously and quite naturally.

“You had a closed economy, like all other economies, so when it reopens, it naturally grows. Growth is natural. But we continue to confront this government with the assertion that much of the stated growth is inflation.”

Thorne said the government’s method of calculating GDP in dollar terms masked the reality that rising prices were inflating economic performance statistics rather than indicating actual expansion.

He said that the authorities’ inflation figures were wrong and challenged the government’s figure of 1.4 percent inflation as unrealistic, given that the country’s primary trading partners, Canada and the United States, were experiencing inflation rates of around seven percent.

Thorne also dismissed the government’s claims that the Budget represented economic prosperity for the people, arguing there was no evidence to support such a declaration. He was also critical of the touted increase in the minimum wage, which he described as negligible and insulting to low-income earners.

Seizure of Unclaimed Bank Accounts

Thorne was also critical of the government’s plan to seize up to half of unclaimed and dormant bank accounts, saying this move could set a dangerous precedent by violating property rights and overstepping constitutional boundaries.

“My interpretation is that this government intends to reach into unclaimed accounts, dormant accounts even, of the living and the dead, and say, ‘I want 50 percent of that,’” he said, raising serious concerns about the implications of the policy, questioning whether the government had now assumed the role of a “bank robber.”

Conclusion

Thorne’s response to the budget presentation highlights the deep concerns about the state of the country, the economy, and the government’s policies. The Opposition Leader’s critique of the government’s handling of the economy, education, and social issues has sparked a necessary debate about the future of Barbados.

FAQs

Q: What were the main points of Thorne’s response to the budget presentation?

A: Thorne criticized the government’s handling of the economy, education, and social issues, and accused the administration of presiding over a “political apocalypse” marked by crime, economic hardship, and corruption.

Q: What are the implications of the government’s plan to seize unclaimed bank accounts?

A: The plan could set a dangerous precedent by violating property rights and overstepping constitutional boundaries, and could lead to further erosion of trust in the government.

Q: What is the current state of the economy in Barbados?

A: According to Thorne, the economy is on a path towards economic suicide, with agriculture accounting for only three percent of the GDP and food security under threat.