Opposition lawmakers walked out of Parliament midmorning Tuesday after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves decided to wind up the debate on the 2014 Budget, half way into what was expected to be the first of five full days of debate.
Gonsalves said he was winding up the Debate after no lawmaker stood after two calls from the Speaker for further debate on the “interim” EC$911 million budget.
Lawmakers last December approved Estimates of EC$911 million for this year, but Gonsalves said in his Budget Address on Monday, that as a result of the damage left by the Christmas disaster, a supplementary appropriations bill will be brought to Parliament by the end of February.
“Further debate,” House Speaker Hendrick Alexander said after Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace’s response, which lasted just over two hour hours, half of the time allocated to him.
“Further debate,” the Speaker said again as no lawmaker took to the floor.
Gonsalves then rose and said, “Mr. Speaker, if there is no further debate on the Bill, I think it is an opportune time to wind up the Debate.
“But, I believe we should give one last opportunity, because I am ready to proceed, to wind up,” the Prime Minister further said amidst some giggles from the floor.
“Any further debate,” the speaker said more firmly.
“Honourable member –. No further debate? Then, I invite the Prime Minister to wind up the debate,” the Speaker said before banging the gavel.
As the Prime Minister began his response, thanking the Opposition Leader for his contribution, Opposition MPs began packing up and, led by Eustace, walked out.
“Why is it the Government members don’t want to talk in the Budget?” Eustace told I-Witness News outside the parliament building when asked why Opposition Members had walked out.
“We must set the agenda for them to debate?” Sen. Vynnette Frederick commented.
“This is the national budget. The Prime Minister presents as leader, I follow as leader. Everybody is expected to participate in the Budget. … Has any member of the Government spoken on the Budget?” Eustace further told IWN.
“They are not making the case,” MP for Central Kingstown, St. Clair Leacock, further told IWN.
“He (Gonsalves), by his own arguments, said that his ministers will present the case for their respective ministries. It is for us to respond to the presentations of the Government. If they don’t make a presentation, what are we going to respond to?” Leacock further said.
He said he was prepared to speak on the Budget and had informed the Speaker on Monday and again on Tuesday.
“I have to respond to the presentations made by the people who speak for the private sector, and the ministries I shadow,” Leacock further said.
Asked his opinion of the Budget, Leacock said, “That’s the other catch 92.
“The budget is interim in nature. What are we going to respond to? We have to await the substantive presentation when it comes from the supplementary,” he said.
(Read also: Parliament debating ‘interim’ budget; supplementary estimates to come in 6 weeks)
Sen. Frederick pointed out that Government MPs didn’t debate the Estimates in December either.
“They are just staying silent hoping that the Opposition makes the argument that they can respond to. They are living in perpetual opposition on the government side and that is not the way that you govern. During the Estimates, how many of them spoke? Who is running the country?” Frederick further said.
Eustace told IWN that Government MPs had said they are “putting up their things for the Budget Debate because they are not speaking on the Estimates.
“And now you are coming to tell me none of them want to get up.”
Eustace, who is an economist and former prime minister and finance secretary, told IWN that he believes that the supplementary estimates will focus on infrastructural rehabilitation, including river defences, roads, brides, and repairs to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
He, however, said he is concerned about how some of this is going to be financed, adding that he suspects that there will be a combination of both loans and grants.
He said that the loss and damage created by the storm has severe implications for the Estimates that Parliament approved in December.
“And there’s not much sense you go about the Estimates given that you don’t know the extent to which they will be changed,” he said.
“And if you change them, your targets in terms of growth will have to be changed,” he added.
He said it is for the Government to bring those new Estimates and when there is the debate on them, lawmakers can then make more meaningful presentations.
“Otherwise, we are wasting time and that is why I didn’t go through the normal two-hour speech and talk about the Estimates,” Eustace said, adding that the does not know what they will contain and the nature of the financing.
Meanwhile, Gonsalves, in his response to the Budget said that Eustace’s presentation was “undoubtedly … the most shallow presentation made by any leader of the Opposition in living memory in response to a debate.
“Mr. Speaker, what we got was not a response to a budget speech but the making of a series of unsubstantiated political allegations,” Gonsalves said.
Kenton did you speak to anyone from the Government side. I am asking this because all the quotes in the above piece is from the opposition members
It is quite interesting that despite repeated mention by the PM that ministers will deal with the substance during their respective presentations not even one minister even consider doing what the PM suggested. This is an embarrassment to the PM to have not even one of his ministers supporting the budget. We know that the opposition was going to criticise it anyway but the disrespect shown by the ministers to the Nation as a whole and to the PM by not uttering a word is unbecoming.
After the PM budget speech and the Opposition Leader’s response…who else debated?…. The Opposition leave. Cannot recall they ever being there to hear ralph wrapping up
A bunch of hopeless, disrespectful, misfits… In all fairness though, they trully had nothing substancial to contribute to the debate, so it was probably for the better. It would have been just another case of same shit, different day… more Ralph hating, anger, arrogance, desperation, and the list goes on and on and on…
The NDP is simply not ready to govern. Poor St. Vincent.
The NDP could NEVER win the hearts of Vincentian in the way they are operating. Everything is a cuss-cuss and walkout. And they do it with every major sector in our society. The NDP just blew a great opportunity to show the nation and the world its ability to lead SVG in the 21st Century. Walking out the parliament is a reflection of serious comedy within the NDP. I Quiver to think of the NDP in Government. But I will still ask: “Is the NDP the Government in waiting?????”
Kenton should ask the ministers of government the same question he asked the opposition. The failure to do so, shows Kentons failure as a journalist, to examine both sides of an argument. He knows that no minister can say anything unless he/she get the go ahead from Ralph and thats why we will never see him interviewing them.
Kenton I have been observing your tactics since the flood and came to the conclusion you are an arse kisser. This one sides questioning of the opposition members has shown your bias. I’d like to see the ministers presentations on the budget. That’s how the opposition can respond. I do believe the opposition should have demanded they make their presentations then and there. They should have asked the ministers to stand up and support the PM. If no one did, then they could have made the case that the PM is on his own, with no support from his ministers. But like I’ve said previously, Ralph was laying a trap for the opposition. I also said that they should not support one iota of the budget without proper data and documented information. So Kenton ask the ministers why they didn’t support their leader. Try to redeem yourself as a true journalist.
Bet you won’t publish this!
Wrong headlines. It should be: The Army of 8 abandoned the General.
Who is the government here; is it the opposition? Freedom of the Press is nonexistent here it seems. Stick to the Facts and Rules which governs the budget.