Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur Refuses To Debate In The House Of Assembly

Owen Arthur, Leader of the Opposition seen driving an Audi SUV in recent days

Those who followed the debate in the Lower House (highest court in the land) this week gleaned that Leader of the Opposition Owen Arthur was missing from the debate, AGAIN. The practice of visiting for a brief period to be marked present has been perfected by Arthur during this term as Opposition Leader. The job of leading important debates has been routinely entrusted to former leader of the opposition Mia Mottley. Another observation has been the low-key involvement of Deputy Leader of the Opposition Dale Marshall.

To question Arthur’s lack of participation in debates in the Lower House will probably provoke the predictable partisan howls. If we accept that Arthur was busy preparing for his sojourn in New York, his attendance record in parliament and early departure on many other occasions are a matter of record. Arthur’s willingness to ‘diss’ the ‘poorakey’ Lower House has to be regarded as gross disrespect of the highest court in the land. How many Barbadian workers are able to arbitrarily decide their hours of work?

It is instructive that there are a few Barbadians who remember that the role of the Opposition Leader is recognized in the Constitution of Barbados.

CARIBBEAN STOCK REPORT 21 May to 25 May 2012

Compiled by the Department of Management Studies, UWI Cave Hill – Click image to read in PDF

Minister of Agriculture David Estwick shouted his frustration while addressing stakeholders at the Savannah Hotel who participate in the National Consultation on the White Paper for Agriculture. He believed that successive governments, including the current government has not taken agriculture seriously.

The comfort level of previous governments to drive Barbados on the back of services has prevented the economy from absorbing shocks precipitated by global recessions. He had concerns about the economies of the EU and the United States of America and likely impacts on Barbados if we maintain a current state.

Related Link: Agriculture at a standstill

Tales From The Courts – Part I

Madam Justice Sandra Mason appointed acting Governor General

With foreign investments in Barbados disappearing at an alarming rate due to a justice system slow to dispense justice, BU – at the insistence of many – is commencing a series of revelations and name and shame blogs to shine a light on those in our Justice System who are responsible. Of course BU will apportion praise and approbation where it is appropriate.

THE CAIPO STORY: A well-known attorney recently filed a notice for the appointment of a director in a company in Barbados with the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Properties Office (CAIPO). It is required that the name and the PROFESSION of the director be listed on the form and this the attorney did. The profession of the director was listed as “Therapist”. The application was rejected by CAIPO, because, in their view, the profession of the director was not only illegal, but criminal. When this was protested that a Therapist was a legal and non-criminal profession, CAIPO, it turns out, had misinterpreted this and read it as The Rapist. Incredible but true! It is the current joke going the rounds of the legal profession. But how funny is it when the Bajan taxpayer is paying the salary of that employee (used advisedly) at CAIPO who actually could consider that an attorney would list such a profession as “The Rapist” on a public domain document. Appreciation to anyone who could provide us with the name of this person at CAIPO.

Madam Justice Pamela Beckles

SOLICITOR GENERAL: Are Bajans aware that the office of the Solicitor General, replete with attorneys, has had to advertise externally to fill 12 senior positions? Why not promote attorneys from within the Solicitor General’s office, we may ask? Simple! Because NONE of the junior attorneys are sufficiently competent to fill these 12 senior positions. It appears the ones from within the Solicitor General’s office who have applied – and been turned down – have been there for YEARS perpetuating their incompetence – and no one has fired them! Instead, the Bajan taxpayer continues to pay them for jobs for doing, effectively, a lot of damage and, as a reward, when they face retirement age, will doubtless have the pleasure of paying their pensions.

Dear DLP

Submitted by Observing

You are suffering and you are indirectly suffering the independents that support you. We like you, really we do. We believe that you have the most integrity and desire to help all Barbadians and with time could do so. But you are doing an atrocious job of showing it, proving it, or at the very least talking about it properly.  Let me pause to offer a moment of sympathy for your departed leader, former PM David Thompson. He truly went too soon. He also left big boots to fill and an unfinished vision and mandate that desperately needed time and hard working, honest souls to bring it to fruition.  Fast forward two years and we must now ask. What have you done? How have you done it? How have you shared it?

I’ll declare my hand and admit that my philosophy, leaning and beliefs endear me to the DLP rather than the BLP. But, my objectivity will always question right from wrong, good from bad, sense from nonsense and efficiency from ineptitude.  In too many cases you have collectively chosen the latters. To make matters worse, it has been so blatant, so obvious, and in some cases so bumbling that it seems you are still now trying to “settle” into the role of government, four years after the fact.

While on that, let me turn to your chairman, the PM, the numero uno, Mr. Freundel Stuart.  A good man.  A liked man. A decent man. An intelligent man. But clearly a man with flaws in some of the critical areas of leadership, team building and emotional intelligence.  They say a leader gets the job done. Full stop.  But there are many tasks he/she must undertake and people he/she must work and talk with to get there.  The jury will decide on Stuart’s performance as PM and leader.   As for the team? Likeable fellows somewhat. But, complacent, sometimes arrogant and now conveniently blind to the very things that swept them into power, and are poised to sweep them out.  They should pray for light.

How The Truth Was Blurred: A Different View To That Expressed Of The 1937 Riots In Barbados

Submitted by Yardbroom

Richard Goddard

I am not usually moved to write on the opinions of “private persons”, because they are just individual opinions, which people are entitled to have.  However, in this instance the opinions were expressed in a National Paper, quoted on BU (Barbados Underground) and caused me some concern, also in a general way they made reference to Barbadians, of which I am one – see Barbados Advocate article by Richard Goddard).

May I first quote the passages as you might not share my concerns, which of course you are entitled to do.

Quote: “In the recent series of public lectures on the 1937 Riots, although the speakers mentioned that Payne was a Marxist, no one explained what Marxism had done between 1930 and 1940 in Russia (USSR) under Joseph Stalin, killing 20 million of its own people.  Recent events in the UK in August 2011, with the riots in London, Manchester, Bristol, to name some of the cities which lasted over four days of rioting, looting and arson, causing over £1 billion Sterling in damage”….

What Is The Government’s Policy On Communication With The Electorate? Does It Have One?

Submitted by St. George’s Dragon

Chris Sinckler, Minister of Finance

Barbados Today (25 May 2012) reports that a decision has been made to retain VAT at its current rate of 17.5% “until future notice”. Previously we had been promised that it would be reviewed about now. The Advocate picked the story up on its front page on 27 May 2012.

It appears that the rumour is true as the Parliament Order Paper for Tuesday shows Chris Sinckler moving a resolution on the First Reading of the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill 2012 which keeps the current rates from 1st June “until further notice”.

Unless I have missed it, and I hope I have, no Government Minister has had the good grace to tell the voters about their decision. Do they think we won’t notice?

The Biggest Losers In The CADRES Poll

Donville Inniss – 6.1%

An interesting bit of analysis which the recent CADRES poll has produced is on the question of leadership preference by Barbadians with a drill down on the uncertain voter category. Many – including BU – are not surprised that the deputies of the two main political parties scored low, Dale Marshall and the de facto deputy of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Richard Sealy who has emerged after the Eager 11 fiasco. Both have a passive political personage which qualifies them for the job.

David Estwick – 1.8%

In the poll at the national level Donville Inniss scored 6.1% and David Estwick scored 1.9%, among the uncertain voters the scores dipped to 4.3% and 2.2% respectively. Given a perceived popularity around town by many politicos who believed they (Inniss/Estwick) enjoyed a greater appeal, the fact that Esther Byer-Suckoo scored 2.4% can be used as a benchmark to judge the serious of the challenge by the two at this time.