By Robert A Emmanuel
As the clock hand moved to 9.45am yesterday, Speaker of the House Sir Gerald Watt, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and government MPs arrived at Parliament ready to open debate on their administration’s budget for next year.
However, the burning question—rather the only question that remained—was whether the opposition would appear.
On Friday, following the budget speech by the Prime Minister, the government and opposition MPs entered into a heated argument over the date on which the budget debate should start.
The government originally proposed Monday—giving the opposition only two days to review and prepare their retort to government’s spending plans for 2024.
Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin claimed that, due to various engagements that the government MPs had during the week, it would not be feasible for it to be on any other day.
The opposition, who were visibly upset at this initial proposal, argued that a week had been the established principle between a budget presentation and the debates that are required to follow.
And despite the Speaker’s attempt to strike a compromise, the opposition stood firm on a Thursday date, while the government passed a motion to hold the debate on Tuesday instead.
Up to Monday, Observer media attempted – and failed – on multiple occasions to get a definitive answer from members of the opposition—Leader of the Opposition Jamale Pringle and Barbuda MP Trevor Walker—to confirm their attendance or absence from the session.
Further attempts on Tuesday to get clarification on the no-show from Pringle, Walker and various other opposition MPs were also unsuccessful.
The debate began yesterday with the chaplain opening the session and praying for “understanding and wisdom” for the absent Leader of the Opposition.
Speaker Sir Gerald’s only mention of the opposition’s absence was to call on the government to keep their speeches “to the point”.
“I had intended to seek your concurrence in being sharp and to the point and speak into the budget, rather than speaking to the political situation or to what has occurred in the ministries, but it looks as if we are without the members of the opposition,” the Speaker said in his only statement prior to the debate.
Minister of Education, Sports and the Creative Industries Daryll Matthew was the first to present his ministerial priorities, continuously referencing an opposition which was not present to respond to his arguments.