The Tribune

WE hope it was just political banter when Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, in a recent exchange with Opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis indicated he would agree to pay from the public purse for Mr Davis’ tour of the islands to inform the people why government’s 12 per cent VAT increase was not necessary. However, Dr Minnis seemed to catch himself at the end of the exchange when he joked: “I have to speak to the minister of finance to see what’s there!”

Yes, “what’s there” is a good reason for Dr Minnis to choke on his promise. Maybe, Mr Davis would like to explain to the people why, after the defeat of his party’s last five-year administration, there’s not enough in the Treasury to pay legitimate bills, let alone pay for a joyride around the islands for Mr Davis to explain that in his opinion government’s current financial scare is just so much hallucinating.

Maybe if Dr Minnis had asked members of parliament to share the people’s misery by agreeing that 10 percent of their parliamentary salary should go to charitable organisations, they would cut out the banter and get down to serious work to help repair the damage. The situation in Barbados is so serious that that is exactly what their recently elected prime minister required of them, and to which they agreed without a murmur.

Now about taking a political joy ride around the islands to explain his position on the country’s finances just because the Christie government did it for the then opposition FNM members on the gambling referendum suggests that he does not fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. One would have thought that Mr Davis would have been sufficiently embarrassed by that referendum, which turned into an opinion poll that should never have been held - especially at a cost of $5m — that he would not have wanted to have rattled old bones. But rattle them he did. So let’s recall that fake “referendum”.

In 2013, it was decided that the issue of illegal web shop gambling had to be settled. Bahamians were made to understand that this could only be done by referendum.

All during the lead up to the referendum then Prime Minister Perry Christie insisted that his government had “no horse in the race”. However, he warned that a “no” vote could lead to higher taxes and the shutdown of all web shops. Don’t forget that at the time web shops were illegal and if the PLP government had done its job, at that point there should have been no web shops to shut down. But, despite the denials, rumour persisted, and even persists to today that there were many horses galloping around that so-called referendum.

When the referendum was lost with a resounding “no” to gambling, the public was suddenly informed that this was not really a referendum — in fact only an act of parliament was required. In reality the PLP had wasted $5m of the people’s money. If this were an example of the cavalier manner in which the PLP was dealing with the people’s finances no wonder FNM Health Minister Dr Duane Sands complained that on assuming office last year he found $25m in unpaid bills for medical equipment, rent, drugs and salaries at the Ministry of Health and the Public Hospital’s Authority.

Almost every government department had similar complaints.

Having lost the “referendum” — which suddenly turned into a mere opinion poll — the matter was taken to parliament where the PLP government passed legislation legalising the web shops. Why hadn’t they done so in the first place? It was claimed at the time that the Christie government did not want to get on the wrong side of the Baptist church, which is against gambling in any form. However, faced with the Church and the “horses” in the race, it seems the trifecta won. The people’s money had been frittered away on nonsense.

And, yes, the Christie government did give the FNM some of the people’s money to travel around the islands to educate the people on the gambling vote and to encourage them to vote “no.”

But that nonsense is over. Mr Davis has every right to visit every settlement to give them his opinion on the unpopular 12 per cent VAT being charged to help replenish the Treasury - but free travel on the people’s money? Oh, no, not this time.

He can use what the people pay him for sitting in the House. For example, he is paid $50,000 as Leader of the Opposition, this includes his MP’s salary. He gets $30,000 for his constituency office and an additional $100,000 for constituency capital works.

And while he is on his constituency travels to the Out Islands maybe he can bring us up to date on the $14 million that was allocated to him just before last year’s election for three clinics in his constituency – Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador.

After all this is the people’s money for which they now want a detailed accounting.