By KHRISNA VIRGIL
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FNM Senator Zhivargo Laing yesterday urged the new PLP government to move forward with the country's business rather than use the House of Assembly as a forum to "bash" the previous Ingraham administration.
Claiming that the PLP has resorted to its harsh criticisms of the FNM after realising that several of their campaign promises were unattainable, Mr Laing said debating in the House has become "utterly unproductive."
He expressed his opinion in the Upper Chamber as talks continued on the 2012/2013 budget.
"Madam President," said Mr Laing, "this was far from a budget debate. This was in too many ways the Ingraham bashing debate. In other ways it was a false gloating debate and yet in other ways it was a find an excuse for not being able to live up to our ridiculously unrealistic pipe dream of promises debate.
"How utterly shameful, how woefully unproductive, how marvelously distressing, how incredibly unhelpful. But there are many reasons for the PLP to avoid having a real budget debate. For in some ways this 2012/2013 budget in my opinion is an attempt at trickery, slight of hand, a magician's illusion. Some might even say fraud."
Mr Laing also told Senators that the government should keep FNM birthed initiatives, including the 52 week job training initiative, operational as it proved successful with minimal hiccups.
The budget, Mr Laing said, still maintains many of the tax increases instituted by the Free National Movement, implemented to rebalance the country's fiscal affairs. He said those increases were the same ones that the PLP, in their campaign, said was a burden on the backs of Bahamians during the recession.
Mr Laing further took the government to task on the a major financial projection outlined in the budget.
"The PLP government attempted in this budget to sneak in salary increases for ministers by stealthily trying to give a $6000 annual pay raise to ministers of state.
"There is also a bundling of repayments of loans not due until the 2013/2014 budget year in this budget," Mr Laing said.
Comments
spoitier 11 years, 10 months ago
This kind of politics has been going too long in the country, and Bahamians just stand by and let it happened from both parties. If your boat capsize on the sea and it is the captain fault, should a person complain about the captain or swim his behind to shore? Which scenerio is more productive? I think Bahamian politics is the only place where people could complain about what was left behind for them to this extend and get away with it.
242 11 years, 10 months ago
That's true
Bahamagyal 11 years, 10 months ago
one of the few sensible comments under this article, bahamians are some of the stupidest ppl going, i recall HAI standing up in the House, wasting the public's hard earned dollars making the jokes off Perry Christie, I wonder if Laing remembers seeing that he was a sitting MP at the time. FNM or PLP open ur eyes people, these people ain on noone run but their own. Stop getting emotional defending them and do for yourselves.
TalRussell 11 years, 10 months ago
The once prince of the red shirts Comrade Zhivargo, the basher second only to Comrade Hubert himself, has to be one of the dumbest of the 30 rejected red shirts who was given a cushy job up in Bahamaland's blowing nothing but hot air senate.
I hear that when Comrade Zhivargo rises to speak in the upper chamber, huge amounts of hot air can be seen seeping from the building.
Keep this up Comrade and the natives passing by will start to dial emergency for the fire trucks, that is is BTC has their line connected?
http://thetribune.media.clients.ellin...">Queen Liz with the look of; Good Lord my loyal subject Zhivargo is really as dumb as the Comrades say! by TalRussell
proudloudandfnm 11 years, 10 months ago
PLP just can't get over the fact that HI is the most respected, productive and hard working PM this country has ever had. Simply HI was our country's greatest Prime Minster, none can compare, not SLOP or PGC. Funny how our current PM is the single biggest failed PM of all time. Hope he realizes he can chagne that legacy by simply doing his job. But he can't, he aint in charge. That's Franklyn and Brad's job...
242352 11 years, 10 months ago
Hey Tal,
Speaking of BTC- what happened to the survalence tapes??
They are missing, now that is funny - do you think that some yellow shirts had something to do with the missing tapes.
Answer us Tal - old Yellow shirt profit!!!
concernedcitizen 11 years, 10 months ago
if sabatoge is true that amounts to extorting foriegn investors ,like when u have to pay the mafia for protection from the mafia ,,how do we look now to legit foriegn investors ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
bookiedread 11 years, 10 months ago
Mr. Laing has once again hit it right on the head. That whole thing............I can't call it a budget debate, was all about bashing the former government. Elections are over PC and his team need to take the bull by the horn and start executing their plans for this country. If they have one.
concernedcitizen 11 years, 10 months ago
they have plenty plans for them and their cronys
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