Leader of the parliamentary opposition Lennox Linton is of the view that the country can do much better than it is doing now, while at the same time laments the exclusion of the Opposition in preparation of the annual budget.
“The parliamentary opposition responds in the sacredness of national duty, to the cluelessness of an oversized, cannot do administration, proud of consistently achieving the worse economic mismanagement performance results in the eastern Caribbean currency union for 15 straight years,” he said during his two-hour plus response to the national budget on Monday morning.
“We lament the enduring obsession of the same old policies of exclusion, secrecy and petty political partisanship that has made a complete mockery of the parliamentary oversight responsibility for the preparation of the national budget and the management for public financing,” he said.
According to him, despite the Prime Minister saying, “we believe that development is about participation, mutual respect, love of country and hard work ..it is not about participation of some, it is about involvement of all,” the opposition is still left out.
“And I take it Madam Speaker that in this honorable house, the Prime Minister says what he means and he means what he says, so I will only ask, where then is the provision for the involvement of the parliamentary opposition at stages in the budget preparation cycle where it can meaningfully contribute to the annual revenue and expenditure planning exercise?” Linton stated. “Once again, this year, we have a budget that lacks credibility because it is not the product of an effectively anchored bi-partisan parliamentary mechanism to decide on and fund the growth and development priorities of Dominica.”
Linton said parliament is again being asked to “adopt the rubber stamp mode dictated by the executive for the consideration and approval of a budget that is not designed to and therefore cannot serve as the tools to develop the fundamentals of the national agenda.”
“Things are bad and are getting worse,” Linton noted. “Dominica can do much better. Indeed Dominica can do much better, Dominica can become the best.”
He noted that the Opposition is ready to assist with the terms in this year’s budget to help advance the cause of Dominica especially those dealing with economic growth and job creation.
The budget, over $525,959,000, saw a number of programs initiated by the government remaining in place, including social programs.
In his budget presentation last week Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit said some new schools, health centers, a new hospital and other projects will be implemented. He also announced new taxes on unhealthy foods and a levy to be paid, effective September 1, by motorists.
Politics is a game not a name.
A budget is not a public debating contest.it is a document outlining government plans and programmes and how they are going to obtain the finance to implement them.there are many eloquent speakers and speech writers in dominica.the problem is that every political party, mass organization ,private or public sector institution which have been placed under their leadership, have been destroyed.it is clear that the Dominican people are supporting leaders who have the ability to transform ideas to industry..
If you want 17000 thumbs up, just write a negative comment about Skerrit and the Government. If you want 17000 thumbs down just write a POSITIVE COMMENT about Skerrit and the Government. UWPITES gone loose.
When Labour came into power in 1999 there was a cry of corruption and dept. Presently our national dept is 4 times that of 1999. We see those in authority living large. Typical animal farm. GDP to dept ratio is above 100% that means for every dollar government earns it goes to servicing national dept. Folks this is a serious crises. I am convinced that we prefer to hear lies than the truth. The promised roads from the EU is still part dept 70%. Every country has dept but it has to be manageable. We prefer Destra and Berres shows and fantasy marriages than the reality. We need to wake up people, we need to be worried about the future our kids. Those getting all those paybacks under the table are getting short term wealth the poor remain poor. The well off get duty free concessions on vehicles while the poor are being subjected to an increase on a road levy. These are things that we protested against Freedom and UWP. Wake people because those in power already have their feet on the plane
Lennox has BAFFLED you with BS it is not the ability to articulate that matters it is the substance of the speech, and from what i heard Lennox speech had absolutely no SUBSTANCE WHATSOEVER!!!!!!!!!! He spent almost an hour talking about “Budget Formulation Process” and not about what they would do different if they were actually elected and 90% of that empty speech was about Dominica being Last in the OECS and that it can do better without highlighting to us how he would do make it better!!!!!!!!
That’d what impresses you % or are you just BAFFLED with how the many can articulate?? SHAME ON YOU, IT TELLS OF YOUR SPAN TO LISTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe, you are showing the colour of your underpants now and you are scared. Your man was outperformed, simple as that. I know that is difficult to take but facts are facts. You are free to keep defending him and voting for him, of course, that is your privilege but a lot of people who saw that performance and compared it with P.M’s will be thinking very, very hard.
Roosevelt you make me shake my head because for sure you gave Lennox Linton all the ammunition he needed and more to shoot you down. He appears more the master of the facts than you are and to me that means that you have taken your eyes of the ball and not concentrating on running the affairs of this country. Listen less to people that want to make you feel good and do your own, honest analysis before it is too late.
Linton’s view is not important!
i agree 100%
So why you all reacting like little children? Obviously it must mean something to you, otherwise you would have kept quiet and simply ignored it. You are giving yourselves away.
Linton you even saying national pledge,
People can say anything because they are not in the hot seat but the only thing is don’t let these words fool you., because I will never forget the message I got in a dream last year.
Well challenge him and put him in the hot seat nuh? You mean Dominica is finished if Skerrit is not there all of a sudden? Obama in Africa this morning said that if that is so it is bad management by the leader who is in power and I believe Obama more than Skerrit.
One thing I know for sure our government has no idea what to put in place to create jobs and revenues, Each time I see that state house and see the condition of our city it’s break my heart, I ask my self where are these leaders common sense or they just trying to be weaked and corrupted, When visitors come to your shores there first site is your city not your state house.
So many people in Grand Bay , that begging this PAL REP for help and not for nothing she helping them. And tonight you on DBS lying to your teeth how much you love Grand Bay people. one thing i know god is watching us, stop the lying and tell the rest of Dominica how wicked you a to your own people.
Mrs. Charles you would never ever have been M.P. for Grandbay if your husband had not been a well loved P.M. You are living off someone else’s reputation and glory and it shows. Worse, you are serving a master who defiles your late husband’s ideals. You are out of your depth and incompetent in that job. You were a far better nurse than an M.P.
why the pal rep for Grand Bay lying like that my god. i hope you will sit down one day and listen to yourself saying so many lies.
This leader of the opposition had to respond for the sake of his supporters. They were expecting it. Nothing better was expected from him who continues to be green with envy and always criticize the PM.
In his eyes and limited brains, he can never see the good that the PM has done. He and his supporters consistently debase the PM at every step, trying to block any good he initiates and implements. It is also a mark of disrespect and haughtiness which also cause division in the nation to the point of spewing enmity. As if he could ever do better.
Why do some appreciate and applaud the PM’s budget and some do not? The very manner, they continue to downplay the good that the PM has done for the country.
One day you opposition and supporters will realize your error. Hope it will not be too late for you when you plunge D/ca into chaos and civil disobedience and after. This is what you are up to from the beginning and will never cease. We know it.
Any Government would do good and bad. But this current administration has done a lot of good to win votes. Short term good. For Dominica to have made a turn around in its economic fortunes the PM should have been one of the most hated men, its the sad truth. But instead too many goodies that do not benefit in the long run. Most of the poor are still in poverty despite the rain or goodness they have received. They are still unemployed still unproductive, they don’t have social security or an insurance scheme for 20 30 50 years from now. The good was photo copied policies from Venezuela which have destroyed the economy. The same is happening here. Senior council defended the PM by saying Dominica has the highest GDP per Capita. Dominica has the smallest population (capita). 10 divided by 2 is greater than 10 divided by 5, basic maths. Our PM points to a beautiful picture in words but the statistics shows otherwise.
PARRY, I would remind the Prime Minister that there is a difference between addressing the Parliament and a Labor Party meeting in Lagoon. Parry should also tell the Prime Minister that his closing remarks at the Parliament on Monday night had destroyed a wonderful day of debating.
I think lennox is seeing progress. So how he want to be part of that progress by offering help. So he can have some thing to run on next election. Lennox this administration will not accept your help. It would be better for to start creating a plan and ideas for the next general election. which is five years coming. But you are not going to be part of this progress under this administration. Forget it. Keep your lane. I think you better at showing your faces in protest while DLP supporters gets stronger.
You know one of the most puzzling things for me? The PM claims that the economy is still, to date, suffering from the effects of the world economic crisis as if that is the heart of the problem.
He accepts that funds are scarcely available!! He even claims that some friendly government was willing to assist and provide funds to help the govt pay the increases passed on to the Public Servants.
He claims that he has the most prudent of leaders yet he is creating all sorts of ridiculous positions and portfolios to create jobs for the boys who, once they have taken up those jobs, are now super quiet as they do their work and earn their pay!!
How many of them can our limited finances pay for with no limitations???? How many advisers can a govt. sustain?? How many extra jobs can be added on with no recognition of the negative consequences???? How many will be created before the decision maker is held to account????
Come on folks……..wake up!!!
Mr. Linton, thanks for providing hope for the Dominican people. After 15 years of under performance and false hope, ambitious citizens can hold on to your leadership.
Anyone can say they can do better, but please tell us how. Just more pretty and flowery words.What hope are you talking about, hope for who?
At least we have proof of those who can’t do better or anything for that matter
@Point, the hope is for those who are continually being ripped off by this Government.
OK Sir , based on the information you gave in Parliament Dominica has a higher per capita GDP than St. Lucia that puts us ahead of the game.
Rather than making an unsubstantiated statement l prefer to look at real figures and they tell a different story. I list below the GDP figures for St. Lucia and Dominica over the last three years plus a forecast for the current one, 2015:
2012: St. Lucia 1.30 , Dominica 0.51
2013: St. Lucia 1.32, Dominica 0.51
2014: St. Lucia 1.34, Dominica 0.52
2015: St. Lucia 1.31, Dominica 0.54
It is time we learn to live with reality, so that we can take appropriate measures to make improvement. Wishful thinking is just that and will not help us.
Source: the World Bank Group, http://www.tradingeconomics.com
now factor into that the population difference between those two countries!
In other words GDP per Capita means GDP per population. Dominica is underpopulated an e.g 10/2 = 5 is greater than 10/5=2
No my friend. Per capita means literally “per head” i.e. per head of the population, every individual man, woman and child.
What? Surprise! I would never have guess the Opposition Leader would blast the Budget of this Isle of Beauty, Isle of Splendour. I mean I did not even recognize what country he was speaking of in his response if he didn’t recite our National Anthem.
I felt he was talking more of pies in the skies and not reality. On the other hand the Budget was about ‘Keeping it Real”
Doubting Thomas not at all surprised – you are in denial my brother. When you listen to Honourable Linton and then listen to what followed example Klever Darroux you must admit it was chalk and cheese; Kelver set the tone what is to come from the Government side – pure rhetoric and baseless arguments which failed to address the questions Lennox raised instead the young boy was all over the place taking real nonsense.
Lennox raised some real critical issues which I would love to hear some concrete and real answer to.
You are the one in denial. You are blind, deaf and sleeping, also biased and listening to propaganda against the PM and his budget.
Oh come on Thomas! The venerable Skerrit was caught on the hop. Whoever prepared that presentation for him will catch hell because rather than telling the truth they made him present what he wanted to hear and what he thought the electorate wanted to hear. Mr. Linton shot holes in it. Facts don’t lie and he should have known that he played into Lennox’ hand. Anyway, I hope he can swallow his pride and work with the opposition because that is the only salvation we have. We can not afford to posture. It is not about personalities anymore but about the survival and reconstruction of our country. The most successful governments, in W.Europe, happen to be coalition governments. Nothing wrong with that and we’d better get used to it.
DNO did the Leader of the Opposition give you his budget response as delivered for all to read? Titiwi and Vegnag need to really read it. In fact we all need to read it. I will be waiting.
Thomas, I did better than that. Normally I give these presentations no more than a casual glance but this time I was glued to the t.v. set by Lennox Linton’s performance. It was like a surgeon with a scalpel, knowing exactly where he was going, unerringly and dissecting P.M.’ delivery with precision and virtuosity. Now I understand why P.M. has been advise never to share a debate with this man. He would be sure to lose. A masterclass.
Who is doing the fact check on Linton’s figures? I guess as long as he sounded good we should run with it…. He like to give blows but he cannot take.
Boy, you sound silly, everyone is free to go and check the figures mr. Linton quoted. In fact, I do know that he encourages us to do so. Go and check and if you find fault with them let us know. Mr. Linton will be the first to apologize.
I cannot help but commend the leader for a rebuttal so well delivers. It was clear and maintained the listeners interest throughout. It was a eespo we of substance which sad to say seemed to be understood by those who has the smallest of Caliber.
I was also disturbed by the leader which followed and tried to make himself tall by insinuating that the opposition leader would have done well if he were a comedian. How gullible of him, I hope he stopped to take a page after he has delivered and listen to pure debate and not Paris an politics in the honourable house. This guys still tend to use the honourable house as a stage for politicking. Let’s look past that guys as together we help to move Dominica forward.
Back to the debate, Mr Linton sited some critical analysis and I hope that we will get some strong answers from the government. This was deep!
Political mapuis is part of the Skeritt led administration DNA. It has not change for the last fifteen years, what will make you believe it will change now. You haven’t heard yet, wait when Regie and Blackmoore speak.
I listen to a few minutes of Kelvar’s response and immediately analyzed the it in relation to the person delivering who hardly makes eye contact with people on the street which is a giveaway for someone who lacks confidence on his own. Where you given the Jester role today? If yes, you probably need to keep your day job which is still a working progress. I wonder how much rehearsals he had to go through and the deep breathe he had to take prior delivering this tantrum. When a person is acting outside of their character, it makes for the awakening of an odd personality which conflicts with their true self. Kelvar, when this is said and done you will need a purge to bring you back to centering your character.
Kelver is a lost soul and I pity him. His presentation was as thin, watery and sour as his demeanor. I don’t really understand what he is doing in public office, it must be purgatory for him, poor fellow.
Yes man, right on. That Kelver has all the appeal of stale beer.
Lennox would not have been able to do much either under the circumstances of the debt owed. He would have just uncovered the truth that Skerrit has been hiding all along. The bankers would have been at his door. They have now taken over. The die is cast
Once again the political novice opens his mouth to oppose the wisdom, intuitiveness and superior intelligence of our great and Most Holy Supreme Leader, ordained Knight of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, the head and leader of the blessed Labour Party, the right and Honourable, Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt M. Skerrit. The novice, Linton in his thirst for recognition and power and his burning envy and jealousy of the Supreme Leader, rambled on for what seemed like an eternity with a litany of senseless garbage trying to hide his inexperience and ignorance behind words that were, most likely, prepared for him by his so-called team of other power-hungry . There was nothing of substance or value in this senseless budget response. As a matter of fact there were hardly any Dominicans tuning in as most Citizens have no interest whatsoever in anything that the novice Linton and his team of misguided men has to say. An embarrassment…AGAIN! I feel bad for the novice…
Holy supreme leader? Is he God or Jesus? Once upon a time skerrit was a novice too…
skerrit is still a novie
Well said Tony.
If Skerrit was looking for an enemy he would not have very far to look, because with someone like you supporting him he has all the enemy’s he needs for the rest of his life!
You are a one man demolition derby; your work is appreciated anyway. I will not tell you why, because I don’t want you to become any smarter you see! Keep up your good work!
@Francisco Telemaque July 27, 2015
I hope you have seen where the “anointed idea” came from, which printed on me through private email and here as an “imposter” that is the word that caused me to know it was you.
What you read was that, I corrected the person, but I left his comment above so he would know what I was correcting. But you can only read the first line of everything and then you start huffing an puffing–the kind of smoke that still clouds your readers’ mind.
On the other note:
@LabourofLove, I am on your side here pertaining to Prime Minister Skerrit and His Government–I could not care less what people are saying and thinking; they have their right.
But those terms which you use in referring to him, I believe they are inappropriate. Just like you, I love our PM, but he is still human–I don’t think he wants us to address him as “Holy”.
I believe he is a good man, but let us “not rob it in” against those who don’t agree with us.
You are by far the dumbest jackass I’ve ever come across in my entire live. People like you are in no small part responsible for the downfall of this country!
You are crude, rude and lack respect; not a nice person; no gentleman. This person has his/her opinion. So do you. You do not like the comment? No need to call the person a jackass. You should never use such words to others and on this Website.
When you, UWP supporters do not like what DLP supporters state, you insult them. How would you like to be told you are a jackass? Bet you would not be pleased, putting it mildly.
Do you know these words? “It takes one to know one?” So you are not better for using this defamatory word.to another you do not know.
This person writes very well. In my estimation, he/she is no jackass. You are the one.
As I have noted and continue to do, those who support the PM and his Party are not appreciated. This does not mean you people are correct. Consider others utilize their common sense. Has any DLP supporter insulted you or the others?
oh Please! Linton was outspoken! For a man with no degree, no experience in parliament proceedings, the man is well researched and outspoken. I mean i sat for the two hours 15 minutes watching and listening. Linton was i mean real! This is what parliament should be about. Unlike kelver who can with his cheap politics!
DNO we would appreciate if you all would report some of the suggestion for the development of Dominica outlined by Linton. Indeed thats impoirtant
This must be a satirical piece, or you, Labouroflove must be the most delusional jackass I have ever encountered.
Fit to print. Noted. Government by the people, for the people, of the people. We have lost all credibility. We must fix this country, for the future generations. Long after we’re gone.
You state, we must fix the country. It is not enough nor satisfactory to state that. Do you have an idea how it could be fixed and how to fix it? What feasible suggestion do you have? By your words we would expect you have a better, suitable and permanent strategy. Let us know about it. We are waiting to hear it (them).
When you compare the two leaders I believe that honourable Lennox Linton is not just the smatter one, but he sounds more genuine, selfless, patriotic,loving and honest.
I listened to his presentation, and it was almost flawless.He is a doggone well rounded and highly articulate man, Skerrit can listen to, and learn from.People like this honourable man represents a small array of hope left on this island which has been devastated by 15 years of crooked and abysmal leadership.
Oops!!!! smarter one.
I certainly agree with you. Skerrit should record Linton’s speeches and listen to them in the bathroom. The presentations that these two men make are miles apart in terms of substance, articulation and relevance.
HAHAHAHA, you can take anyone other than Spaggs and give them a speech for a good four days to cram and we all know LL is good at doing that, I dear you to take away that paper in front of him and tell him to speak as to what is on paper, he would be just as bad as Spaggs would have that same paper in front of him.
@real possie Yes real possie,its because I know it, I SAY IT.Whether honourable Linton reads or speaks extemporaneously, HE ACQUITS HIMSELF WELL!
Can Skerrit do so? No! Only if he has to insult you.So the debate on who is sharper,it’s the honourable Linton not Skerrit!
You feel so because he is not yet a prime minister of Dominica as much as he wished he could be.
Mr. Linton great job i listened carefully to your feedback,Dominica’s economy will never move forward as long as the regime is in power,i also started listening to the little boy trying to make a mockery of you Kelvar,but its not his fault,Skerrit takes has him in the afterschool program just for that,and then the Tony,the slave master of Roosevelt Skerrit with his lame excuse about the GDP,sad news for my people,no jobs no growt,continue going to the red clinic.
Do we expect anything else from you a UWP supporter?
What a brilliant man i am sure labour of Love would be elated if DR Roosevelt skerrit had such oratory and presentation skills. Thank you Mr linton this was inspiring.
You are presumptuous. It is what you expected from him. He told you what you were waiting to hear; not necessarily the truth.
Skerrit got a touch of how Mr.Linton was going to make a very strong response to the budget he couldn’t stick around to hear it and he had to remind them he is the dictator in charge and what ever he wants only that will stand regardless how they may feel, but I believe PM is acting like a spoil child because we have to hear from all the ministers from both sides what is wrong with this man.
Did someone gave him Dominica as a gift ?