Members Of The House Of Representatives today began deliberations on the 2021 Budget, which was presented to the Nation Wednesday this week by Finance Minister, Gregory Bowen.
But, it was without the traditional reply by the man who today holds the position as Leader of the Opposition, Tobias Clement.
When it was announced at the end of the presentation Wednesday that debate on the Budget was scheduled for today, Clement protested he was not given sufficient time to study the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.
Given the time constraints, the Finance Minister, who’s also the Leader of Government Business in the Lower Parliamentary Chamber, noted the nature of the situation as it stood at the moment they would have to go into overtime, so as to prepare the ground for debate in the Senate on the basis of meeting deadlines.
So, when the sitting resumed this morning, Tourism Minister, Dr. Clarice Modeste Curwen, began the proceedings with intervention by the Prime Minister for clarity on what’s happening, since it did not begin with a reply on the Budget by the Leader of the Opposition.
The schedule and the timing given to the house were for the resumption of the sitting at nine this morning.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael Pierre.
The Prime Minister sees the actions of the Leader of the Opposition as being “irresponsible”.
