By Lloyd Noel
The controllers of the people’s business in parliament and the country as a whole — have made some bold and very strange moves and decisions in the nation’s affairs, that will have some serious outcome and unusual effects in the months and years ahead.
True enough the government has absolute control of the people’s business in our parliament — with no one in opposition to express a contrary opinion on any issue that comes up for discussions coming from the Prime Minister on any matter — I will be very surprised if anyone in the team is bold enough to say otherwise.
The movement of ministers from one ministry to another, and the new appointments in the senate are very clear examples of such decisions.
It leaves many to wonder, what could be the motive for removing a minister from a ministry which has been doing very well — and replacing him/her with someone whose current ministry is more or less poorly operated.
Two or three of the recent movements fall under that category, but those involved just have to move on and keep quiet — while the people’s business will be the losers in those situations.
As for the two senate movements in particular — it will be very interesting to see how those play out, in the fullness of time down our rugged political roads.
And for the new billion dollars plus 2015 budget — all eyes and ears will be fully opened, to see and hear where those dollars will be coming from in the months ahead — to balance the books and provide the many jobs and other facilities the Minister promised.
None of those same jobs, that were ready and waiting to come on stream — after the clean–sweep general elections last year — have so far arrived in the Tri–Island state as promised.
Where they would be coming from, along with the hundreds of millions of dollars quoted by the Finance Minister as revenue and expenditure for the year 2015 — only time and their long–awaited arrival will tell in the year ahead.
Whether the new ministers in the various ministries where changes were made, would make any difference to the lives and conditions of the people — only time will tell as the months go by.
But as things look from the outside, the expectations are very low and even the controllers are not saying very much.
If it is that the leader of the pack and Prime Minister, have some good news up his sleeve — he is keeping them very close to himself and keeping all and sundry waiting impatiently.
But it must be very obvious — that the state of conditions now existing cannot go on and be tolerated indefinitely.
The so many millions quoted by the P.M. as Finance Minister all sounded very heavy — but the problem facing us all, is where would those dollars be coming from to satisfy his promises.
The provision of jobs for those who are unemployed, is a major hurdle to overcome — and cannot be satisfied in the near future especially at this time.
As for the news ministers at this time, and having to find their way around with new workers and different duties — these will take some time to sort out, so not very much can be expected anytime soon.
Over and above those short-comings, the up-coming referendum to reform our independence constitution in the new year — the preparations and campaigning to try and achieve the required two-thirds majority vote at the polls, these will take up a lot of time and there is not so much time remaining.
In all those situations therefore, the next two or three months will be very hectic from a strictly political angle — and how the controllers manage the time and bring out the message to the voters, that will be the major occupation as I see it.
The movement of ministers and senators seemed to have taken up all the controllers attention in recent times — so now we have to wait and look around to see where the message is coming from.
We heard a lot about those foreign investors and passport purchasers earlier in the year — and the hope must have been, that a few would have made an appearance by now, to ease up the burdens of growing unemployment and associated problems.
But thus far nothing is happening around the country — and the problems are getting much worse rather than any better.
How long that state of affairs can appear to being tolerated — the passage of time will disclose somewhere down the road.
As things appear on the surface, however, a whole lot of our people are under-going hardships and major problems, and the onus must be on the controllers to initiate some kinds of remedial measures to ease the tension.
Where those millions announced by the PM in his budget address will be coming from — only those in control can have the answers, so we can only wait to hear the good news.
But the waiting cannot be forever — and time is not on their side as things stand.
