During today's session Senator Michael Peyrefitte spoke with the media outside. He began by giving his thoughts on the budget, which he says is an "uncreative" copy and paste version of last year's one. He said that the PUP has an unhealthy obsession with the past Barrow Administration and now needs to move on and deal with the issues in front of them.
Hon. Mike Peyrefitte, UDP Senator
"Well the over view is that there is nothing much to debate. It's pretty much a cut and paste document from last year and the only thing that the budget reflects that's new is the 80 million cut from the public service from the 60 million representing salaries and 20 million dollars representing the increment and the freeze that is involved with the cut. Other than that there is very little of imagination, very little in terms of creativity or what the government would do to grow the economy. You can cut all you want this year, what would you do next year? Cut again? And when will you grow the GDP so that the GDP to debt ratio is looking good again. According to you it looks so bad and I have not seen, from the financial approach by this government anything that they are doing that is new. You have a government that was in opposition for 12 years, you came to power with a huge mandate, but its obvious that's whilst you were in opposition you had no plan as to what you would do were you to become the government. So, all the presentations are just littered with criticisms of the UDP and unhealthy consistent obsession with Dean Barrow and what I'm trying to tell them is stop focusing on that and look forward. What is your plan now, you wanted the job, you now have the job, what are your ideas that you have and nobody is expecting you to fix whatever you say is damaged in such a short period of time, but you have people protesting, you have people out here in the sun angry. Something has to be wrong. People are not saying that they don't understand that sacrifices have to be made, but the way it is being done and there doesn't seem like there is any hope or any result that is positive in the near future and that's the problem."
