The main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) Monday dismissed as “left overs” the Throne speech delivered by Governor General Sir Rodney Williams outlining the projects and policies to be pursued by the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) government in 2018.
UPP leader Harold Lovell in a statement said that the country waited to hear the measures and after being invited to a dinner expecting to get a sumptuous meal “was served left overs, hurriedly heated up in the microwave, but still cold and inedible”.
Sir Rodney in his speech said that the Gaston Browne administration is predicting “healthy” economic growth in 2018 as well as record levels of employment despite the damage done by Hurricane Irma when it hit the twin island nation in September last year.
He said the administration is also forecasting improved economic growth despite the continued lowering of taxes.
Speaking on the theme “Uniting to create an economic powerhouse,” the Head of State said that the government has set about to create more wealth, more economic opportunities, easier access to job-training and to tertiary education, a healthier population for our families and living in safer communities.
He said there were also plans to improve infrastructure to enable the wealth-multiplier to operate efficiently in Antigua and Barbuda.
“These elementary conditions, my Government acknowledges, are required to build and to maintain our Caribbean economic powerhouse.”
But Lovell, who served as a finance minister in the previous UPP administration, said the throne speech was “unacceptable, unpalatable, and a down right insult to everyone sitting at the table”.
He said population had rejected “the half eaten food of 2017,” and was now looking forward to the UPP’s menu of “wholesome and appetising offering designed to restore Antigua and Barbuda to good health”.
While a general election is not constitutionally due here until mid-year next year, the ABLP has already announced the candidates to contest all seats fuelling speculation that Prime Minister Browne may call an early poll.
Lovell, who took over the leadership of the party after then prime minister Baldwin Spencer led it to defeat in the 2014 general elections, said the UPP platform would be offering “creative and doable ways to rescue the economy.
”While we seek and work with outside investors on win-win projects in the tourism and manufacturing sectors, the UPP is also crafting programmes to stimulate and maintain local investment as well,” he said.
“The UPP will launch an era of home grown investments, we will put down our bucket where we are and build a sustainable future one solid project at a time,” he said, saying that the country can no longer puts its hopes, fortunes and land resources in the hands of the present government.
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