So the government budget was ratified in Parliament last week by a small margin, at 1am, 11 pro, 10 against, and we all noted with great interest that two strong-willed ladies voted against it, and against party line. That by itself is admirable, and unusual in our universe, to vote with your common sense, and consequently, against consensus, and against the party’s dictate.
One of the renegades, our President of Parliament, is super educated, smart and well-endowed in the political courage department. Her fans report she has balls. I voted for her a few years ago, I felt she had promise and talent, she does, and thanks to my vote and the votes of other optimists like me, she went far, becoming the minister in charge of the infrastructure portfolio.
As the MinInfra of yesteryears she went on to bless the development of Palm Beach. All of that congestion we today dislike and abhor, spanning from the Village Mall to the Palm Beach Plaza Mall, was signed and delivered during her reign. It was her vision as MinInfra to clutter our golden mile.
The media at the time, was filled with accusations and insinuations, about privileged friends in a nepotistic network and slowly but surely turned the image of the candidate of promise and talent into the devil himself, who was so-called giving away this country’s riches and mortgaging the future of development for alleged nickels and cents.
As a reader, and an outsider, I felt a great sense of despair, at the time, when reading those reports, and witnessing construction, and I was relieved when her party eventually lost the elections, to another set of operators, of another color.
Then by some magic trick, our super educated, smart and ballsy politician switched sides, dumping the losers, sticking with the winners. As expected, she was well received, treated with the utmost respect, and given a big job as the President of Parliament.
Recently we have been reading the newspapers filled with accusations and insinuations, about the current MinInfra, hearing about privileged friends and a nepotistic network that is so-called giving away this country’s riches and mortgaging the future of development for alleged nickels and cents. This terrain has been granted for pittance, that terrain worth umpteen florins handed over for a fraction of its realistic worth while ignoring zoning suggestions and previous guidelines. I have to admit that reading the newspapers today, I have that same exact sense of despair, and I will be very pleased when our currently in-charge party loses the elections, to another set of operators of perhaps another color.
So, what do you think, is my repeated sense of despair fact or fiction? How can it be real if it repeats itself every four years? Is it just media manipulations, or indeed these people are irresponsible?
Anyway, besides voting against the proposed budget the President of Parliament also voted pro motion #17 which was to impeach the current MinInfra for lack of confidence. That motion to send the minister packing failed with 9 votes pro and 12 against. I was convinced that the current MinInfra would remind the past MinInfra of her nickname at the time, Mrs. Real Estate, but nothing, the current MinInfra remained mum.
So, again, is my repeated sense of despair fact or fiction?
Just for the sake of reporting, that second member of Parliament who voted against the budget is related by marriage to legendary Oscar Wyatt, American businessman, founder of Wyatt Oil & Gas, involved at one time or another with the Coastal refinery and with El Paso, the man who inspired the fictional TV legend, JR Ewing. She voted against the proposed budget, thus against the reopening of the refinery. If she is against it, I believe she has good reasons.
