IT IS CLEAR that the Barbados Labour Party has lost its rudder.

A country unable to pay for quality policing and health care wants to lay claim to moving heaven and earth to facilitate a quality people-centred programme without any clear communicated benefits to the people. They tell us every day with their MCTV 8 blast that we are to prepare Barbados for 2007. To date all the Government has sought to do is to continually unroll its election strategy. This is why, as a responsible Opposition, we will seek to explain these linkages.

Barbadians were treated to a recent non-event at Warrens to launch the expanded highway project, but the only thing that was expanding was the cost of the actual project. Before a single piece of soil was turned we were treated to a cost increase of some $20 million.

If that was not enough, Prime Minister Arthur, in an effort to stave off the attacks from the Opposition's benches regarding our economic outlook, rushed off to Wall Street seeking international affirmation from financial analysts Standard & Poor's regarding our economy. Before he had unpacked properly, their public relations reporter in New York had relayed back the news that our credit rating was up.

The leadership of the Labour Party is feverishly scrambling to borrow every cent it can get its hands on and to sell every state asset, all in a desperate attempt to ensure it can provide the façade of a thriving economy. All this while what is near and dear to the hearts of citizens is neglected and ignored.

The leader of the Democratic Labour Party is sharply aware of these developments and continues to outline counter strategies and policies to address the callousness which is being displayed by this Government. Recently, David Thompson charged that under an elected DLP this country could be assured of more accountability of the ministers and members of Parliament.

He outlined the amount of mandatory time to be allotted to such an activity. He also gave Barbadians the assurance that the notion of the helplessness of Government in relation to protection of Barbadian land for Barbadians would be addressed. We observed the tough and principled stance taken by some prime ministers in the Eastern Caribbean to regulate foreign land ownership as a condition of their entry into the CSM. Our leader, who spent some of his childhood living near the beach, was also strong on the issue of Barbadians having access to their beaches.

This Administration has lost its rudder. The only political and moral compass that seems to be working is that of the DLP. This party under David Thompson is prepared to keep updating Barbadians about the true state of affairs that confront this nation. That is why the members of the Credit Union Movement who attended the last annual general meeting of the Police Co-operative were treated to a number of policy initiatives aimed at bringing some balance to the players in the financial sector.

The DLP is committed to creating equal investment opportunities through financial saving instruments. Something the BLP could not muster the creativity or find the time to do in 12 years.

It clear to Barbadians that this country is rudderless. The country is sailing along waiting for a storm to blow us into 2007; then for us to be shipwrecked going into 2008. Barbadians, put on your life jackets! The BLP has created the perfect storm.

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