Opposition had no intention o ‘send anybody on the breadline’ – Granger

Opposition Leader David Granger has once again reiterated that the cuts made to the 2012 budget were justified as there was not enough discussion amongst the three parliamentary parties prior to the presentation of the budget.

Granger addressing hundreds of workers at the Critchlow Labour College said the combined opposition begged the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) to have tripartite budget talks with the opposition before tabling the Budget, but this was not done.

“We were faced with a predetermined budget since December last year. I told Ramotar let us establish this tripartite budget committee – our economic spokesman Greenidge was willing to go, December passed no word; January passed no word; February passed no word then March come and somebody heard Greenidge out of the country… and 30th March we were presented with a readymade budget. That is why we had to take action; it was not a budget that came from the majority. It is not a budget that came from the people, not a budget that we had an input in; they say hea, we say hea back!” Granger said.

All actions he said taken by the opposition are aimed at ensuring that the PPP/ C sits down and talk about the budget, and all other developmental projects to ensure that Guyanese receive a “good life”.

Granger said too that as a result, the opposition acted to ensure that there is accountability and prudent management of the country’s finances, noting that had there been adequate discussions, government probably would not have seen more than Gy$ 20 billion being chopped from the budget.

The opposition leader noted that it is important the government through collaboration with the opposition move to ensure that the country’s poverty level is drastically reduced. Currently, he said one third of the country’s population lives in poverty.

“I am working with the GTUC to give Guyanese a good life… we cannot take this country forward when more than one third of the working people are poor… we have to get rid of poverty in this country,” he told the gathering.

He said, “Unless the budget deals with the problem of poverty, it is no budget at all”, noting that is the first test of the budget.

The combined opposition received harsh criticisms from Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on the cuts made to the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU).

However, Granger refuted those utterances saying, “We did not vote against CANU”. He said there is a need to bring the police force up to strength, but alleged that there are many activities that are being conducted outside of the parameters of the law. Granger said too that the allocations made by government to the University of Guyana is shameful, noting that Gy$ 800 million was not sufficient to properly administer the country’s premiere tertiary institution.

It is time Granger said that the university produce academics that are worth their salt. He pointed to the situation in the fields of geological engineering and manganese mining where the majority of the persons working at Matthews Ridge North West District (NWD) hail from foreign soil.

The opposition leader said that the combined opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) did not feel that the 2012 budget provided enough money to move education forward. “… and I have no apologies for saying that,” He said.

Breadline

According to Granger, the opposition had no intention to “send anybody on the breadline”. He said the opposition’s core interest is to ensure that citizens enjoy a better life. “We are going to restore the kind of life that you demand”. He stressed the need for there to be “freedom of communication”, noting that “We don’t want to send workers from GINA home, we don’t want to send workers from NCN home, in fact, I doubt that any of them will go home”.

But while that was said, Granger stressed that the identified media entities are not “free”. “We are the majority, it is not bullyism, it is fairness and GINA and NCN are being very biased. We are prepared brothers and sisters to restore anything that is cut as long as the reforms are put in place. We are not trying to bring government to a halt.”

Granger’s speech saw a standing ovation as public servants dressed in traditional red and white or red and black clothing, stood in the auditorium of Critchlow Labour College in approval of his message.