Estwick defends DLP’s work in office

Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St Philip West, Dr David Estwick has rubbished the notion that the 2008-2018 period of his party’s leadership led to a “lost decade” for the country, as charged by the Mia Mottley-led administration, insisting that widescale development and investment were seen across the country.

While speaking at the party’s manifesto launch in Brereton, St Philip on Thursday, Estwick lambasted the narrative pushed by the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) since the 2018 general elections that no significant progress was made under DLP rule.

He listed several projects that took place across the length and breadth of the island, including the construction of the Blackman and Gollop Primary School, St Ambrose Primary School and other primary educational institutions.

“Go in St John and see the David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex working, go to the new police station at Hastings, go to the one in Cane Garden. In fact, in this so-called lost decade, we built the two ten-storey buildings in Warrens for public officers that even a blind man could see them up there,” he added.

“I am tired of this nonsense. I kept my mouth shut for a long time, you understand? They feel you don’t got any sense,” Estwick told supporters.

While admitting that the 30-0 pounding the DLP received in the 2018 elections was a clear indication the general public was not pleased with several situations happening at the time, he maintained the BLP simply took advantage of the situation and created a false narrative.

“The Barbados Labour Party rode a wave of discontent that existed, and because you were angry and you were hurting over a period of time, they took advantage of you and lied to you about what they were going to do to make your life better,” he told the gathering.

Estwick added that while in opposition, the BLP constantly implied that the then tax structure was untenable and that it was too burdensome a policy for citizens; yet, he said, the replacements introduced in 2018 have gone far beyond what the DLP had in place at the time.

“Increase the income tax on people earning above $75,000 a year, place a 40 per cent excise tax increase per litre on diesel, gasoline, and kerosene. This is what the Prime Minister said [in the] 2014 Estimates Debate on page 22 – when you tax and increase the excise tax on gasoline, you effectively tax the entire economy. Every household, every enterprise, because not all goods and services do rely on diesel vehicles.

“Can you imagine these are the same people who came in and put 40 per cent per litre on gasoline… the same people that said when you tax and increase the excise tax on gasoline you effectively tax the entire economy?”

Estwick implored Barbadians to pay more attention to the facts as they have been presented by the current administration, compared to political talk. He contended that the Mottley-led government introduced policies that have increased the tax burden on citizens, despite rhetoric to the contrary.

“When they were in Opposition, this is what they said – the DLP has taxed to death, you cannot tax your way out of a recession. The country has the third highest debt rate in the world, and it was blatant mismanagement of the economy.

“These are the people who came in and added all of those taxes on your back, every single one, not the Democratic Labour Party, so if it was mismanagement then, it is colossal mismanagement now,” Estwick insisted. (SB)