The Opposition Leader has thrown his support behind St Philip West MP John King’s call for better treatment of parliamentarians, past and present.
During his remarks on Tuesday in the House of Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Bishop Joseph Atherley stated that he agreed that politicians should be treated better and called for a framework that speaks to the many issues they face.
“I have said this before nobody probably listened until it is them to be honoured,” said Atherley. “It first dawned on me when having served as prime minister of this country and especially in difficult times and having taken a principled position in terms of economic policy and suffering for it, I saw Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford after he has ceased being prime minister struggling to find a car park space attending some event around Parliament. That hurt me to see that and it hit me then we don’t treat ourselves properly.”
Atherley said he was well aware he would get some negative feedback, but insisted that politicians were not “handled properly”.
He continued: “It is not the political thing to say that politicians are not well rewarded, awarded or remunerated in Barbados. I will get shot ‘cause I am speaking as the voice of Opposition. I am not pushing my own cause.
“But we in this public space over long years do not represent our own cause. Politicians are not managed and handled properly. They are not properly remunerated. I don’t make apologies for saying that and they are not properly rewarded for the service they give.”
The Opposition Leader lamented that even something as critical as health care was not readily accessible to politicians since they had to foot their own medical bills.
He said: “Compare what happens in Barbados to some of our neighbours who are not as well off economically as we are if you do the comparisons in real terms politicians in Barbados are not treated properly. Notwithstanding that the public is made to believe. Notwithstanding what the media helps to propagate out there. We are not treated properly, not provided properly for with respect to when they have health challenges.”
“I remember one fellow went away on Government business and found himself facing a serious health challenge which would require a financial response and he was no in a position to do so, but there was no provision for that. The country sends you out there to do their business but they don’t care if you get back or what state of health you are in when you come back.”
Atherley said he and many of his colleagues were at times afraid to speak out fearing a public backlash.
“We don’t speak up for ourselves cause we’re afraid people will say we are self-serving. We have prime ministers out there have to run ‘bout and beat ‘bout and no sort of dignities of courtesies extended to them. That is bad.”
(IMC)
