Barbadians are struggling while the Government is busy making them believe that all is well, says Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne.
“The policies of this Government have impoverished the majority of people in our days. So all the invective, all the abuse, all the jester, will not disguise the plight of the majority of people in this country who are suffering.
“Sometimes people don’t wish to be reminded that they’re suffering, but this is an objective statement as to the plight of people in this country,” the Member of Parliament for Christ Church South said.
Thorne was speaking during the debate in the House of Assembly recently on the Barbados National Energy Company (Transfer and Vesting of Assets) Bill, 2025. It provides for the transfer of the assets and liabilities of the National Petroleum Corporation to Barbados National Energy Co Ltd, a company incorporated under the Companies Act, Cap. 308, and for the repeal of the National Petroleum Corporation Act, Cap. 280.
He charged that Government had reduced most Barbadians to the status of small people, and even those who called themselves middle income and previously lived accordingly, were no longer doing so.
“A condition of truth is that the suffering people must be allowed to speak, that the truth is never entirely told unless those who suffer are also entitled and allowed to speak, and a lot of people in this country are suffering. Take that walk across Bridgetown; take that walk across all the constituencies of this country.
“They want to make a living. They want to live and they want to survive and sometimes they want even to thrive. They will tell you that beneath the lofty goal of thriving, they are struggling even to survive.”
The Democratic Labour Party leader questioned what had become of the alternative energy push, particularly solar energy that was to be made available to consumers, and the relationship between the consumer and the Barbados Light & Power Co regulated by Government.
He said when Government amended the Utilities Regulation Act in 2023, it gave the minister responsible for energy a discretion in relation to matters that were to be resolved by the Fair Trading Commission.
“Those matters ordinarily were referred to the Fair Trading Commission. I remind the people of Barbados that that amendment to the legislation inserted the minister and gave the minister discretion to curtail those applications that were ordinarily to be made to the Fair Trading Commission.
“The business of this Government has been that of inserting ministerial power, governmental power. And I say it’s not emotive – tyrannical governmental power, into the relations between the consumer and that quasi-judicial body called the Fair Trading Commission. That has been the business of this Government, that this Government has found itself being anti-consumer.”
Thorne said some people were complaining that they wanted to improve their financial lives and one way was to lower their electricity bills by using alternative energy.
“Except that this Government has to come to the people of Barbados and disclose in frank discussion why no more persons can gain access to the grid, and being unable to gain access to the grid, they will continue to pay high electricity bills. This is not a condemnation of the sole electricity company. This is an explanation of the plight of the people in this country who want to be able to live, not luxuriate.
“And even if this Government deprives them of the opportunity to thrive, they want to survive,” he said, adding that no proper explanation came from Government.
“The stories of success pertaining to this country are false. And it is within that context, Your Honour, that I raise legitimate questions in relation to an oil industry that may bring prosperity to this country.
“This is not cheap politicking. Come to the people of this country and say to them, what shall be the next frontier for this country’s development? We’re here today about oil and so I’m going to ask questions pertaining to oil and its prospects, and the plans of the Government and the policies of the Government in relation to oil exploration,” he said.
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