Leader of Opposition Remains Firm in Pursuit of Government Accountability

There will be no backing down by the Leader of the Opposition in his quest for answers and to hold the Government accountable.

King’s Counsel Ralph Thorne made that clear yesterday, two days after he and at least three members on the Government’s side clashed during debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2024, in the House of Assembly.

When the sitting resumed yesterday with Minister of Tourism Ian Gooding-Edghill and tourism officials in the Well of the House, in a measured tone Thorne said: “I want to remind Government that I have a duty to this Parliament, to the people of this country, to seek accountability from Government . . . . It is a duty from which I will not resile and I ask the Government in the exercise of its own mandate to accommodate us in our duty to seek accountability.”

Last month, Thorne departed the ruling Barbados Labour Party, which held all 30 seats, to become the Opposition Leader and almost immediately joined the Democratic Labour Party and became its political leader.

Yesterday, he said the tourism issue was a patriotic one, and to Gooding-Edghill stated: “There shall be no hostility towards you, there shall be no hostility towards this industry; this is a moment in patriotism.” (AC)