To hear that the festival finances are already $300,000 in the red is not really a surprise. Vendors and suppliers have continually complained that they don’t get paid.

Successive governments have put far too much into festivals over the years, with a completely irresponsible attitude towards paying their way.

Festival finances should be privately sponsored. Then we would see how much the people really want things, without relying on government to pay for everything. Since we allegedly became financially independent, the government has been spending money like it grew on trees, presumably to curry favour with the electorate. But at the same time, it is turning us into a socialist state, where the population has come to depend on government paying for everything.

 

Claims against gov’t

The fact that the new government has to put aside funds to settle claims successfully made against previous governments tells us how well our finances are managed.

If it is true that Delta Petroleum still has not been paid its awarded damages, that is a disgrace. That dispute need never have arisen and was purely as a result of a personality clash between the heads of the oil company and customs. In my opinion, the head of customs should have been made personally responsible for settling the claim.

Similarly, the head of the National Parks Trust should have been made personally responsible for the disastrous concert that put the NPT some $800,000 in the red.

 

New gov’t, speaker

The new government, with seven newly elected representatives, seems to have gotten off to a good start. Let us hope they continue on the same path.

Alas, the same cannot be said of the new speaker, who caused controversy almost before he was elected. To appeal to the courts, which will cost somebody some money, is not wise at this early stage. He already had a reputation before being elected, and this action will not improve that in the eyes of the electorate. I hope a decision is reached quickly and followed by all involved. I can only assume that he is owed in some way by the ruling party that chose him, and/or they felt it better to have him in House rather than an embittered outsider. I hope they are still comfortable with their decision.

Lastly, I hope government will order those advertising billboards down. They are a new innovation we can well do without.