The following speech was delivered by GOOD MP, Shaun August in Parliament today.
19 March 2021
Honourable Chairperson…
When there isn’t enough money in the bank to buy everything on the shopping list, you are forced to prioritise. Because you cannot buy the meat which is on on special if you can’t afford electricity to run the fridge, you budget.
You ensure sufficient funds are reserved to keep the basic services running, and instead of beef make do with chicken.
The same theory applies to the division of government spending.
Addressing the Covid pandemic through vaccinating the nation is our most pressing priority.
But at the same time, addressing the basic needs and dignity of our people cannot be abandoned. Indeed, the quality and distribution of State services must be ramped up.
We must do both, with our dwindling purse – while at the same time preventing what precious resources we do have being looted by crooked politicians and officials.
It was not just disheartening and disappointing to see these plunderers conniving with private companies to ransack our Covid defences; it was hideous and deeply disturbing.
We need to see those who steal from our people prosecuted and imprisoned – so we must be sure to set sufficient funds aside to keep the criminal justice system going.
Honourable Chair…
The burden of spending our tax revenue wisely is not Treasury’s, alone.
It is also our collective responsibility, as public representatives, and each and every government employee’s, to ensure the resources we have are best spent.
That good procurement decisions are made. That the nation gets bang for its bucks.
GOOD reiterates its call for the development of resilient and sustainable contract and consequence management systems to hold accountable those who are responsible for administering our accounts.
Chairperson…
Covid has created unprecedented hardship and challenges.
It has also highlighted the shocking levels of inequality, both in quality of life and service delivery.
It has highlighted our historic failures to get resources to those who need them most.
While the vaccination drive is our priority, our people can’t eat, or clothe their children, with vaccines.
And spending money on vaccines cannot be an excuse for the further lowering of standards of service delivery to poorer communities.
The circumstances we’re in demand that we be gymnasts, capable of delicately balancing our long-term interests while keeping the nation afloat.
Honourable Chair…
With the vaccine roll out underway, as we look beyond Covid, we need GOOD solutions to tackle our enduring challenges with inequality, poverty and achieving sustainable social and economic justice.
It is said that crises create opportunities. Our ability to realise opportunities, however, depends on our fiscal integrity.
I thank you.
ENDS