Senator Bradley Questions Spending…

Darrell Bradley

While Senator Bradley acknowledged the government’s efforts to cut back on spending, he highlighted a few areas where he thinks the outlay is still excessive, particularly in terms of salaries.

Darrell Bradley, UDP Senator

“We’re still, in my humble opinion, overspending when we need not be. I will just mention a few references. Page sixty of the budget under the Office of the Prime Minister, number fifty, grants to Individuals. This went from forty-five thousand to one point six million dollars. On the same page in the Office of the Prime Minister, number thirty, personal emoluments: from nine hundred and fifty-three thousand, one hundred and forty-six dollars to one point six million dollars –an increase of seven hundred thousand. The Ministry of Finance page seventy-five, number two hundred and thirty: personal emoluments, from thirty-four million to sixty-four million; Ministry of Finance, item three hundred and fifty: grants, an increase from five point two million to twenty-seven million dollars. The point that I’m making here is that there has to be political will to rein in spending, and I only gave examples in the budget, if you look through every section of the budget. And I must confess that I am not a technical person in terms of looking at the Budget. You see the figures, in my mind, an increase from five point two million to twenty-seven million is an excess. I may be wrong, and I’m conceding that I may be wrong.”