Green Party leader says NDP representation weak

The Green Party has characterized the Opposition New Democratic Party’s (NDP) representation in the House of Assembly in the 2006 Budget Debate as “weak”.

In a release issued by the party earlier this week, the Green Party, which attracted less than 0.1% of the popular vote in last December’s general elections, expressed concern about the opposition party’s representation.{{more}}

The release, signed by party leader Ivan O’Neal, gave as an example, the failure of the NDP to “expose the Government’s excessive and unjustifiable salary increase for the Speaker of the House of Assembly.” According to the release, the “Office of the Leader of the Opposition receives a monthly salary from Public funds for a Research Officer. This Research Officer should have discovered the wicked and unjustifiable increase in salary for the Speaker of the House of Assembly.”

The release also criticized the Prime Minister’s attempt to justify the salary increase, stating that it “shows that he does not have the full respect for the Electorate.”

O’Neal noted that the Unity Labour Party removed the NDP from office in 2001 for attempting to “increase salaries and pensions for all members of the House of Assembly.” He continued, “for the NDP to allow the ULP to get away unnoticed with this excessive salary increase is political obliviousness.”

The SVG Green Party also expressed disapproval at the “NDP’s strategy of walking out of Parliament during working sessions of the House.” The Green Party is of the opinion that even though there are only five members in the Opposition, this should not translate to weakness. The Green Party opined, “the Opposition’s gentle approach of dealing with the rough and uncaring ULP is like using baby gloves to box a heavyweight champion.”