Govt Statement On House/Appropriation Act
This evening [March 11] the Government “requested the indulgence of the Speaker of the House and the Opposition to rise and report progress, enabling the Appropriation Act to be passed on the previously scheduled meeting of the House of Assembly on Friday [March 15],” the government advised.
Following this evening’s development, the Premier and Minister of Finance David Burt said, “The House is scheduled to sit on Friday, March 15, and under the supervision of the Speaker and the Clerk to the Legislature, we ensured that the rules were followed, and the Opposition consulted. This is to ensure that the Appropriation Act is completed in good time for the Senate Budget Debate which is scheduled to start next Monday.”
Premier Burt concluded, “I wish to thank the Speaker and the Clerk for their counsel, enabling the government business to proceed at the next sitting of the House.”
PLP said we had a balanced budget, but looking at the Blue Book (the calculations of the Budget and the figures in the Bermuda Appropriation Act 2023.
Revenue = $1,232,341,000 (from Blue Book)
(Appropriation ACT states expenditure as)
Consolidated fund Expenses = $1,103,032,500 + $95,999,700
Revenue – Expenditure = a loss or deficit of ($33,308,000)
That isn’t a balance budget. Why are we constantly being lied to by the PLP.
How can you tell if a politician is lying? His (or her or their) lips are moving!
The PLP only accept revenue as the base. Expenditure is an unnecessary distraction from the calculation. Especially “off the books” expenditures/liabilities. Bermudiana Beach is a prime example.