Opposition Leader Mark Golding has accused the Government of being out of touch with the realities facing the Jamaican people and of still practicing “trickle-down economics” which he said the world has moved on from.

Golding made the comments on Tuesday as he went on the offensive against the Andrew Holness-led Administration during his contribution to the 2023/24 Budget Debate at Gordon House, under the theme “Time come for a new direction”.

“Over 40 years have passed in which we have accepted the view that the role of the state is merely to facilitate the private sector, who will then lead growth and growth will trickle down to the people. I suspect most Jamaicans no longer accept this,” Golding remarked.

Continuing, he said: “We have to look around us and assess what is happening in our nation. We have to ask: what does the state of the nation have to do with the government that we have? Who is the government serving? Is it serving the broad base of the people?”

The Opposition leader answered his own rhetorical questions by stating that “with this current government, people’s lives are not a priority”.

He suggested the administration should do what former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller frequently spoke of – “balancing the books while balancing people’s lives”.

Golding argued that the role of government is to facilitate the people, all types of people, and facilitate their potential for growth.

“When we look at the state of the nation and listen to the daily frustrations of the people, it is clear that the government is out of step with the people. They are still practising trickle-down economics, when the world is moving on. If people cannot feel the reform and the recovery that the finance minister (Dr Nigel Clarke) is celebrating, it simply means we are not focused on the right things. The time has come to move our country in a new direction,” he declared.

According to Golding, the Budget, as presented by Clarke, shows misplaced priorities.

He said: “I cannot see the change we need. We need to see the nation move to fair labour practices, improving broad access to the resources of the nation, to opportunity, and to sustainable and good living. This government is not prioritising the change we need to see. This is not a budget for the people. It reflects the character and interests of those who this government primarily serves”.

Golding questioned why the government did not find a way to extend the period for the public sector salary negotiations to allow the groups to make measured, well-informed and transparent decisions on the wage offer, “instead of (public servants) being bullied and cajoled by (the) ‘take it or lose it’ (approach)?”

“Why is there no budget for the overdue, constitutionally-required Local Government Elections? It is because they do not prioritise fairness in economics or the deepening of our democracy?” he questioned further.

Golding charged that the conditions of life that Jamaicans are suffering through today are very challenging, and are intensifying.

“To face them requires leadership with the people’s interests at heart. It requires leadership of good character to create a nation where we live good with each other,” he said.