Quality and substance lacking in some debate presentations to date

Dear Editor,
This year, I am very disappointed with the National Assembly’s budget debates. I am sure that 60% of the speakers were slaves to their scripts. Most of the Opposition APNU+AFC Parliamentarians lacked substance, and were void of relevance. Their presentations were the normal thing of trying to make this current PPP/C Administration look bad, but they lacked hard facts and evidence.
I am sure the Opposition MPs did not do their due diligence and feasibility studies on the Budget Speech and the estimates delivered by Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. I mean, the Opposition MPs’ presentations and nerves betrayed them. I heard when Sherod Duncan, Ganesh Mahipaul, Coretta McDonald, Juretha Fernandes, Christopher Jones, Jermaine Figueira and Annette Ferguson crashed and burned trying to convince the public that this budget has nothing for them.
The language used in the budget debates was not above board. I heard some things that I would never suggest or say. The combined APNU+AFC Opposition MPs contradicted themselves countless times in their presentations on Budget 2022. There was neither eloquence nor classy debate for the most part.
We must do better. I remember a saying that ‘if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail’. I have seen better from the Opposition in Parliament with the presentations of the late Deborah Backer and the late Winston Murray; Carl Greenidge, Robert Corbin, Cathy Hughes, Khemraj Ramjattan, and even Jermaine Figueira. The young Parliamentarians could take a tip or two from the debates of Priya Manickchand, Charles Ramson Jr, Oneidge Walrond, Geeta Chand-Edmond, Vinceroy Jordan, Kwame McCoy, Joseph Hamilton, Vickram Bharat, Frank Anthony, Bishop Juan Edghill, Pauline Sukhai, and Amanza Walton-Desir, among others.
I hope we would raise the bar with the quality of our debates. I know that Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, former Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, Cathy Hughes, Raphael Trotman, Roydale Forde, and Dr. Ashni Singh would deliver on a great debate.
Please demonstrate the art of debating and the skill of language used in argumentative and persuasive speeches. Our youths are watching! Those professionals are looking at you! Supporters of both parties are watching!

Yours truly,
Michael Younge