HGP Nightly News – In a passionate critique grounded in personal experience, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament Odessa Primus argued that Budget 2026 fundamentally fails the nation’s youth and cultural practitioners, contradicting its “Putting People First” theme through inadequate funding and neglect.
MP Primus, a lifelong cultural artist, opened her budget debate presentation by questioning the government’s commitment, suggesting it has taken “almost 30 years” to prioritize the people. She then examined the allocation for the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, noting a reduction from $8 billion last year to $6 billion this year, a sum she labeled the “smallest budget allocated to any ministry.”
“This can’t be a government that is putting the people first,” Primus stated, emphasizing that this sector serves over 70% of the population who are youth. “Certainly not our artists. Certainly not our sportsmen and women. Certainly not our young people.”
Her critique became deeply personal as she addressed the preservation of cultural heritage. Primus lamented the lack of national institutions to honor artistic pioneers, citing iconic figures like musician The Mighty Rebel, actor Henry Rodney, and comedian Habib Khan.
“And I stand before you and it pains my heart to tell you that both Henry Rodney and Mr. Habib Khan died powerless in this country,” she told the Assembly, framing their fates as a direct result of systemic neglect. “What the government is promoting is poverty.”
The MP contrasted the need for sustained, structural support with what she characterized as the government’s “tokenistic” approach of featuring occasional cultural performances. “Our culture cannot be something that you just do one and two times a year,” she argued, calling for proactive preservation for future generations.
By invoking the legacies of departed artists and highlighting the shrinking budget for youth and culture, Primus positioned the government’s fiscal plan as one that silences creative voices and sidelines the majority of the population, despite its pro-people rhetoric.
