Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued a statement defending her Government’s approach to social spending, saying citizens who repeatedly make poor personal choices should not expect the state to support them indefinitely using taxpayer funds.
“Everyone makes mistakes, but citizens who continuously make bad life decisions should not expect the state to use hardworking taxpayers’ money to support them in perpetuity,” the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar argued that citizens who make responsible life decisions, follow the law, make personal and professional sacrifices for self-improvement, and pay their fair share to the state should not see their tax dollars used to fund what she described as “politically motivated government programmes” aimed at repeatedly bailing out people who made poor personal choices.
“Law-abiding, hardworking citizens are fed up of being taken advantage of by a social system that punishes lawful behaviour, responsible decision-making and personal sacrifice,” she said.
The Prime Minister also addressed critics of her Government over its handling of social programmes.
“So next time, before you go on TV or social media complaining that any government refuses to waste taxpayers’ money to fund politically motivated social programmes and schemes to give you freeness at the expense of hardworking, law-abiding citizens, please sit down and think about the poor choices you made in your life that put you in the bad situation you are in,” she said.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar concluded her statement with a message for citizens.
“Having the right to make mistakes is a fundamental part of being human, however, you also have a responsibility to learn and not make mistakes repeatedly.”