Feb 12 - Number Six: “Mr Phillips Should Stop Sniping and Start Supporting”
Number Six has said that the Opposition’s offer to help the Government with the collection of housing arrears “comes on the back of the embarrassing revelation that housing arrears increased by about 600% during their time in office.” This explains, argues the Government, the GSD’s “newly found eagerness to depoliticise the issue after they were the ones who politicised it in the first place, only to end up with egg on their faces.”
A statement continued: “While the Opposition are perfectly entitled to put across their policies and their point of view on whatever they wish, they need to understand that they have no credibility on this issue and that the electorate will see through their political opportunism. Housing arrears is a problem that they failed to tackle in nearly 16 years and indeed a problem that they seriously compounded. Given this situation, the offer to assist in rent collection will be seen by many as bordering on the absurd and certainly, rather presumptuous.
“The Government has already explained the action that it proposes to take to tackle arrears of housing rents. This includes the re-establishment of a Central Arrears Unit, legislating on the subject, and denying facilities like a berth at the new marina to persons who owe money to the Government. This is more than the GSD ever did.
“Mr Phillips should therefore stop sniping and start supporting.”
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