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Cox: 2012 Budget will be based on need, not want

Photo by Mark TatemPremier and Minister of Finance Paula Cox speaks at a town hall meeting held at Elliot Primary School last night.

The public were last night urged to help Government make the most of limited funds, as Premier Paula Cox warned her Ministers not to expect to get everything they want in next week’s Budget.“The challenge for me with a Budget coming up is to deal with the needs as opposed to the wants,” Ms Cox told a town-hall meeting at Elliott Primary School. “No doesn’t mean no forever; it means no for just now, because we have to have a sustainable model.”Ms Cox was joined by Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith, Economy Minister Patrice Minors and Families Minister Glenn Blakeney to field questions from about 50 people at the event labelled “Let Us Build One Another Together”.A common theme was the need for the public to do their own bit to help the community through difficult times.After the Ministers listed many Government projects currently underway, audience member Oscar Riley expressed his concern that numerous initiatives in the past had faded after promising starts.Ms Cox replied that the Economic Empowerment Zones set up under her watch as Finance Minister were now starting to bear fruit thanks to buy-in from the community.“I believe we are at a tipping point because people realise more now than ever before that we have to cooperate and work together.”Mr Blakeney said people needed to follow the example of politicians by making the sacrifice of getting involved themselves.“We are only going to be as effective as you in the community are effective. You should not depend on Government to be all and everything to everyone and everybody,” he said.

Minister of Education Dame Jennifer Smith speaks at a town hall meeting held at Elliot Primary School last night. (Photo by Mark Tatem)
Minister of Families, Sport and Recreation Glenn Blakeney speaks at a town hall meeting held last night at the Elliot Primary Schoool. (Photo by Mark Tatem)
Minister Patrice Minors, Dame Jennifer Smith, Premeir Paula Cox and Minister Glenn Blakeney held a town hall meeting at Elliot Primary School last night. (Photo by Mark Tatem)
A member of the audience poses a question to the panel of Minister Patrice Minors, Dame Jennifer Smith, Premeir Paula Cox and Minister Glenn Blakeney at a town hall meeting at Elliot Primary School last night. (Photo by Mark Tatem)
Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Patrice Minors speaks at a town hall meeting held at Elliot Primary School last night. (Photo by Mark Tatem)