Ralph Thorne’s predecessor as Leader of the Opposition is already looking to the parliamentary office shifting the trajectory of the Mottley administration’s policies as two bills make their way to the Senate.Bishop Joseph Atherley, who became the sole dissenting voice in the House of Assembly shortly after the 2018 election, joined political commentators in speculating that Thorne’s upcoming picks for the Senate could have a significant impact on the upcoming Cybercrime Bill and Labour Clauses (Concessions) Bill, both of which have sparked heated debate in recent weeks.As opposition leader in the House of Assembly, Thorne can now nominate two opposition figures to sit in the Upper Chamber.Bishop Atherley also looked ahead to another constitutional impact of Thorne becoming opposition leader – convening the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the opposition-led House overseer on government spending.Atherley, who defected from the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) after the party’s 30-0 win in 2018 to become opposition leader, told Barbados TODAY that if Thorne is sincere in his belief that constructive criticism should be offered in Parliament, the island would benefit greatly.
