Independent Senator Anthony Vieira said the budget did not go far enough to reassure a population left anxious, and in need of hope and guidance. He spoke in the budget debate in the Senate on Wednesday. While saying number-crunchers could say if the budget was good for the middle-class and poor, Vieira said it had much good in it yet was in some ways out of step. "My concerns have been directed towards the need for diversification, tackling technological disruption, red-tape reform and a new paradigm for development.

"The budget fails to appreciate that people have come out of this lockdown feeling anxious and pessimistic. Some were ill, some lost loved ones, some lost jobs, some lost businesses. Almost everyone has suffered a loss of income.He said after the stress of the pandemic, people were now concerned about price increases across the board, about disaffected youth and escalating crime, and whether the country is heading in the right or wrong direction."Becoming poor can happen quickly. One retrenchment, or death, can plunge a family into poverty. People want to see buffers against this in place. They want to see policies that will leave them feeling uplifted. People are more worried than hopeful."In a time of prevailing uncertainty when an anxious population is looking for reassurance, hope, guidance, this conventional budget, this solid budget, does not go far enough."It lacks imagination, it doesn't resonate with people, it fails to offer a clear vision of hope with a clear path towards a future we can believe in."I'd like to believe that we can do better."

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