“Amendments have left only the first two words of the Budget!”

29 December 2015 06:30 pm

A group of Diyawanna members from both the ‘joint opposition’ and the government back benches were having a friendly exchange in the lobby soon after the adoption of the 2016 Budget.


“How’s the final outcome, Machang?” a member from the Colombo area crowed. “We could up the last score by two!” A quick rejoinder came from a firebrand from the ‘joint opposition’. “There’s nothing in it to brag about,” he said. “Your Budget is a clumsy job - like the little fellow’s first attempt at letter-writing – cut and chopped and parts erased. Has an annual Budget suffered this kind of fate ever before?”

“The amendments which you call cuttings and chopping were brought to accommodate the views of the opposition. Do you say that’s wrong? This is hell of a thing! It’s wrong even if we do the right thing,” the Government member stormed.

At this stage another ‘joint opposition’ member hailing from the Kalutara area joined the fray. He said: “Amendments are okay. Listening to public opinion too is okay. But machang, this Budget has been subjected to so much cutting, chopping and deleting, what remains of it is only the first line: ‘Honorable Speaker’”

Members from both sides in the group greeted this sally with laughter and they happily dispersed thereafter!