Opposition Senator Malaka Parker has criticised politicians giving cash to children, arguing that the practice encourages dependence and teaches young people to expect money from political figures.

Speaking on Observer Radio’s “Serpent in the Snakepit,” Parker alleged that she witnessed cash distributed to boys under 14 in Cedar Grove during election campaigning.

She linked such handouts to wider concerns about the values being taught to children in Antigua and Barbuda, saying parents should question the practice.

Parker said she also encounters young people who approach her expecting financial assistance.

“When these young people will walk up to you and beg your money … as a politician, and they feel entitled to it, it’s the most uncomfortable thing for me,” she said.

She argued that children were learning the behaviour from adults, including parents who seek money from politicians.

Parker distinguished her own upbringing from what she described as a growing culture of political dependence, saying her parents served others rather than encouraged her to ask politicians for assistance.

“I did not have parents who begged. My parents were servants,” she said.

The senator argued that political leaders must consider how their conduct influences young people, particularly when public debate focuses on crime, violence and declining standards of behaviour.

“Because the politicians have taught them that, one, everybody is for sale,” Parker said.

She maintained that addressing troubling behaviour among young people requires scrutiny of the examples set by adults and those holding political power.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Parker wants politicians’ to end direct cash handouts to children.