INDEPENDENT Senator Alicia Pauline Lalite-Ettienne has called on the government to inform the population of what to expect in terms of difficult times ahead, as she criticised the 2026 budget for giving with one hand but taking with the other.

During her maiden contribution to a budget debate in the Senate on October 27, Lalite-Etienne described the budget as a Christmas tree with lots of glitter.

The senator, who is visually impaired, said: "It has a lot of glitter, plenty glitter that even the blind could see. However, not everything that glitters are gold."