 Mr. Speaker, I have had to speak after several members in my 10 plus years in the parliament, but never before have I felt it being such a tall order to come on the heels of a presentation like this from the member for Grusili, my friend Mr. Speaker and a young man in whom I am exceptionally proud ever since he won his seat very handsomely in Grusili and took his rightful place in this chamber as the newly elected parliamentary rep. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the people of Oulia, Despin, Gadet, Larissus, Lapelle, Denis Riviere, Belmont, Gravin, Richfond and Grand Riviere, Mr. Speaker. And these communities, when they come together, they constitute the constituency known as Denrenof. And the residents of these communities, Mr. Speaker, have stood with me on this journey and in my quest to better lives in the said communities from 2011 up to today. And Mr. Speaker, on three different occasions, they have, on three different occasions, three different elections lined up outside the various polling stations to repose their confidence in the majority in my ability to articulate their concerns and give expression, Mr. Speaker, to whatever it is they believe can impact them on the national level. And Mr. Speaker, I can tell you from where I stand today, notwithstanding all the utterances from the other side, whenever the member for castries east and prime minister decides to call the next election, I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that the people of Denrenof, without fuss, with very little fanfare, from Baflora to the Badlil, the refrain will once again be unambiguous, shown again. Mr. Speaker, there's no better news that can come the way of the United Workers Party supporters in Denrenof than to hear that Sean Edward is retiring and is not contesting elections again. But Mr. Speaker, I have news for them. I am ready for the next election. I am ready to commence my fourth term in this honorable chamber. But I know the elections might not be on the horizon because we have so much more to fix and we have so much more to do for the people of St. Lucia. And so, Mr. Speaker, I stand on behalf of the people of Denrenof to wholeheartedly support the estimates as presented by the member for castries east. Mr. Speaker, I remember on the eve of the last general election 2021, I was the guest on a talk show, chat and chill or chill and chat. And the question was put to me, why Philip J. Pierre for Prime Minister? And without hesitation, Mr. Speaker, and the tip is there for anybody to review, I responded. He's honest. He's experienced. He has steady hands. He has led some of the most important ministries and departments of government. And Mr. Speaker, in the current environment that confronted our country, he was the best option for St. Lucia and St. Lucia. And so, Mr. Speaker, in the past two and a half years, the Prime Minister and member for castries east has demonstrated that he is indeed the man for the job. Mr. Speaker, the estimates of revenue and expenditure and allocations to the various programs across agencies is yet another demonstration, Mr. Speaker, of the astute nature and the financial management acumen that the Prime Minister brings to the job of prime ministership. And Mr. Speaker, from a personal standpoint, I have been fortunate to have served on the two prime ministers in my political career. And I remember when entering government for the first time in 2011, Mr. Speaker. I served under the member for VFW South and for me, Mr. Speaker, every Monday when I took my seat in the cabinet, sitting between the then MP for Souffre, the Honourable Harold Dalso and the senator responsible in the cabinet for physical development, the Honourable Stanley Felix. I used to remark to them very quietly, Mr. Speaker, that I was getting an education that people had to pay thousands of dollars to receive overseas that they referred to as tuition or university education. And so, Mr. Speaker, I learned a lot serving under the member for VFW South and today I am blessed and privileged to be serving with another prime minister, Mr. Speaker, who has demonstrated that his demeanor and his posture is predicated on a genuine love and concern for the people of this country. Mr. Speaker, we have a budget of approximately $1.8 billion. And, Mr. Speaker, when I look at the agencies under my ministerial watch, I am extremely satisfied and pleased with the figures that have been assigned to my various departments. Mr. Speaker, let us look at the Department of Sustainable Development. This year, or this financial year, the Department of Sustainable Development has been allocated a recurrent amount of $22,497,800. And a capital allocation of $3,344,700, giving us an agency total of $25,842,500. Mr. Speaker, a significant amount, as has always been the case, for the financing of the Department of Sustainable Development comes from friendly governments and international agencies such as UNEP, UNFCCC, Jeff, et cetera. And under sustainable development, Mr. Speaker, the grants and contributions, there are two agencies in the remit of that department that receive grants from the Government of St. Lucian, namely the PMA or the Peter management area, which received $300,000 and the St. Lucian Solid Waste Management Authority, which gets, Mr. Speaker, an allocation or a grant of $10,659,460. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education receives a sizable chunk of the national budget. Mr. Speaker, for recurrent expenditure or the recurrent allocation for the Ministry of Education is a whopping $237,230,500. And the capital allocation of $24,661,700, given the Ministry of Education a total amount of $261,892,200. And this figure, Mr. Speaker, accounts for 13.8% of the national budget. And when you combine, Mr. Speaker, the $261,000,000 for education with the $25,000,000 for sustainable development, the Agency, Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training receives 15% of the national budget. And so, Mr. Speaker, the adage is applicable to whom much is given, much is expected. And so, Mr. Speaker, our government has predicated its programming on a very robust education agenda. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Education has received $5,102,900 as an increase in the provision of services. Mr. Speaker, $370,000 for the expansion of the school bus subsidy program. We have also received $589,703 for teacher promotion upgrades and summary and statements for primary and secondary school teachers. $100,000, Mr. Speaker, for replacement of teachers on study leave with Bay and teachers can only be granted study leave with Bay once the memos have been taken to the Cabinet and the Cabinet of Ministers after having examined the various circumstances presented by the Ministry of Education. Cabinet makes a determination as to whether somebody is deserving of study leave with Bay or not. Mr. Speaker, we have in the budget this year an allocation of $65,679 for the appointment of a second vice principal for the Viewport Comprehensive Secondary School. Mr. Speaker, the enrollment at the Viewport Comprehensive Secondary School is sizable and the performance of this school, Mr. Speaker, particularly in regional examinations, has been outstanding and only two weeks ago we witnessed once again the exploits of the students from the Viewport Comprehensive Secondary School on the tracks at the Island Champs. And so, Mr. Speaker, we believe that we have to strengthen administration and management at that school to enable them to achieve even more than what they have been achieving. Mr. Speaker, there's an allocation of $250,000 for strengthening mathematics instruction in schools because we have a serious problem as it relates to the performances of our students in mathematics exams both at the local level and at the regional level. Mr. Speaker, we've been allocated $148,398 for the registration of new Uli childhood centres, one of which will be, Mr. Speaker, established in the Mabuya Valley or the Denuinov constituency if you prefer. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the St. Lucia Liberal Party between 2011 and 2016, under the NICE programme, saw the need to assign assistance to principals of primary schools to help them meet the daily administrative duties that they had to contend with, Mr. Speaker, whilst providing clinical supervision for the teachers at the various schools. This year, Mr. Speaker, we are going to reinstate the principal assistance programme. But we will resort to a phased approach where in the first instance, Mr. Speaker, with $392,259, we will be, Mr. Speaker, reinstating 21 of the principal's assistance and we will decide which schools will be benefiting from the first stretch of money received from the Ministry of Finance. We have 71 schools, Mr. Speaker, and we are only facilitating 21 in the first instance. The Prime Minister is whispering to me, Mr. Speaker, almost to suggest, and I do not want to misquote or misread him that, yes, he said I can't read his lips, but he's saying that maybe before the financial year is over, he might be able to cover every one of the 71 schools. Mr. Speaker, $221,704 for additional guidance, counselling services and psychosocial support. Mr. Speaker, our children are troubled. They are disturbed and some are traumatised. And Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister in his wisdom has seen the need to give the Ministry of Education an additional $221,704 for additional guidance, counselling, services and psychosocial support. Mr. Speaker, $518,040 increase for two years of contribution to the TVET Council. Mr. Speaker, we are extremely big on TVET and a full statement on the TVET programme in the Ministry of Education will be made during the debate, during the policy debate which will be held next month. Mr. Speaker, $344,885 for the establishment of a National Accreditation Council. $341,000 for compensation or damages for situations on school compound, insurance and things of that sort. Mr. Speaker, in this year's budget, there is a little more than half a million dollars for payment of arrears to the University of the West Indies Council of Law. And the situation was so bad, Mr. Speaker, having inherited a huge debt to the Ministers, to the University of the West Indies that the UE was saying to the Government of St. Lucia, we are not prepared to receive your law students until such time you can sit with us and come to an agreement in terms of how the outstanding monies would have been addressed. Mr. Speaker, we also have in the budget this year $520,000 for an increase in provision for first-generation scholarship with Monroe College. And in the policy statement, Mr. Speaker, I will be seeing more about the first-generation scholarship programme with Monroe College. So, Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Education, as I said, has received an additional $5,102,000, Mr. Speaker, for the following services and programmes that I just mentioned. Mr. Speaker, with grants and contributions under the Ministry of Education, we provide grants to approximately 42 entities, local and regional, notwithstanding that the responsibility to pay subventions and dues to regional institutions is in the remit of the Ministry of External Affairs. And so the Ministry of Education, we are working with the CXC, we are also working with the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other health professionals known as CAMHP. On the domestic front, Mr. Speaker, in relation to grants and contributions, the Ministry of Education, the Sao Paulo East Community College receives $18,290,164 from the Government of St. Lucia. The National Skills Development Centre, or NSDC, receives $2,887,291. And for facilities fees, Mr. Speaker, on the grants and contributions, the Ministry of Finance has made available to the Ministry of Education $2,358,500. And Mr. Speaker, I'm also happy to report to this honourable house that the St. Lucia Cadet Corps, and although you will find that line item, Mr. Speaker, under the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, the legislation is clear and the Ministry of Education has been having meetings with the Cadet Corps and I'm happy to report that the Prime Minister in his wisdom, Mr. Speaker, has given the Cadet Corps an additional $26,200 for programming this year. Mr. Speaker, we also have $46 million to spend, Mr. Speaker, as per the estimates, early childhood development and protection, $1.8 million, major repairs, rehabilitation of schools, Mr. Speaker, $14,195. Mr. Speaker, the equip which is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, Education Quality Improvement Project, $3.1 million, construction of a block at care, $109,000, rehabilitation of NSDC building, $357,000, the Human Capital Resilience Project funded by the World Bank, Mr. Speaker, in this year's estimates, you will notice there is a figure of $16,400,190. ICT integration, $2,117,541, TVA Transformation Project, $2.3 million, OECS Pearl, $1.3 million, and the PUT, Mr. Speaker, which is really PUT acronym for Programme for Education, Realignment and Transformation, there is a sum of $900,000 to get the program going. And the PUT is really a continuation of several other programs that the Ministry of Education would have entered with the Caribbean Development Bank over the years. So we have heard of the BIP program, now we now have equip, Mr. Speaker, and the equip will be succeeded by the PUT. Enhancing school security, that school security has been a challenge for the Ministry of Education, and so Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister of Finance has allocated to the Ministry of Education $1.3 million to enhance school security. The OECS Skills and Innovation Project, $2.3 million, and so Mr. Speaker, we are looking at a total of $46,644,700 for the programs that I just mentioned. Mr. Speaker, I will resist in the interest of time the temptation to speak in any elaboratory on some of the programs that I have mentioned. And so Mr. Speaker, it is now time for me to turn my attention to the constituency of Denrenoff in terms of how $1.8 million under the various heads, $1.8 billion Mr. Speaker, I'm even more excited and how that figure across agencies can impact the people of Denrenoff. And so Mr. Speaker, I immediately draw your attention to Head 43, Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Transport. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, $2 million, $1,000. Mr. Speaker, I expect our road issues in Denrenoff to be addressed during this financial year. And Mr. Speaker, I have on many occasions before come to this chamber and I have been able to lament the fact that for five years in opposition Mr. Speaker, I was able to do absolutely nothing in my constituency because the Prime Minister at the time believed it was the right political strategy to employ to deny me Mr. Speaker. And every time I speak about that Mr. Speaker, I'm tempted to get emotional that the people of Denrenoff, Mr. Speaker, they had a right in this democracy to decide who they voting for. They had elected me for the first time in 2011 and based on my performance not withstanding that on the national level they turned against the Central Labour Party but in Denrenoff, Mr. Speaker, the people expressed their satisfaction with my level of representation and they went into the various polling stations and they elected me as their representative. And when I came in this chamber Mr. Speaker, to debate budget and I saw figures in the estimates, Mr. Speaker, I had a legitimate expectation that I would have been able to execute projects on behalf of the people of Denrenoff. Not roads, Mr. Speaker, not school repairs, not CDP. Absolutely nothing was given to me. And today Mr. Speaker, I have a deficit and not withstanding the fact that the Prime Minister has been very kind to Denrenoff in this term of government. Mr. Speaker, I am just dealing with the deficit even before I can begin to venture in new areas. So with an allocation for reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads of $2 million, $1,000, Mr. Speaker, I expect a number of roads in Denrenoff to be addressed. But Mr. Speaker, it will be remiss of me to raise the expectations rightly so of my people without placing on the record my gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure for the Cemetery Road, which was rehabilitated roughly two or three months ago. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the Austin Hill Road is under reconstruction, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a few roads that we all have become familiar with in this chamber. The Austin Hill Road is one of them. The St. Mary Road is one of them, Mr. Speaker. And I don't know who knows where St. Mary Road is. I will leave that to the member for Mikunof. The Labatri Road. The Katien Road. And those are the roads, Mr. Speaker. We've heard about time and time again being spoken about right here in this chamber. And so today, as we speak, Mr. Speaker, the Austin Hill Road is being repaired. Thanks to the Central Shalipa Part. But there's a history with the Austin Hill Road. Austin Hill. Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister was the Minister for Infrastructure and we both were working in the Cabinet of the Member for New Ford South, we did not have sufficient monies at the time to do the road in its entirety. So we decided that we were going to do the middle portion of the road where it was a bit steep and vehicles were having difficulty navigating that portion of the road. Banana farmers were cultivating up in Marigua and shop owners in Upper Austin Hill were having tremendous difficulty, Mr. Speaker, getting their goods and their supplies up that road. And so, if the little that was available, we did the middle portion of the road. The government changed and so I had a natural expectation that the road had started and that the United Workers' Party government would have completed the road. Mr. Speaker, in applying the Belarus Doctrine, it was clear what they wanted to do. They wanted to leave the road in the state that they found it, hoping that the people of January North would have turned against me and that their candidate would have found favor with the electorate in that constituency and they would have gone on to win the election. Mr. Speaker, the era of the country bookie is no more. Our people are more enlightened today and they know that once the St. Lucia Labour Party is in government, Mr. Speaker, their road would have been fixed and true to form. Midway in this term of government, the Austin Hill Road is being repaired. So today, Mr. Speaker, Aydan and his family, they are happy people. Chupi is a happy man today. T-Pope is happy today. Brother George, Bebe, Zatola and even Matida, Mr. Speaker. Matida is happy because you know what? Matida for the first time in a long time will get a ride and she's in her 80s will get a ride on a road that is properly paved and she will no longer suffer, Mr. Speaker, having to traverse a bad road because a wicked government decided that she too had to be punished because in the majority they went to the pools to vote for Sean Edward and the St. Lucia Labour Party. But we're not just stopping, Mr. Speaker. We're not just stopping, Mr. Speaker, on the main Austin Hill Road. But in Upper Austin Hill, you have a little enclave that we call Two Marys and only Sunday, Mr. Speaker. We were there putting the base material, hoping that, Mr. Speaker, when the CDP allocation for the next quarter is on sale, we will be able to put a concrete surface because that section was not part of the Ministry of Infrastructure project. So, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with that allocation. The Alemon Road in Grand Riviera. I have had three attempts since I came into government or into politics trying to complete this road. Again, under the member for UFO South when he was Prime Minister and I received my allocation, I was able to do phase one of the Alemon Road in Grand Riviera, then. Mr. Speaker, during that same term, I attempted phase two. And through to form the United Workers' Party came into office and that was the end of the Alemon Road. We have been in government for two and a half years and we have attempted, Mr. Speaker, to not just attempted but we have completed phase three. With one phase left, the Prime Minister has assured me, Mr. Speaker, that in this financial year, he will do everything possible and I see the member for Ancillary countries looking at me as if to suggest subject to the availability of funds that this particular road will be completed. But, Mr. Speaker, we are not just waiting for the Ministry of Infrastructure to make that intervention because today, as we speak, there are three contractors doing drainage work on that road being funded by the constituency development programme. So by the time the Ministry of Infrastructure is ready to move in, we would have taken care of the drainage and all they have to do for us is to give us a surface to finish that road where Alemon connects to Ice Barber Shop in Monpanache, Grand Riviera. Mr. Speaker, lower O'Lear Combined School. Still on the head, 43 infrastructure, line item reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads. Mr. Speaker, lower O'Lear Combined School. That road has been in a deployable state for some time and I must tell you, Mr. Speaker, the calls come ever so often from Mrs. Marcella Hobson who happens to be a resident and recently I had to tell her, Marcella, I was not given anything for five years so you have to bear with me. But Mr. Speaker, you know what we've done? Just to provide immediate relief. We have been able to mobilise with the Ministry of Infrastructure to get the grader that is currently in Canels. As soon as the grader is finished in Canels, it will be up in O'Lear next to the school to provide immediate relief and thereafter we will look, Mr. Speaker, to pave the road lower O'Lear Combined School. So, Mrs. Hobson will be a happy lady. Ivan who lives in that area will be a happy lady and Alfie, Mr. Speaker, Obie's mom who's originally from Grand Riviera, she too will have a good road to traverse and they would, Mr. Speaker, once and for all, say goodbye to the deplorable conditions that they've had to put up with. Mr. Speaker, we have already said that we are two-quarters away from the budget plan and we have ten million dollars except for all the people who have spent in the city. But that's what we have to do with the government's kinder programme than the ones in the city. So, Mr. Speaker, let me tell you that we have been elected by Jordan Rinoff. We have the same faith that we have to make sure that we are constituent. Even if, in the election of 2016, we have been elected, but we have not been elected by Jordan Rinoff. We have the same faith that we have come here from the parliament and the government has given us the money to do the project. We have the right to join everyone. Mr. Speaker, we have time to discuss this. We have the right to be elected by Jordan Rinoff. I'm here to discuss this. I'm here to discuss this. Mr. Speaker, let's share it with the guy in the city in the back. He is a manager. I'm certainly not a manager. I'm a manager. I'm acting as a manager. I'm acting as a manager. stretch. This long stretch of road off the Richmond Highway, which takes you into La Resource, flanked by bananas on either side. Mr Speaker, this is the most patched road in St Lucia. I can no longer accept patches. Don't talk about the VJ road there. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister and I have had a discussion about this road. I have spoken to the Minister for Infrastructure about this road. And the plan is we are going to widen this particular stretch of road by one meter in the direction of the mango trees that served at one time as the windbreak for the bananas that were cultivated in that valley. Drain will be concreted from the car wash all the way to the lapel intersection, Mr Speaker. And I'm hoping that at the end of it, we will get a brand new Barber Green surface. Barber Green as thick as what is on the Venus Road in the Ancillary Cadres Constituency. Mr Speaker, the Rich Foreign Road and Selma Levi-Johnson Lynette, Pastor Alfred, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I am inundated with phone calls and requests. Mr Speaker, their road has been in a deprobable condition for a long time. And this is one of the routes I was hoping I would have been able to do, Mr Speaker, between 2016 and 2021. But as I have indicated before, I was given absolutely no assistance. And so Mr Speaker, so Mr Speaker, that road is still in a deprobable state. Mr Speaker, let me draw your attention. And there's so many other routes, Barflora Road, Thua Fue Road, and a number of routes which I will probably revisit when I speak to the allocation under the Constituency Development Program. Mr Speaker, I head 41 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Rural Development. A budget plan on this is a new online item, banana management unit. A unit as I join a people of $1,000,000 to guard it as an administration fee. Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, I know that my farmers still don't have the money to do anything. But the situation right now is that they don't have the money to refresh and call. They don't have the money to serve the river to refresh. They don't have the money to dispel it. The government, the government has the money and the cause to refresh and dispel it is the government to manage it. Mr Speaker, I know that my farmers still continue to toil on the banana fields. And every single opportunity that Laura gets and Paulie gets and the other farmers get, Mr Speaker, they continue to explain to me some of the challenges that they have in as it relates to marketing. But I'm extremely confident, Mr Speaker, that given some of the measures that will be disclosed in the policy debate, that our banana farmers will begin to see light in their business, Mr Speaker, once again. Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Head 46. The line item community tourism and allocation of $3.3 million. Mr Speaker, this is welcome news for the people of Denry North. We in the Denry Basin, Mr Speaker, are beginning to benefit directly from the tourism pie. And only recently, Mr Speaker, I had discussions with two young constituents who expressed interest in setting up an ATV talk in the Maui Ovali. And today, Mr Speaker, without putting out their business or giving them a free advertising plug, I can't tell you that they are at a very advanced stage working very closely with the Ministry of Tourism. So Brendan, those persons who know as AMPA and Elias Ford, Mr Speaker, are two of the individuals who would have expressed interest. But there's so much more that we can get from community tourism. But in the interest of time, Mr Speaker, I will confine my comments and contribution to Head 46 to the fact that I'm extremely pleased that young persons from the Maui Ovali are benefiting directly from that particular tourism allocation. Mr Speaker, Head 47, Department of Physical Development and Urban Renewal. Land administration, $7.5 million. Mr Speaker, land administration. And I should also tie that with line item. Mr Speaker, proud for which three million dollars has been allocated. Mr Speaker, Olio is one of the most affected communities in this entire country as it relates to land rationalization and land administration. Olio has some of the most expensive houses on the east coast of St. Lucia. But the people do not have title to the land. And homes constructed to the tune of half a million dollars, Mr Speaker, cannot be used as collateral. They can't go to the bank, Mr Speaker, to borrow to send their children to school. And I have a particular constituent who has been at me unjustifiably so. Mr Wilfred Wealth, whom most persons know as Manton. He has a very impressive structure, Mr Speaker. Probably costing a wolf more than a million dollars, but he doesn't have title to the land. And the sooner, Mr Speaker, the sooner we can rationalize the land situation in Olio to give people title, the better. Mr Speaker, during this financial year, I intend on working very closely with personnel from the Department of Physical Development and Urban Renewal and more specifically, Mr Speaker, personnel from Proud that will be statutory to ensure that the people of Olio get the relief that they so, um, which they deserve. Mr Speaker, let us turn our attention to Head 21, Office of the Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, I am extremely pleased to see the distress fund as a line item, 1.6 million dollars. I remember during my first term in government, Mr Speaker, there's a gentleman in Belmont or who lives in Belmont by the name of Schatt, William O'Culey. It was a Saturday morning when Schatt, a name that has evoked a smile from the member of Euphold North, Schatt left his home in Belmont and he went to the garden. He left three or four of his grandchildren at home, Mr Speaker. And at about 11 o'clock, he got a phone call that his house was on fire. By the time he made it from the garden in upper Denneria to Belmont, the house was completely destroyed. And Mr Speaker, when I approached him, he was inconsolable. And it's not often that you see a big man from Dennery North crying, Mr Speaker. But there are some parts of this country where you see them crying on demand. But Schatt had a legitimate reason to be crying on that Saturday morning. I approached the then Prime Minister, knowing that there was a distress fund and all he said to me, Mr Speaker, was that I needed to come with a fire report to justify that there was a fire and an assessment from the fire department. And in very quick time, a check of $20,000 was issued, Mr Speaker, to Schatt. And shortly thereafter, he was able to be back on a roof with his grandchildren thanks to the work of the Central Labour Party. But what happened when the government changed? As a line item in the budget, the distress fund disappeared. Mr Speaker, can you please say a quote? Mr Speaker, when the government changed the budget, the distress fund disappeared. And the distress fund, I don't know if it's because of the power of distress, I don't know if it's because of the difficulty. If it's because of the difficulty, it's because of the accident, it's because of the defect. And the Prime Minister, Mr Speaker, I'm not going to prove it, it's because of the budget that the government changed, the distress fund disappeared. It's because of the normal constituency that Schatt was able to be back on the roof with his grandchildren. And throughout the length and breadth of this country, Mr Speaker, listen to the news, Mr Speaker. There is always a little situation where somebody's little structure has gone up in flames. Sometimes they are at work at the hotel. Sometimes they are in church. Sometimes they are down the road. And in quick time, Mr Speaker, the plywood or the board, the mahogany would go up in flames. And this will have no insurance, Mr Speaker. What do you say to them? What did the former administration do? Mr Speaker, they said we will encourage a culture of mendicants by programming for these people. So today, when I see the distress fund being reinstated in the manner that the Prime Minister and member for castries has reintroduced it, Mr Speaker, I feel that I am an empowered parliamentary rep because Kerry Abbott from Daniel Riviera, better known as Rybina, he had a house. Yes, we have some very expensive names. And not only do we have names, we can Christian people too, so you have to be careful. And his house, Mr Speaker, was destroyed by fire. Mr Speaker, as we speak today, a check belonging to the accountant general has been written so that Rybina Kerry Abbott can be compensated. And early next week, Mr Speaker, he will receive his check for an amount that I don't wish to disclose right now. I hope he doesn't use it to drink Rybina. But that is what we are about, Mr Speaker, a government that can create an enabling environment for billionaires to come in and invest. And Mr Speaker, by the same token, we can meet every solution at their level, understanding that they have a room in this society. Mr Speaker, not only fire, ever Joseph of Daniel Riviera, she migrated to the Virgin Islands to work in the hospitality industry and she kept on saving her money, saving her money, saving her money. Mr Speaker, she was able to build a house in Daniel Riviera. Lo and behold, it was close to the river bank. And Mr Speaker, we had a landslide that has threatened to compromise the young ladies structure. The Ministry of Infrastructure has made the assessment, but it is taking a while for that to be addressed. It is my intention, Mr Speaker, as early as Tuesday of next week, given that Monday is holiday, for me to write to the Prime Minister to see what form of compensation she can get or support she can get under the distress fund. And I believe it is a legitimate request, Mr Speaker, having examined the... Mr Speaker, I noticed the member for Mikunov is beginning to chuckle. I have not requested a jetty and I don't know what he's about. But Mr Speaker, I will formally write to the Prime Minister to see if she can be assisted under the distress fund. Mr Speaker, perhaps the most exciting of all the heads of expenditure in this year's estimates for the people of Denrenov. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs. And there is a line item, Mr Speaker, Larisu's Health Center Reconstruction Project. And at IPRU's the estimates, the technocrats in the Ministry of Finance working with the Minister of Finance and the Minister in the Ministry of Finance are saying that it will cost the government of St. Lucia $1.1 million to completely reinstate the Larisu's Health Center. Mr Speaker, today the 27th of March 2024, and according to your watch, are 12 minutes to four o'clock. There are workmen at the Larisu's Health Center reinstating Larisu's Health Center. But there's a story to be told about the Larisu's Health Center. Mr Speaker, no, they're not working half day today. They're working the entire day. The Larisu's Health Center was destroyed by fire, Mr Speaker, or damaged by fire in 2014. The St. Lucia Liberal Party was in government. Mr Speaker, I approached the then Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and in the estimates of 2015, Mr Speaker, there was a line item in the budget for the reinstatement of the Larisu's Health Center. But because the elections came, and the St. Lucia Liberal Party had to leave office, Mr Speaker, the member for Mikul South, he took the allocation out of the budget. Completely, he didn't say, well, okay, we will look at it the following year. For five years, like in Kuihul Gavini, but all right. For five years, Mr Speaker, he did not see the need after he had taken it out in the first year to reinstate the amount for the Larisu's Health Center. Mr Speaker, today, the Larisu's Health Center is being reconstructed. But I will say more about the Larisu's Health Center in terms of the services that will be provided. Let's defend the three health center Larisu's. Go with my labor, tear power. Ministers who have no responsibility for finance, except for the Prime Minister, I do not have the power. He put the money in the double jet there for us to build the health center to live in, because it is a health center that has a low service for the people of Lio, Desmin, Gaudet, Larisu, Slapel, Delivier, Belmont, and Jig Jaguar, Vin Giga, Vin Lattu. But you know who is occupying, Mr Speaker? Peace Liberal Party by the election. The Prime Minister came, the Prime Minister came to the side, Leader Flambeau, he tore the double jet there. He put the money in the double jet there for us to live in, because I do not have the power, because I do not have the power, by the Liberal Party. But Mr Speaker, I hope, I hope those of us who are aspiring to continue in the politics and to contest elections are learning from that. Mr Speaker, there is only one form of compensation for political wickedness. You will lose. You will lose. And those who are following bad company, Mr Speaker, and I will come to that in a while, because there's one on the other side who can't seem to understand that she did not win the sitting then-reign-off. And I have no difficulty with she referring to then-reign-off, with her referring to then-reign-off as her constituency. You know, Mr Speaker, that is the place of above. But in terms of who has legitimacy to come and stand in this chamber and speak on behalf of the people, Mr Speaker, that is my responsibility. I did not give it to myself. It was the people of then-reign-off in the majority who have on free occasions decided that they want me to come and speak on behalf. So when you see aspiring politicians following bad company and they've been given a political lifeline by putting them in the Senate and they cannot tell the people of then-reign-off what it is that they can do for them and instead they want to engage in conversations about ministers' account. Mr Speaker, we will account for the time before my 16 minutes or my time on my feet is up. So Mr Speaker, as I said, work is ongoing. We will, as have been told by the Minister for Health and his team, see a full reinstatement of the Larissus Health Centre in this calendar year 2024 with additional services, dental services. So, so back when I was 10, see a moon at then-reign-off for a valiant in Yamalda. We are having dental services at the Larissus Health Centre and there are so many other services but we will talk about those at some other time. So no longer will I see elderly people from Gadget and Olio and Desvin standing by the highway in the Hudson waiting for a shuttle. Mr Speaker, the catchment area for the Larissus Health Centre is such that the people can move from their homes to the facility without much hassle. Mr Speaker, I want to turn my attention or your attention to Head 48, Ministry of Housing and Local Government. The National Housing Assistance Program, $2.1 million. Mr Speaker, I will not sell this honourable chamber how many houses we've built, how many we have repaired. Experiences taught me that much. What I will say instead, Mr Speaker, is that- Number four, January 15 minutes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, what I will say is that we have assisted a number of families. And Mr Speaker, you have to see on social media as I've attempted to communicate to the national population the deplorable condition in which people live in this country. And when I reflect, Mr Speaker, that not too long ago in this country people were living in such quality and deplorable conditions. And in a country like this, you had $112 million been spent on horses. On horses? How can that be right, Mr Speaker? Where is the conscience that goes with that? But, Mr Speaker, we will continue to work in the interests of our people. And very recently, Mr Speaker, a name that has resonated in this chamber before, Joseph Kelly better known as Vaz. He, Mr Speaker, lived in conditions that were not the best. And we took a decision at the level of the constituency council and asked Parliamentary and we decided that we were making an intervention in his life. And today, Mr Speaker, I may not have had as many constructed as my friend from Denry South and my comments about those I rather leave for the cabinet room. But what I can tell you is that in Joseph Kelly's house, Mr Speaker, we have shown the rest of the constituency and by extension, some solutions what our government is about. That is how you empower people, Mr Speaker. That is how you exhibit and you express care. That is how you show compassion to people. And again, Mr Speaker, this is what we mean when we say we are putting people first. So, I would like to thank you and I would like to thank you and I would like to thank you, Mr Speaker, that you have given me the opportunity to talk to you. Because it is a pleasure to have you here. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. And I don't know how people attempt to defend them. When they came into government, they fired a burial assistant. But a lot of those who were advocating to bury him, he buried some of them, literally. That is what we are about, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, when you look at the number of families and people who have gotten assistance from the office of the Parliamentary Rep in Henry North, profile them, Mr Speaker, you will see an almost equal number of United Workers' Party supporters as Labour Party supporters. Look at the children from Henry North who are going to university on scholarships, Mr Speaker. United Workers' Party families are benefiting because we understand that education is not something you should use in any discriminatory way. So that when I empower a child who's from a United Workers' Party household, Mr Speaker, I am empowering somebody who will one day rise to a leadership position to make the valiant by extension St. Lucia a better place. But no, Mr Speaker. On the other side, it is always a politics of cutthroat. Mr Speaker, Department of Youth Economy and Economic Development, CDP, $22 million. Mr Speaker, I say this. What do you want to say? I want to say this. Shezla, I want to say this. Let me tel her opposition. We're getting married because we have not been married yet. Mr Speaker I want to say this. I want to say this. I want to learn this I know because election just passed. But I need. a movie. a movie. a movie. a movie. a movie. Sima, what is that? Buy your shitty 111 ply, treated or untreated, what is that? Because they will not give me, and we laugh. That's not a joke. The people of January North should not have been made to suffer because they voted for me. That is their right. And people come here, Mr. Speaker, and posture, and make it Sima, as if they have all the solutions and the ideas. And those who have to denounce it, who claim they're not like their leader, let their voice be heard, Mr. Speaker, and denouncing that wrong. But I'm happy when I know that this Prime Minister from Castries East ensures that there is equity in the distribution of state resources. So the people of Moncieau in Chauzeil, the people of Diga and Lakuville in Miku South, they can have legitimate expectations that their rep will deliver for them because we are the government in office today, as was the case when the Central Liberal Party was in government between 2011 and 2016. Mr. Speaker, the Department, the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports Head 54. Mr. Speaker, we have said time and again that we are committed to upgrading- And Mr. Speaker, in January North, you have 10 minutes left. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are committed to upgrading sporting infrastructure in this country. And recently, Mr. Speaker, as a government, we guaranteed a loan for the National Authority to embark on sporting infrastructure upgrade. And naturally, Mr. Speaker, whatever is debated in the lower house is also usually debated in the lower house. And I could not have helped, Mr. Speaker, but follow the debate in the upper house where the loan guarantee for the National Authority was being discussed and a political misfit, Mr. Speaker, decided to join the debate. Consistent of her utterances in the Parliament and elsewhere, Mr. Speaker, you should have heard the dire tribe. You should have heard, Mr. Speaker, the classlessness that came out of the presentation. No substance. And at the time when you're supposed to come and tell people how much of an alternative you can be to Sean Edward, you want to talk about ministers' account because you are a puppet. And people who went down that same road, they suffered the consequences. But you have become a mouthpiece, Mr. Speaker, where you're not even in charge of your own political faculties, but you're going to come here and talk. And she has no shame because she wants to come and present documents to the Parliament to make it seem, Mr. Speaker, as if I had done something untoward and I was a crook. But let me tell you what happened. When I went into the Ministry of Education, during the first week, I asked the senior personnel, PS and DPS, to give me a status report on what currently happening in schools. And we went into the field and I have my report. So I went to the Richville Combined School. Let me see who the contractors are. And there's a column for comments contractors recommended by Farrah. So I asked, who's Farrah? I am the parliamentary rep, but Farrah is... And Mr. Speaker, I'm not. This is not something I'm making up, you know. Yes, I know you would have. Contractors recommended by Farrah. You've never won an election. You never minister, but you're recommending contractors on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Mr. Speaker, VALTO Building Supply is limited. After we came into government, I went into the CDP office and they're giving me a long list of materials procured. January of constituency development CDP account. And I've told you before, I never saw a dollar of CDP. But here was the individual who wants to paint me as what I'm not. But did she get the authority? Why did she get the authority? But that is what you do. When your own candidacy is on the threat and there's nothing more disconcerting than when people can eyeball you and tell you they no longer want you. They're not voting for you. You have no political relevance. You're Pablo. And you believe the best thing to do is to try and take me on. Gone onto a platform in Mac and wanted to associate the death of an elderly man to our election victory. And Mr. Speaker, I just, as I would have done in my cricket days, I picked up the line and allowed that to go back into the keeper's gloves. But that should never be interpreted to mean that I'm weak or I cannot respond. I know my brand. The people of January of know me. And if you want to engage in constructive debate with me about taking the valley forward, if you want to challenge the fact that we have never had more young people from January of attending university and grabbing higher educational opportunities than today, let us have a conversation. But you want to talk about man's death? You want to come and enter conversation about minister's account? Mr. Speaker, I know who I am, you know. The people of January of know who I am. And I have said time and again, all you have to do after a Belgian lawyer was paid more than a quarter million dollars to investigate me. Mr. Speaker, the day they can come and show one dollar that cannot be accounted for. And one dollar that was not spent in conformity with the National Lodges Authority Act, which states it must be spent on youth development and sports. Come and get me. You know what we did? I was tired seeing children putting their nails in the dirt at track meets, Mr. Speaker. And we bought track shoes for them. Yes. My keeper asked it cannot be buying for qualification at the Rio Olympics. And while she's in America, Mr. Speaker, the landlord is chasing her for rent money. How can she focus? I caused the lotteries to pay the rent for her. And when Julian left Hess, and went to St. Catherine High in Jamaica, yes, we caused it to happen. And when Laverne spent St. Helsinki, Norway doesn't have the support personnel that Shanti Lowe and the other Americans had, we caused it to happen. And for that, I'm supposed to feel sorry. You proud man. I'm supposed to tell them challenge me. Challenge me on the work that I have done. But you know what it is? That has their style. Go after my character. They can never debate me on performance as a politician, as a rep or as a minister. Never. They cannot do it. But if you have five minutes left. How many? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So when people who have no political relevance, I know what is sad about it. When this has been done, Mr. Speaker, the women of this country have come from too far. There are too many women in leadership position. That much forward match by the women of our country is too real, too potent and too profound to have their sports like that coming and trying to bring on the average. Go in your section and get out of it. This is not for you. Yeah, rich. Mr. Speaker, but there will be time to deliver. And let me say here today, do not interpret my silence or me not wanting to respond to certain things as being weak. I'm not weak. I am proud of the work I did in the ministry of people. Proud. So don't come with minister's account foolishness. Mr. Speaker, coincidentally, we will be hosting the Jin Pia Network competition in a couple of days. Mr. Speaker, when I was the minister for youth development and sports, we hosted Jin Pia and I slapped the letter. Who signed the letter to Lottie's Authority to pave the VG Sports Complex? It wasn't me. It wasn't me. And tell them, any day they can come with a check with my signature from National Lottie's, I'm going to resign the following day. Any time they can come with one contract issued by the Lottie's Authority, when my signature is on it, I'm going to leave the following. Foolishness. They have nothing to talk about. Devoid of substance. Politically lost. And the easy thing to do is let's target this one and target this one. Don't come for me. Don't come for me. I can take them on, Mr. Speaker. But you know what? I have to keep my cool. My work in Denver is not done yet. I have a lot to do for this country and for Denver. I have 26,000 school children entrusted in my care. And every day I wake up, Mr. Speaker, I ask myself, will this action of yours, what reaction will you trigger from the children of this country? Mr. Speaker, I support the estimates as presented by the Prime Minister. Mr. Speaker, ours is a work in government. Mr. Speaker, ours is a government that puts people first. And let me say in this chamber that it is incumbent on us to protect the victory. There's nothing they hate more than hearing us say we're protecting the victory. We have to protect the victory. We are protecting the victory to ensure that they will not pull the laptop program from our children. We are protecting the victory because we do not want monies to be spent on horses while hospitals have been neglected. We are protecting the victory because people will not be paying for ambulance fees, paying ambulance fees anymore. That is why we are protecting the victory. So when they come, Mr. Speaker, no ideas, same old de-couché and coming with all kinds of tricks, whole old tricks. Go on and play with dogs, with their name thick. Camarie, Pecheaux, Boshi, meh. Betis. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the Enrylof, I support the estimates. Yes, sir. I rest my case. Yes, sir.