 Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the motion for the borrowing of six million US dollars from the African Export-Import Bank. But before presenting a brief acknowledgement and support to this borrowing, allow me just one minute to set the background to this very important borrowing. Mr. Speaker, I speak of yesterday's observance of old children's day. And today I want to state publicly that I join the rest of current solutions both here and abroad in promoting the best care for our children and will continue to do so through the work of my ministry and the ministry of education. Mr. Speaker, we are not where we ought to be as it relates to the social development of our children, but we must continue to promote the best practices to ensure that care and development of our children is paramount on the agenda. Mr. Speaker, we must unlearn some of the old stuff and learn new ways to move forward. To parents, Mr. Speaker, let us learn to love our children unconditionally and to find loving ways of correcting and nurturing them when they do wrong as opposed to some of the methods that seem more abusive than corrective. But Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but also for us to reflect on the atrocities that are taking place in the world today particularly in Palestine, Israel, where children and babies are victims of useless wars and killings. The purest of human beings are being hurt in every unimaginable way, being killed, some being snatched from their parents, buried on the robbers alive until they take the final breath. Mr. Speaker, the people who are responsible are not uneducated persons by world standard. On the contrary, they are probably those who attended the best universities and are clothed with all worldly certificates and accolades. That is why I have come to some personal conclusion that as it relates to the current work of my ministry, I have said to all professionals that it does not matter how many PhDs, masters and degrees an employee is deck with. If you do not care about the people of St. Lucia, your effort will not be impactful. So to all of our St. Lucia children, I say you are beautiful, you have purpose, you have a right to be cared for and nurtured. Mr. Speaker, the book of wisdom says children are a heritage of the Lord. Our children are gifts and speaking of gifts, Mr. Speaker, Proverbs 3.9 says to honour the Lord with thy substance and with thy first fruits of all dying in Christ. And in recognition of all children's, I thank God for my first fruit. My first grandchild, my beloved grandson Benua Josima Makim Henry Hyerson. Today Mr. Speaker is 24th day since he came with a stump with a both mark that is shaped like a heart. Children are truly a loving and lovely gift from God. And Mr. Speaker, to the substantive, thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing me to state this. And for the substantive borrowing Mr. Speaker to impact the lives of our children in St. Lucia food institutions we call schools. Mr. Speaker, it's very innovative that the prime minister did not just borrow but he borrowed to establish a very important foundation. And that foundation is really connecting us to the place where it all started. Mr. Speaker, I've always reflected as I spend time in this house of representing the people of Castree South with us in politics. I have come to this conclusion that if you do not know your history, you would not know your friends. If you do not know your history, you do not know your enemies. And even if it was 10% Mr. Prime Minister, I know you are so careful about how you do financial business. Connecting us to the African banks is a positive direction for the development of people in this part of the world. Mr. Speaker, our schools exponentially have reached an age where they are deteriorating. I can tell you that the Bexaw infant school many years ago it was asked that this school should be discontinued under the basic education reform project. Because in the Bexaw valley there was a massive flood and evidence showed that this ground floor of this building is certainly not safe for children. Today not only that the ground floor is unsafe but the building is leaking and children and the teachers are doing all they can to maintain an outfit. But during the week Mr. Speaker, I visited that school with 100 plus children to celebrate Mathematics Day. And Mr. Speaker, I had a glimpse of what our future would be like. And I had to conclude that we are in safe hands as it relates to our children, not withstanding some of the problems we have today. Mr. Speaker, that is why I support and the Minister of Education, the Honourable Member for Denver North, has demonstrated in recent times his passion. Very strategic in terms of how we use the limited resources to advance the work of the Ministry of Education. Mr. Speaker, again I cannot help but to remember the statement made by the former Prime Minister. Because Mr. Speaker, it's important for me and at the comes a time when we need to go to our people and to vaccinate them mentally, you know, what they have received from certain persons who are influential. Our people must understand that we care. Our people must understand that we love them. Our young men in our society no longer believe in government. The people believe that politicians do not tell them the truth. There is a condition of apathy that they would say, ༼༼ༀ༄ༀༀༀ, ༼ༀༀༀༀༀ, ༼ༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀ, ༼ༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀༀ. But I ask to what extent that leaders in politics contributed to this. to this. So when the statement was made with such grandeur and with as if it was so right to tell parents, to tell the teacher the principle of the school on it is the former prime minister who said it's on record tell the parents to come and fix the toilet or else close the school. The former prime minister of Mikut south. Thank you. Thank you. The former prime minister of Mikut south tell the school principle to tell the parents to come come here to fix the toilets or else close the school. Mr. Speaker I've listened and I've internalized that statement. Do you know Mr. Speaker that the parents that he has to call the one paying taxes for him to get a salary? Do you know that the parents that he has to call are the ones who pay the first set of funds in place to fix the school the first time they attack spears? It is not his money out of his pocket that the school was fixed. And I know the same parents at the home if the children had damaged something at the home they would find resources to fix it and to continue to love the children. Mr. Speaker there are some men not all because they no longer have a relationship with the mother they punish the children they would no longer care for the children. And I ask myself when is the prime minister called for war upon this country. I've heard him. The former prime minister from Mikut south. He said get angry there must be war. There must be no peace. I ask why. But it reminds me that when but when a father is no longer able to have a desired relationship with a spouse he decided to turn on the children. He turn on the children and I ask myself is it the same thing happening that because you no longer in power are you no longer have the power over mother Helen you are now calling for war on the children. Is this what's happening that if I cannot have her then the children should perish. Is that what is being called upon. And therefore Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker it is important that we vaccinate the minds of our children against such thinking because we want they may not always be in power but we must not ever give up on the well-being of solutions. And I recall one of the most moving times emotional times in opposition you know and I hope the prime minister forgive me if I said it. Because it was this the same member who was then prime minister when a foreign dignitary came to St. Lucia and last moment invited the leader of opposition into a meeting. Yes it was when the leader of opposition then the current prime minister was invited to a meeting because there was a dignitary in St. Lucia and we went to Sundal so a location and the prime minister said all of us must go. And we went yes to Sundal's to Sundal's Latoch. Yes not you you are not there you are not there and when we got it there when we got it there even while some of us some of the members were saying why should we go. The then prime minister said Honorable Philip J. Pierre Honour of the member for castries he said we are going we are going the then leader of opposition he said we are going and when he got there they did something again that was strange. They asked the leader of opposition who invited they asked him to make a speech and the prime minister then said why are you doing this. You invited me you never said I must speak but now you asking me to speak this prime minister embodied in the same personality he has today has always been that way he said okay I will speak. He went up he said many things but he made a statement that caused every member of the government's side to stand up and start to applaud him. He said our politics is only local and every one of the members on the other side start to applaud him because there was a level of comfort that there was somebody from overseas a dignitary and we all look like one. He did not empower us he didn't empower us anybody that will not happen now when an invitation is extended it will not happen now and I made this point Mr. Speaker. I made this point Mr. Speaker that this prime minister and this side of the government we are not supporting Saint Lucians because we are on this side we have supported when we were in opposition our method of opposing was always to do with the benefit of Saint Lucians when we spoke against issues it had to do with the well being of Saint Lucians. When we saw that over 1000 acres of land and let me tell you Saint Lucians of course would not know acreage and I always reflect because some things do not make sense to the average person in Saint Lucia because we are not learned in this thing and until if I wasn't a survey I would not know what one acre is. You understand but one acre is 43,560 square foot 1000 of that was given at a dollar acre when the average price of land to the ordinary Saint Lucian is about 10 to 15 dollars a square foot. Not in Brazil you have to pay under the pitons you have to pay almost 100 US. You understand. Where's that? Binance. I don't know you know you understand but I'm telling you that this is the average price for land by a Saint Lucian but somebody was offering land at a ridiculous low price. Not even the church after slavery got from the crown at that price. You understand but then when we oppose such a thing it seemed as if there was a problem. No we were protecting the heritage of Saint Lucians. You understand you know I am new in this politics. I find it strange that the former minister is engaging me. We could have a debate some other place not here today. You understand but I will tell you this is what makes a difference. This is what makes a difference and do not even speak about land. You shouldn't be speaking about land. You know and this is the thing about it Mr. Speaker. In Saint Lucia I have lived my life here. I have lived my life and I have seen people come in Saint Lucia and pretend that they know everything. And sometimes our people will listen to people who come to Saint Lucia and pretend that they know everything. I can tell you Mr. Speaker if this member who pretends that he is all knowledgeable about everything did not have the accent that he has. He would not stand a day in this house. I know Saint Lucians but of course when we could speak smoothly. When we could speak with a sound on our lips we can fool a lot of people. That I know to be true not just today. And I say because I believe it. So you know nothing about land. I know about land because I contributed to the new land registry. When I was 21 years old I contributed to it. I surveyed land. I work at the land registry. I am a quantity surveyor. I have a first degree master in quantity surveying. You do not know nothing about the things you talk about. You want to ask that? You must dissect the portion of land. Well I would not explain it to you. I will continue with my presentation. Here is not at Saint Louis. Come up I was doing cost estimating at Saint Louis. If you register I will do a cost with you. But I am telling you for the purpose of this debate. For the purpose of this debate. You must not go on wrong. Pretending because you have an accent that you can fool all Saint Louisians. But I am telling you Bradley. Sorry about that. Thank you very much. That's when I feel most comfortable. I am saying Mr. Speaker. I have heard enough. I have heard of land values. I have heard the former prime minister opined on procurement approaches. I have heard his statement on so many things. I am saying. Remember for our country's office. Perhaps I can guide you a little. Thank you Mr. Speaker. There are three former prime ministers in here. And you keep referencing former prime ministers. I would suggest you keep to the constituency. Yes Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker the member from Mikul South. The member from Mikul South. The member from Mikul South. But Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I am saying this. I am saying this. That in this part of the world. We have always been vulnerable. We have been vulnerable. There have been lawyers who have come in here. And have operated as lawyers. And they have no certification in it. Of course that has happened. There was one somebody we had. They called him Guilty or Guilty. He was not a lawyer. In Saint Lucia. We have had engineers who have worked years in government. Years in government. And they were not engineers. They had to disappear. We are vulnerable to fakes coming in this country. And take advantage of the people. And if you are not careful, there are some Saint Lucians who believe that if you are a good still bender that you could do. I am dental. Braces. Saint Lucians are vulnerable. So yes. You could have somebody come here and pretend to be the brilliant Prime Minister. And you are not that brilliant. And I can say that. And many politicians will rise in these chambers. And of course will convince some people. But I dare tell you that the light will shine enough because we are able people to speak. And when the light shine, that cover will be uncovered. And the nakedness of truth will be seen. And people will walk in the light. That's what it's about. So don't, don't, I cannot, I cannot. And the time is approaching and it's coming near where truth must be seen as truth. You understand? And we must liberate our people from this. This entanglement of politics. You understand? I'm sad that you are leaving because I need to speak more. You understand? This thing about coming and pretending and same things. My brother honestly sometimes it hurts me I listen and I just switch off. I do not want to pay attention to this thing because after emancipation, after slavery we ought not to be listening to some of the things the treatment of our people. As if it were able to bring the same slave ship here we would pack more people on it like happened before. That is what how we behave. We should enlighten our people irrespective whether it hurts us or not because we will continue to move our people forward. It is that that will set a good path for governance not lies to say remove that the levy, remove the levy and you have plans to put it. And you know that. Come on. But you know you have plans to put the levy. Why are you hiding from that? Because you want power? When a man who wants a woman lies to to get her the relationship will not last. It will not last. And if you want mother Helen and you are going to deceive her if you are going to deceive mother Helen just to have that power relationship I dare say to you that is why you will walk out very soon. That is the nature of the relationship with the people of St. Lucia. Our people in St. Lucia they have gone through quite a bit. Following slavery had not. And that is why Mr. Speaker sometimes within my bosom I take it and ask myself when will true liberation come to these people? When will we actually walk in light? But oh yes when you drink the cup when you drink the cup of power you no longer can resist you no longer can resist having it again and therefore you will do anything to have it again that is the temptation one must resist if you want true development of our people. So I say Mr. Speaker as I have supported our prime minister and I have supported any minister of government and on record Mr. Speaker it's only about 10, 15 years since I have been in politics but I have far more time in the business of governance and I have been exposed to many prime ministers in government and many ministers from John Compton all the way I have met personalities but I cannot recall ever hearing misinformation like I have heard in recent times to deliberately mislead people I have never heard that before old enough to remember so Mr. Speaker anyone who deserves a seat of power to lead the people must demonstrate that by true caring and speaking truth to the people whether you are in power or you are out of power if you cannot do so and you are doing misinformation then if you do misinformation you cannot govern with misinformation and if you cannot govern with misinformation then you cannot govern and that is why the past term in office was so miserable difficult you do not believe in investing in poor people you do not believe in investing in poor people because on your own words you said that not to invest in safety nets grow the economy first that's your philosophy we must grow the economy and when we have resources then we will take care of the poor as if you can postpone the cries of ordinary centrusions as if you could postpone and tell them hold on they are dead you cannot help them to bury them as if you could postpone and tell them I am not able to send your children to school what till I build more hotels and grow the economy that philosophy is a philosophy not even in the US the mother of all capitalist country that is being practiced because they have some of the biggest safety net programs you could imagine and when you came in you saw that hey that there were zero rated food items when you had reduced that by two and a half percent you were tempted to add that under zero rated items to get the money but you couldn't because it would have been political suicide so you made the case in parliament and I listened attentively that we should this is member for Mikuzant the speaker I'm sure I'm very happy to give the member all the time he needs to go against my character but again he's presuming things on my behalf and I'm sitting right here and I just want to say to you Mr. Speaker he's misleading the house but how is it misleading the house if he is of the belief you attempted to do that well I thought Mr. Speaker that members on the opposite side that are in government are going to speak to factual things that they can provide evidence to but to want to speak about my mind and what I was thinking and why I was doing things is beyond me Mr. Speaker and his characterization of what our policies were are completely wrong I'm trying to understand your point of order a member says it is his belief that you attempted to do something but that it would have been political suicide how does that rise to a point of order because Mr. Speaker we're in a house in which he is in government and if he has proof of any document that says that that's what we're going to do I'm happy for that but he cannot presume that to be and particularly when I know that that is completely wrong and false there was nothing well you can say what he said is wrong but I don't know how that rises to a point of order because he's misleading the house he's giving the impression of the house he's giving his view of your tenure on his misleading house but Mr. Speaker are we here to debate that he is a member of government so if in fact he wants to discuss my tenure in government then bring factual information he is in cabinet he has access to all the documentation so if he's going to make those kinds of allegations against me I would expect that he provides the proof but what he thinks and how he interprets it without any facts I don't know if that's the case I might as well leave the house because we're here for something else remember I would rule against that I don't see the point of order please proceed Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I'm asking you again are you saying to me that I have to sit here and obtain a character assassination of no proof just based on what the member thinks so am I allowed to do the same thing now am I allowed to think about how lousy I think the government is and how and what policies I think that they're putting in without providing you with facts but you do that over there Mrs. Speaker I find it grossly out of place because that's much of a place for you to know I am the one person who has to listen to everybody correct and I hear you all the time I'll pine and provide leadership in this house on the issues but in order for you to now take an aside on the opinion as to how a person is interpreting my characterization and you feel there's nothing wrong and I'm not taking a side and I'm saying and you contribute to it by saying that there's nothing wrong with what he's saying come on Mr. Speaker I'm saying he's given an opinion to which he's entitled to all here is equal to you do not have the right to a pine on my character I'm sorry Mr. Speaker and I'm asking you to please withdraw that statement Mr. Speaker hold on member, forecast yourself take your seat No Mrs. Speaker I'm asking you to withdraw this morning member where your character you give an opinion to my character that I have to come to the house for member please do not speak where I'm speaking that's not the point Mr. Speaker do not speak where I'm speaking this morning the member of a castry self stood on a point of order that you made a point it was your view that a young St. Lucian did not receive his job on merit I did not stop you I told the member of a castry self that he did that you did not cause the lion as yet why is it that you think now I am not entitled to say that the member is entitled to review please take your seat Mr. Speaker because that's apple as an orange please take your seat member of a castry self these versions please continue and there being substantiated by you Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker if this is cause if this is cause Mr. Speaker if this is cause if this cos if this is cause I am asking you to draw that statement for characterising a member of this house I would draw I would draw if this is cause if this is cause if this is cause let me proceed Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker I am not going to sit down Mr. Speaker I am not going to sit down Mr. Speaker I am asking for those statements be withdrawn I have I have Sas I have no difficulties the fact that the levy should be removed and the member for Mikutsof said said in the mark that there should be another way there should be another way and and and mr speaker he said instead of taking instead of the levy remove that 2.5 levy because there's another way in this statement he said that they can reduce expenditure it was not clear now mr speaker mr speaker i can forgive anyone when they're rushing into the media and making a point and and they did not complete a statement but when you say to withdraw the 2.5 percent that is complete and understood but when it's time to say what you would put in exchange you you you you you muffled it out you cannot give it and you found god at the interview there anything i say sir mr speaker you can go on record and you can listen to it because i pay attention to what you say and i have said here's a here's a game the the former prime minister suggesting to send rushan public misinformation we must demonstrate we must get the 2.5 percent out mu libu fashe get vets war burn houses you know and a host of things like that not you said it not you are not you said it all of this was said and and and and there's a fervor of destruction to come upon st lusha you understand don't send you somebody had to withdraw statement about houses and say look here we must do whatever it happens whatever it takes we must do and create human barriers we must have matters and sacrifice ourselves because 2.5 percent levy but what is it we must replace it with that was not given so you ask people to sacrifice themselves for something that they must move but you will not tell them what exactly you will put maybe the same thing maybe something was or something lower or lower levy and that was not even said in the media or you would have or or you yeah but you also said when you was talking about that in your campaign you said we will remove it and during your reign you said before the end of your term you'll move it completely you understand you understand you said that but what happened mr speaker what happened mr speaker what happened mr speaker i'm just highlighting the construct of deception deception you understand deception st lusha must not fall trapped to politicians who are not clear on what they want to do you know yeah i'm trying to complete my statement i withdraw my statement but the member will not allow me to speak in silence or listen you know but i'm telling you mr speaker i'm telling you mr speaker deception misinformation is what how i characterize this atlantic slave trade we had to be deceived our ancestors to be in the situation we found ourselves we cannot after so many years of slavery to still have within our politics i couldn't be bothered who to use slavery as a means to use misinformation as a means of gaining power no i never said slavery i corrected myself misinformation was used for the atlantic slave trade and it has used to displace population lie into people telling people is something better they're going to go to and all sorts of stories and there are persons who benefited when our ancestors came here today we're using the same tactics to gain power misinformation because of somebody will benefit i'm looking at your yes i'm in power and yeah so what i'm saying those persons who are out of power are setting up the population on a trajectory to destroy this country based on misinformation to gain power and i feel sorry for the people of st lusha i feel sorry for poor people i feel sorry for the people who are participating in a campaign based on misinformation their children need to go to school and participate in social studies and they will not be able to get answers right because of misinformation being skewed by your side you're not enlightening the people you're not telling them the truth you understand oh yes i am oh yes i am and i'm telling them i'm telling the people to pay attention to what is factual we pass vat you know what vat you said you would remove it you did not remove it we passed the 2.5 percent levy and i like i said earlier on they said earlier on mr speaker can you imagine that laminal hospital is being run annually at about 1.4 billion dollars a year i said can you imagine that but you're going to come and pretend when levy is raised to increase the basket of goods to us and russians you're making it seem like like it is something else that's happening so i will tell you something you're asking question you know more you're matnik and i'm not you know no you know more about matnik than me you were born day i wasn't born day you understand no my mother smuggled an efficient boat for better i'm not matnikan you are so you should tell me about matnik not not i tell you about matnik but i'll tell you i'll tell you i'll tell you but you know what about matnik but you're matnikan you're asking me about matnik but you're from matnik you're asking me about matnik but how you're matnikan asking me about matnik how many people you know that's what they will say you know in the in the vernacular of the frenchman i don't know about matnik you are the matnikan you know about matnik i do not know you understand i know nothing about matnik i've been there a lot a lot of time you understand and my mom i think so i think so but you've spent more time there than me so mr speaker so mr speaker um i rise to support the boring more importantly it's from two angles one the use of the funds to to retrofit our existing plant and secondly the the relationship with the african import export bank these are two pillars of credible smart governance that will take us to a better future and liberating ourselves from what has happened to us in the past thank you very much