 Mr. Speaker, I stand to give proud support of the presentation of this bill, Health and Citizen Security Levy. Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister introduced the bill earlier on, he stated that history has a way of repeating itself, and went on to explain what he meant by that statement, and referred to the piece of legislation which was passed in 2011, a bill entitled Security Tax, which was debated in the parliament on September 22, 2011, in which at the time, it was actually September 13, 2021, which at the time was presented by the then Prime Minister who happened to be me, at a time when the government felt that there was need to raise resources in the fight against crime. At that time, Mr. Speaker, when I made my presentation to parliament, I said this, Madam Speaker, you would recall that in the budget presentation, the statement made by the Honourable Prime Minister for the financial year 2011-2012, a proposal was made to address the issue of crime and security in St. Lucia by adopting a strategic approach. Today, we are not here to deal with the strategic approach and the successes of the approach, but we are here to deal with the initiative that was announced in the budget to raise the necessary financial resources for the implementation of the strategic plan. That was on the 13th of September, 2011. Today, Mr. Speaker, on the 11th of July, 2023, 12 years later, we are here to undertake a similar initiative, but this time with a broader perspective. So, Mr. Speaker, we ask ourselves how has history really repeated itself, and why the need and the utility for a health and citizens security levy? The Prime Minister went into tremendous detail, great detail, in explaining why it is that at this time we are proceeding with this levy. A colleague member presented a clip which more or less demonstrated that the people of the country are saying yes to the health and citizens security levy. At the time, Mr. Speaker, 13 September 2011, I said that the bill provided that the security tax be levied on all goods imported under customs laws at a rate of 1% of customs value of goods imported under any customs law. So, whereas we are proposing the particular security charge, there are certain goods that will not be taxed. Mr. Speaker, in a nutshell, this almost mirrors what we are doing today, and it means Mr. Speaker that there is some commonality in the thinking of those, of the man who presented it then, and the man who is presenting it today, and my position, Mr. Speaker, has not wavered, has not changed. I stand strongly in support of this piece of legislation, the health and citizens security, security levy. But Mr. Speaker, I will not waste time on some of what has been expressed by the opposition. I will not waste time on these individuals who seem to have selective amnesia. Those who believe that everything now is wrong, and that we must follow the failed agenda of the five years previously when nothing happened except cheap talk and fancy talk. But Mr. Speaker, history is repeating itself, and in this case Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister has demonstrated is that he is highlighting two major sectors, two major sectors which require attention. Health and national security. Two sectors that we have over the years been persevering. Two sectors we have been attempting to make attempts to, attempting to bring some level of resolution in the area of health and security. And so Mr. Speaker, at this time, security and health are two of the major areas that this government has committed itself to, dealing with the problem of security. Security and health. And so Mr. Speaker, when you listen to the presentation of the Prime Minister and you go through the bill and what it attempts to do, it simply attempts to address those two areas. What are we experiencing presently? We have seen a country, Mr. Speaker, where notwithstanding all that has been done by this administration and the Prime Minister articulated the many areas of equipment, new vehicles, et cetera, et cetera, building police stations in the north and repairing those in the south and still looking to establishing halls of justice, et cetera, et cetera. We are saying we cannot sit idly by while our resources are diminishing, but we must make a concerted effort to invest in the security of the country, and that decision is a bold one in which we are saying to the people, now is the time as a people to take a stand, stand up and make that contribution. And the people said it on the video, they said it, each one of them said, I support it, I believe we need it, we need to bring some level of stability and confidence in the security of this country and its people. We need to show that we can take care of ourselves whereas in the past we can look to other countries, we can look to the RSS to come in, but we can never always have the RSS at our hands. At the time when I brought in the security level, we spoke of introducing cameras, I spoke of buying vehicles, of fighting crime, using strategies and suppressing crime. All of those measures, I spoke also about the building of the manpower within the police force, and today the situation has exacerbated. So whereas in the last two years, we have seen the Prime Minister going all out and increasing the mobility of the police force by buying more vehicles, we have seen him go all out and get equipment and get the necessary protective gear, et cetera, et cetera. The training and the buildup of the police force in recruiting more men, more and more there is a need for greater security in our country. We are now speaking, Mr Speaker, about the need to intensify cameras in the country. This is not the first time it was done in 2011 during the security debate. We installed cameras. The Labour government came in in 2011 to 2016 and installed cameras, and on this occasion there is still a need to install more cameras and more sophistication in the camera equipment to be able to monitor and to reprimand and to use the cameras as a means of dealing with the crime situation. So Mr Speaker, if we are to make any dent in the state of crime and security in the country, if we are to underpin the performance of the country, whether it's in tourism, in agriculture or manufacturing, we need to ensure that we stabilize the situation of crime in our land. And one fine example of demonstrating that we are serious is by saying to each and every citizen of this country you need to make a small contribution towards putting the necessary infrastructure for crime and security in this land. And so Mr Speaker, it is necessary. It is necessary to do it. And we as a government must not be ashamed to say to the people, you have to put your money where your mouth is. You have to demonstrate your commitment. It is your responsibility. But what this government, Mr Speaker, will ensure happens is that when we indicate that there is a 2.5% levy or tax security levy, that it will go towards improving the quality of security, the quality of policing in the country so that our people will feel safer. I believe, Mr Speaker, the time has come where we should see on our streets patrols throughout the day and throughout the night. Where people can feel comfortable at home, that in the community, that police is coming around, that their beacons are flashing 24 hours a day. It is only when people feel safe in their society, Mr Speaker, there will be greater economic activity. As we speak now, Mr Speaker, there are certain parts of this country come four o'clock, it's dead. It's dead. You see, no police officers on the street. The country is left at night to watch men, to a certain extent. And if there is something you call out the police and they would come out. But what I would love to see, Mr Speaker, in this country, is that not it's a police state, but it's a country where we can feel the presence of the police and the police are well equipped, that they can respond within quick time, they can defend themselves, and they can bring about a level of suppression of crime in this country. But the only way we can have that sophistication, the sophistication of equipment, equipment and material, the intelligence, the ability to investigate using intelligence, using the technologies that are available now in fighting crime, is only if we as a country invest in the security systems in our country. And therefore, Mr Speaker, I stand in support of this bill. But also, Mr Speaker, also we have to deal with the matter pertaining to health, because this legislation deals with both health and security. In help, Mr Speaker, our people have complained and complained about the quality of healthcare in this country. Successive governments have done things, successive governments. In the time of Sir John Compton, he spoke about a health centre within a radius of a mile in every community. So in the country you had health centres all over the place, and it was said you can get to a health centre within the radius of a mile. By 1992, there about, when I became Minister for Health, we spoke about national health insurance. We were able to get the Commonwealth Secretariat to provide a consultant to look at national health insurance, to develop a basket of health services that the people can access, and to get them to make a contribution towards national health insurance. It didn't happen. By 1997, when the then Labour Administration came in, they adopted national health insurance and came up with universal healthcare. And the intention was a more dynamic health insurance or assurance programme that will provide healthcare to all of the country. Every citizen creating that basket of services and started off with diabetes and hypertension and some of those areas where we were able to determine, based on research, science and research, to determine some of the non-communicable diseases that seem to be most affecting our people. Again, 2006, it went on to the shelf, and now we are back after a hiatus of five years under the last administration. Five years of nothing. Just a figurehead in health, talk of national health insurance, and nothing happened, and I think somebody said it, not even the necessary documentation can be found, because the intention wasn't for the government to initiate a national health insurance, but to find some private sector entity and hand it over to them and tell them do what you want. But today, Mr Speaker, as we speak here, you can feel that at the top, at the leadership of the health sector, in the Ministry of Health is a devoted, committed, dedicated and passionate Minister of Health who has taken the mantle and is blazing the trail for healthcare in this country. And we have heard of the many programmes that have been launched so far demonstrating that while there may be a bigger picture, which is what every solution needs, every solution needs, the Minister is saying, let us take it one day at a time, one step at a time, and introduce it incrementally until we can get that universal health coverage introduced to St Lucia where every St Lucia can benefit. Today, you heard of the many programmes and I'm sure when he speaks, if he does, he will again articulate the various programmes, the maternal and child healthcare programmes, the 80 plus programme and all the other programmes that have been introduced as part of a pilot to introduce universal healthcare in this country. But universal healthcare, Mr Speaker, costs money. It costs money first to have a very strengthened and if I should say a foundation at the community level, your primary healthcare services, it costs money because the Minister will tell you, they've got to put in the various facilities, make sure they have all of the diagnostic and also the programming to be able to control good health at the community level and then at the primary level, secondary level, to put in the facilities that will assist to be able to diagnose and to be able to administer the corrective health that is required and probably tertiary health within the tertiary level. But Mr Speaker, this again is an indication that we as a people must put our money where our mouth is and invest in it because we speak of our country as being independent. We speak of ourselves as being independent but we cannot continue, we cannot continue to believe that the responsibility for healthcare belongs to that of another sovereign nation. So we must sit back, relax, have a good time as a people and Taiwan must do it for us or the United Kingdom must do it for us or France must do it for us. They have been assisting us. The European Union came forward and built the OKEU Hospital for us, a modern institution. But where is our contribution to it? We have sent thousands of solutions to Martinique for healthcare. Where is our contribution, our individual contribution? What are we doing about it? The Taiwanese have helped us. They have trained numerous young people in health. The Cubans have made a tremendous investment in health. They have trained our nurses, our doctors and they have established here in St. Lucia an institution in health to take care of eye care, ophthalmology, etc. So we as a people, Mr. Speaker must commit ourselves to now saying let us contribute to the resources for the investment in health, the operational health and the advancement of our health program. And that is why it is so important and it is so encouraging that those who spoke on the streets when that interview was done whether targeted or done at random they all spoke intelligently and understood exactly what the government of this country is doing. Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that this Prime Minister when he gives his word, he means it. When he gives his word, he means it. And I think when this levee is passed when this levee is passed the people of this country will be proud of what this government will be doing. They'll be proud of a return of confidence to them in this country. Confidence in the security of the country because let me just say this, Mr. Speaker when people know that they can leave their home or when people know that the country is safe that they have nothing to worry about to navigate the country they can leave their home at any time and get transport and go to the city centre or go to Grozely or to go to view no matter what time they'll get transport back it means the economy begins to roll the wheels of the economy begins to roll because people will be able to move across the country because they know they are safe and that is the environment, Mr. Speaker that this is likely to create the fact that we'll be able to invest in the resources that are required for security in help, Mr. Speaker to be able to also give and instill and infuse that confidence in a sector, a health sector that will not only be there to respond but also to prepare our people to maintain good health by of course participating in the programs of the Ministry of Health as they are presented to them so that they can maintain good health and participate in the economy. This is the kind of thing, Mr. Speaker that this government is doing and I must admit, Mr. Speaker that what we have seen in the last two years by this government is the fact that the Prime Minister would make his policy statements during the budget presentation and immediately upon making it he's quick to action to make things happen those statements were made, Mr. Speaker on the 25th of April, they're about of this year 25th of April we're in July, beginning of July and we're in action dealing with all of those initiatives which are geared towards the people and you know, Mr. Speaker I mean I once made a statement here saying that I've got a panoramic view of the operations of the government of St. Lucia ever since 1987 and the reason I say this, Mr. Speaker is because I've seen one known admired Prime Minister who admired while he was while he was under him I joined him I admired him, did great for this country I've worked with other Prime Minister another Prime Minister, another one I've seen other Prime Ministers perform but Mr. Speaker, if there's one thing I can say that the word of this Prime Minister the word of this Prime Minister is his bond so when people when people are critical when it is said that you must protect the victory or preserve the victory Mr. Speaker when people give you their vote, Mr. Speaker they have invested the only the only power that they have that finger they've invested it in you they've trusted you with the power to manage your affairs we cannot take it and squander it we must preserve it we must protect it we must deliver to them what we promise to deliver to them and that is what it means the protection of the victory it is the protection of what they have entrusted us in so that when they look back they can say this government means well this government is doing what it says and what this government said it said put in people first what I said for people and for country and in every case we have seen the approach of this administration led by the Honourable Philip J. Pierre I believe it's a member early on who said in all of the policy decisions of this administration Mr. Speaker it is not one sided it is not about giving some who have nothing to offer thousands of acres of land and they do nothing while the poor sit by and just languish without any attention it is not about giving concessions to those who have access and who have connection to the government it is about taking care of everybody taking care of everybody with a measure of commitment a measure of consciousness a measure of fashion so what have we seen we have seen all of the initiatives taken to help students whether it's laptops scholarships bursaries given school books and school supplies we have seen all of the initiatives taken whether it's in housing repair et cetera et cetera we are doing one now we have done the one for the reduction or the removal of the pack on building the TV and then you can hear the spin that has been placed on it as if it's not intended for you it's intended for the poor people it's intended for the rich it is intended Mr. Speaker to take care of those who are reaching out who are seeking who are extending a hand for health to help them to continue to live and to contribute and participate in the economy of this country that is what it is about it is about giving opportunity it's about creating an environment it's about saying to those who should have known better to pay the taxes on time pay the back on time when you have collected it to be honest and to pay to say we forgive you we forgive you the penalty but please give it to us Mark let us have it to manage the affairs of the country do not take it, it's not yours and then to get away with everything so this is the nature of this government and I must admit I am quite satisfied in the manner in which I handled the affairs of this country the social programs all of those initiatives are intended to begin to transform a people who can believe in themselves who can have confidence in themselves and who can continue to trust those of us who they haven't trusted to manage the affairs of this country and so Mr. Speaker I stand proud I stand proud because I believe that this legislation will satisfy the needs of the people of this country this legislation will bring about changes, light changes that people will be happy about and I do hope that at the end of the day when we reflect on it when we reflect where we came from and where we are today when we get to where we want to go the people of this country will say to us that you have done a fantastic job and we would like you to continue to make this contribution to the country Mr. Speaker in the body of the legislation again there is a demonstration of consciousness there is a demonstration of passion there is a demonstration of understanding that people will care about the people the legislation of 2011 there were exempted goods and the prime minister took his time to go and to articulate in detail clinically to explain the various goods that will be exempted and those that will be taxed and I believe the prime minister did this deliberately so as to get people to understand because you come to this parliament a statement will be made like he said the last time when he made his statement yet still the opposition went out and said something else gave the people the wrong impression so in there you have a list of items health and other items essential goods etc which certainly the prime minister has indicated will not be will not the tax will look the levy won't be imposed so that it doesn't on duty affect the livelihoods of the people and so Mr. Speaker I believe that this bill is one that is commendable it is one that I believe when it is introduced we will see some improvements in our security and that I am hoping we will be able to find a way of recording tabulation we will see an improvement further improvement in the health sector and our people will be quite happy I support this bill