 Mr Speaker, I rise in expressing my unequivocal support for this amendment to our constitution permitting the entrance of the CCG as our ultimate appellate court. Before my relatively brief contribution, Mr Speaker, which I have committed surgery on, I want to be mindful of not diluting what was an incisive, well-informed, extremely elucidating contribution made by the member from Viewford South. Today marks, Mr Speaker, an extremely historic moment as it sees only the second amendment to our 44-year-old constitution. As I usually do, Mr Speaker, I feel the pulse of our people listen to their concerns on any issue to ensure that their concerns are put to rest or where necessary amplify those concerns. I could not help but have access to social media and more particularly, Mr Speaker, the Facebook page of the leader of the opposition, a page which I believe must be considered to be the repository of blatant lies calculated on truths and a masterpiece in relation to a manifested intention of attempting to fool our people. But you know, Mr Speaker, the well-known adage keeps springing to mind as you can fool the people once or twice but you cannot keep fooling all the people all the time. It was that very effort, Mr Speaker, which worked some time ago where a march for a non-existent $6.80 on every gallon of gas was the focus. Having won the elections and served the longest period as a tone in the history of this country up to now, up to now, that $6.80 remains a myth. It never existed. I watch a handful of UWP supporters, Mr Speaker, chanting no referendum, no CCG and it bothered me. It really did. Why? Because I liken the situation to that of starving individual and individually starving, you bring him or her a healthy meal but because he or she cannot identify that meal and equate it to what an impoverished meal ought to be and what they've grown accustomed to, they throw away your healthy meal, not appreciating it at all. And guess what? They remain in starvation. The starving individual simply does not know better. The handful of UWP supporters, Mr Speaker, as I saw this morning outside this August Chamber, simply do not know better. When he speaks, they listen without applying their own analytical ability to what is being said. Now, you know, Mr Speaker, when they chant no referendum, no CCG, I looked at them in total amazement because one of the utterances of Jesus Christ came to mind. Father, forgive them because they know not what they do. In this instance, I will say Father, forgive them because they know not what they say. Ask them what's the CCG. Ask them what is the Privy Council. Ask them what are we doing. It is just that, Mr Speaker, persons find an opportunity to parade on the altar of political loyalty. If you ask them what are the advantages and disadvantages, they cannot even engage you in any meaningful discourse. All they know what to do, Mr Speaker, is to march. So, Mr Speaker, that, in my view, epitomizes what heightened stupidity is all about. And it is defined in referendum as a vote by the electorate on an issue. That's basically what a referendum is. A vote by the electorate on an issue. The biggest and most meaningful, most engaging referendum any country could have is a general election. So there was indeed a referendum on July 26, 2021 and the people voted overwhelmingly. Not only, Mr Speaker, that they voted to remove the most corrupt government of all times, but they also voted based on the undertakings that this government had given them through its manifesto. And it spoke loudly and clearly of the manifested intention to replace our highest appellate court, which up to this point remains the previous council with the CCG. So the question, Mr Speaker, is who is the leader of opposition to demand that this government conducts a referendum prior to doing what it promised the people it will do before the election and on which the people have already voted. I was wondering whether he was the same person that told the government of today when they were in opposition that they had lost the right to speak. I wonder if it's the same person who once told them that they had lost the right to advise. You see, Mr Speaker, we need to stop attempting to fool the people. We need to stop taking them as tools to be used to get where we want to get. We want global notoriety. We want power and we use those people unsuspecting people when we get there we forget who they are. You know, I looked at the group following the leader of the opposition and that group shrinks on a daily basis. It's getting smaller and smaller every day. But you know, all of us like him we do things like that to others in our own quiet moment you do some reflection you do some internalization and we question our consciences. Today I see that he will love you today so as much as he can use you but loyalty ends when the benefit stops. In this current context, Mr Speaker, we need to take a brief look at our history and how far we have come as a country for it was Bob Marley who once said that a man without knowledge of his history is like a tree without roots. As recent as a hundred I heard my friend go way back to 1801 or there about but as recent as 185 years ago Mr Speaker our ancestors were slaves yes they were slaves right here in this country they were treated as property the property of white slave owners Mr Speaker even as more recent as 71 years ago the right to vote was confined to the few you needed to have been of a certain color to vote you needed to have had certain property to vote Mr Speaker and this was kicked out of the window in 1952 where universal adult suffrage was introduced into this country and every citizen from the age of 18 had the right to vote this was the kind of treatment that was meted out to us right there in this country we probably don't know our great grandfathers but they were slaves we probably do not know them when they could not have voted but there was a time when they could not have voted that was the treatment Mr Speaker that our ancestors were given in those days and you know Mr Speaker today some of those audacious descendants of the white slave owners want to remind us of our solid past they want to rub it in our faces and look at us blatantly and say to us colonialism had a conscience that is what they remind us of this our slave past that your grandfather and great grandfather was the property of my great grandfather he remind us of that Mr Speaker so Mr Speaker we moved from being slaves we got promoted to being indentured servants we needed property to vote of be of a certain color and in 1952 after getting another promotion we all acquired the right to vote and from then Mr Speaker our country was being run on autopilot until 1979 in 1979 this country got a further promotion a further promotion to deliberate regulate its own affairs right here in St Lucia but after 1979 Mr Speaker there were two strings two strings of colonialism still attached to this country that of our highest appellate court being lodged in London and our colonial head being a representative of the queen today Mr Speaker at this historic moment and sitting we are severing ties with our colonial masters in yet another way leaving one left which envisage that in the not to distant future it will be placed on the cards and this great country of ours will no longer be represented by a colonial master we have to be a republic in this country Mr Speaker let us completely not partially do away with our colonial past because colonialism had no conscience Mr Speaker one of the adages of the old adage of justice delayed is justice denied is not in history but it is not the only way that leads to the denial of justice accessibility to justice may amount to a denial since the CCJ was formed in 2005 Mr Speaker only 18 cases between 17 and 18 outradiacy have been heard by the Privy Council that is about one case a year as the Prime Minister indicated but Mr Speaker we need to ask ourselves what percentage of the totality of our cases is one case a year what percentage does that represent and although I don't have the empirical evidence before me I can say from a standpoint of knowledge as one to practice at the bar that one case per year does not represent one percent it does not represent one percent it is below one percent Mr Speaker so Mr Speaker the argument is over 99.9 percent of our cases are settled within our locality over 99.99 cases are settled without having to resort to the Privy Council they all are determined by local jurists so if Mr Speaker our local jurists are sufficiently redowned deal with such a great percentage of our cases why can they deal with all what is the difference Mr Speaker and further it costs on average 130,000 one of my colleagues echoed that sentiment over 130,000 dollars for a litigant to access the Privy Council and that is what we colloquially refer to been represented by a Laplac lawyer if you go for top shelf lawyer there is absolutely no way Mr Speaker that your bill would be anything close to 130 it will be much higher much higher so Mr Speaker there are those like I said who are worried what are they worried about what are they worried about why should mistrust or distrust step in when as I said over 99 percent of our cases are dealt with here less than one percent are decided by the Privy Council less than one percent if we were to take a similar percentage it would mean Mr Speaker that less than one percent maybe be decided by the CCG what are we worried about when only at 99.9 percent are decided by locally so you know Mr Speaker again stupidity at is high and square stupidity and I am hearing less march less march less march you know Mr Speaker even the Bible even the Bible supports this move some may have known some may not have known Mr Speaker but I will ask you in your spare time to read Deuteronomy chapter 16 verses 18 to 20 and it is a biblical prophecy Deuteronomy chapter 16 verses 18 to 20 let me take the liberty of reading it right here Mr Speaker it says and I quote appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord is giving you according to your tribes and they shall represent the people with righteous judgements appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes according to your tribe and they shall give the people righteous judgment so even the Bible Mr Speaker is asking us to appoint judges from amongst ourselves sadly some people don't belong to ourselves so they don't want us to appoint judges from ourselves but it's not my fault they are from different elves it's no fault of mine Mr Speaker or different tribe but you see Mr Speaker you know when they don't even understand what we as a government what we are trying to achieve we are actually bringing justice to them to the dust steps making it cheaper making it more accessible and they tell you know Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker Mr Speaker antically as mankind should enjoy and appreciate is the right of human equality, human equality. But sadly we seemingly suffer from an inferiority complex. That is the harsh reality. Men who said to us that colonialism has a conscience and is trying desperately to cause us to remain with our colonial past, with our colonial masters, one has no choice but to question his motive. Justice is now being brought to the doorstep of the reasonable man, the man on the clap of omnibus, cheaply, quickly and with a group of men and women whose credentials, credibility and integrity we have been plastered with by the member from Vufort South. The replacement of the previous council Mr. Speaker by our final appellate court by the CCJ sorry could not be more timely. As we swim in the ocean of independence, we have been successful in taking care of ourselves and severing ourselves from our colonial past. As we sever one of the two remaining strings, as I said earlier, I look forward to the day when our colonial history will be something of the past. And like I said Mr. Speaker, you know, in closing let me just say this, on the St. Jude matter we had four persons who sat in here as prime ministers or is still prime minister. Three went in one direction, one stood alone. In this matter Mr. Speaker, we have a recurrence of the very same thing. Three prime ministers are moving in one direction but another wants to move in an opposite direction. You know, I now understand why the children always say under cheese stands alone. But there is no cheese, that says not for cheese Mr. Speaker. And I want to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Kenny Anthony who spearheaded what we are doing today. And also to thank the honorable prime minister who in his budget address indicated that he will continue with that battle like I did with the battle really. And bring this ship to show. I want to thank you very much for that. And I do know that the people of this country will feel the positive impact of very good stewardship as leaders of you both. Mr. Speaker, let me just say let us keep shaping our destiny. We can go together. Thank you.