 Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, you know I sat here and I listened to the member from Mikusav. Something must be very, very wrong and I go, first of all, Mr. Speaker, he believes that I got annoyed. I'll get annoyed. So he tries to make me annoyed. I'm not annoyed. I'm passionate. I believe what I see. You think you can ever get annoyed? Never. I wouldn't try that. I wouldn't try that. You said that. You are the one who said, can't get me angry. You're not getting me angry. You're not getting me angry. I'm not angry. The only thing I say is deliberate. I'm not angry. I'm deliberate. I'm not angry. Yes. I'm deliberate. Anything I say, I'm deliberate. And the problem is that what you expect will not happen. That's up to you to find out. Mr. Speaker, the only country in the world, the only country in the world, Mr. Speaker, that is not being affected by what's happening now. There is no country in the world, Mr. Speaker, and the members of the opposition, they continue to peddle these lies about the cost of food. Every country is suffering from imported inflation, from events that little islands like ours have absolutely no control over. It is arguably one of the most difficult times to run countries doing this time, Mr. Speaker. Plus that these factors seem to be piling Ukraine, then Palestine and Israel, now the problem in the Panama Canal, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me give you a few examples, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this member for Microsoft has not come up with one workable solution as to how to solve the price of imported goods in this country. Not one workable solution. But what he's not saying is that we've removed that on building materials. What he's not saying is remove that on equipment, on medical equipment. What he's not saying, Mr. Speaker, is that we have zero rated many items and we are in the process of continuing the debate on the zero rating and the exempt goods as far as that concerns Mr. Speaker. But Mr. Speaker, the member is a man of plans. All what he knows is plans. Plans and renderings. There is no tangible proof of anything in this country. What he says is that COVID, he spoke about St. Vincent, Mr. Speaker. I was in Grenada a few months ago. I saw hotels that were built between 2019 and 2021. Grenada had COVID. Grenada had COVID, Mr. Speaker. I saw hotels that were built between 2020 and 2021. I saw hotels that were built when the election solution was held in 2016. I saw evidence of hotels starting in 2017 and ending in 2019 because of COVID. After that, they stopped and started again. I saw nothing that needs change solution. During COVID, Mr. Speaker, this government got $302 million worth of concessory finance during COVID. $302 million worth of concessionary finance. They only spent $7 million for import support. And that $7 million came from the National Insurance scheme. All the import support that came came from National Insurance. This government had absolutely no reserves to give anybody any income support. Countries like Grenada had reserves from the Treasury that they paid for import support. We in 2019 went COVID struck. This country had absolutely no reserves. The primary account and the current account had gone into deficit already. And when inherited from the Minister of Finance, it was in surplus. He inherited a surplus and the figures can show. But I, and he continues with that lie, there was a primary surplus in 2016. There was a primary surplus. There was a primary surplus in 2016. And when you gave it to us, when you gave it to us, you gave it to us in a primary deficit. That's what you gave. After you'd borrowed $302 million from concessionary finance. Remember, Mr. Speaker, there's a fundamental difference between a primary surplus and having reserves. Two completely different things whatsoever. When they came into the government in 2016, there was zero reserves. In fact, that's why the famous statement came, something went wrong. A primary surplus has nothing to do with the reserves of a country. And the member ought to know better. In fact, so I just want to say that he's misleading the House. When we came into government in 2016, zero reserves. In fact, we were building up reserves for this country. And we used everything the reserves when COVID came. Mr. Speaker, only $7 million worth of income support were given to the people of this country during COVID. $7 million. And that money came from the National Insurance Scheme. That's where it came from, Mr. Speaker. It came from National Insurance Company. That's where it came from. Nothing came from the government's reserves. Nothing. And we inherited a primary deficit. That's how you manage a country. That's how you manage a country on a primary deficit. And this year, there were primary surpluses. That's what we found. That's what we found from you. When the member of the Vifotsov left it, there were primary surpluses. There were primary surpluses, you understand? But, you know, the member for Microsoft just stands up and says anything. And when the time comes, he goes into a pitiful, hey, the poor people of this country, you said they should flog their party supporters. What is more racist? What is more Jim Crow than saying they should flog people? You stood up. You and you are on record and saying people should be flogged because they should flog publicly. And you believe, you said it. And you believe that that's okay. You can say it because you are you. And if you don't pay attention, we'll forget you. You said the people, let us suppose you're referring only to members of the Labour Party. That's different. Forty-three percent of the people in this country always vote for the Labour Party. So you're saying that between forty and forty percent of people should be flogged. Should be flogged. Because you lost an election and you also said they should be flogged. You're on record saying that. Mr. Speaker, again, the member is misleading the House. If he's going to make a comment about me, put it in the right context. Nobody said anybody should be flogged because of the way they voted in the election. In fact, if I remember, there was a person from their party that said that people should be flogged on the square. Mr. Speaker, you know, that is the kind of thing that is not only misleading, but it's irritating, Mr. Speaker. The gentleman is on record and saying people should be flogged. Now he's saying he said it in context. You know, that context, context people flogged. You said I talk about racism. People flogged. Flogged. Flogging is a history of Jim Crow. And you're saying that all of us here, I'm from the member from Miku, from the member from Miku North, all of us should be flogged because we are supporters of the Labour Party. That's what you said. And you refuse. You refuse to say I should have said so. No, you don't say it because you can say whatever you want. You're a Pollock of Canada. Speaking about health and security levy, Mr. Speaker, let me tell you what the health and security levy has done for this country. The health and security levy has caused the commencement of universal healthcare. You spoke about health insurance. All what you know is plans. Plans for health insurance. For the five years, nothing. Nothing. Then he speaks about he spent six million dollars on saying to people abroad for medical purposes, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, six million dollars you spent. Mr. Speaker, let me tell you the recent record for the Ministry of Health about what he left for us. He spent six million dollars on health. Mr. Speaker, do you know? Do you know? Do you know? That in people who went abroad for medical assistance, the member for Microsoft says he spent six million dollars on this, Mr. Speaker. In accordance with your request, the Ministry of Health will submit statements to outstanding medical assistance for your attention. This statement covers the period commencing 2019 to 2023 and totals five million six hundred and forty two thousand four hundred eighty three dollars and seventeen cents. But he spent six million dollars in one year. He spent six million dollars in one year. He spent six million dollars in one year. But look at this guy. Mr. Speaker. Modern committee, he spent six million dollars in one year, but he left by the death of five million dollars for three years. Mr. Speaker, the member for Microsoft speaks about the price of oil. He says oil is seventy five cents or less. Mr. Speaker, the price of Brent crude today is eighty one dollars and sixty three cents. You know, he doesn't understand that anything he says can be fact checked. And I have warned and I did that from since I was in opposition. I told the people of Saint Lucia when the then prime minister opens his mouth, fact check him. Yes, like me, like me, fact check me. I want you to fact check me. I've challenged you to fact check me. I'm talking about, about, about, about, you speak about, if I only about you. Mr. Speaker, he's speaking about, he's speaking about cooking gas subsidy. As today, we are subsidizing cooking gas by over twenty dollars per twenty two pound cylinder. When he was in government, the biggest subsidy they had for cooking gas is nine dollars. We are subsidizing by twenty dollars per twenty two pound cylinder of gas. We are subsidizing it. The people of this country, if it was not because of this government, would have been paying twenty dollars more for a twenty two pound cylinder of gas. And when he was there, the biggest, the largest subsidy was between eight and ten dollars. You understand, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, he is speaking about, this, the gentleman is speaking about, that Carrie Chris report is for twenty twenty two. How can you have a report when twenty three are finished yet? How can you have a report? All reports are one year pass. Financial statements are one year pass. So if I'm reporting, I'm reporting what I have and just as a matter of fact, Carrie Chris lowered the ratings in twenty twenty. Just on the side. If you forgot. Exactly, if you forgot. Mrs. Speaker, this member, the man from Microsoft, has an excuse for everything, Mr. Speaker. He forgets that tourism is seasonal. He forgets completely tourism is seasonal. He forgets cruise ships that come in St. Lucia in September and August and June. The cruise season starts on in November and moves into December. That's when cruise tourism starts. But I want to tell you, on the day you have your proposed match, there will be about possibly three and possibly six cruise liners in this country. Three or four. If you are a man that believe in the people, save the taxi drivers and put your match on some other day. Yes. That's when they are driving them back to the cruise ship. You understand? If you are a man. Thank you. So Mrs. Speaker, universal healthcare. Universal healthcare has started, Mr. Speaker. Now, Mr. Speaker, this, the man from Microsoft, is saying that we sold the port. And my colleague, the deputy will speak about the port, Mr. Speaker. But before he speaks about the port, let me tell the people of St. Lucia how this member of Microsoft distorts the facts. He distorts us in a way, said if it's a Canadian accent, that if you do not listen carefully, you'll believe him. He said that we sold slasper. Let me tell you, Derevin, and my colleague will, and my colleague will, will expand it, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2019, first of all, GPH is only going to handle the cruise part of the port. The cruise. In 2019, 82% of the revenue from the port came from cargo. 82%. Only 11% came from cruise. But he said that we sold slasper operations. But he forgot, he forgot the instructions he gave to slasper. For the airport. For HIA. For HIA. He forgot that. He forgot the instructions as well. He forgot. What hurts me? Not that you can't get used that word for him. What hurts me is that this member, Mr. Speaker, he's so self-righteous. He made no mistakes. Everything his ministers did was right. He never said they did anything wrong. He never said, I will do things differently. Never. All what he knows is he's self-righteous, and he attacks everybody, and he believes his own truth. In 2022, 91% of slasper's operations came from cargo. 4% came from cruise. But he said we sold the ports. In 2023, 86% of slasper's revenue came from cargo. 9% came from cruise. He said we sold the ports. What we're doing is the government has transitioned the cruise part of the port, the cruise part of the operation of slasper to GPH, the cruise services, in exchange for investments, Mr. Speaker, and in exchange for taking the debt out of slasper. So what had happened? And slasper has begun. Slasper has bought a new crane to expand the port operation, Mr. Speaker. Hopefully we can expand it to some other destination. That's what he did. So what have the governments done? They've diversified. They've put the cruise part, all in the cruise, into a company, all in the cruise company, and the revenue. The revenue. That's the revenue from the main revenue from the ports. The main revenue from port, Mr. Speaker, comes from the cargo operations, which are going to be modernized, which are going to be modernized under the cruise, Mr. Speaker. So suddenly, Mr. Speaker, the member of Mikusov doesn't know about the seasonal age of tourism. Mr. Speaker, the member from Mikusov speaks about Grozile, speaks about the Grozile Highway. Mr. Speaker, the member from Vifotsov was Prime Minister. We negotiated with the Q80s. We negotiated with the Q80s, Mr. Speaker, for reconstruction of the castles Grozile Highway. We negotiated with the member from Mikusov, was a member for Vifotsov, was Prime Minister. We had a complete loan, a loan for the reconstruction of the castles Grozile Highway, together with the roads, the subsidiary roads, Mr. Speaker. The tender for that happened sometime in April or May. The member for Vifotsov, with his level of transparency, he thought that the results of the tender board, there was too much of a vast difference between the full tender, the highest tender and the lowest tender. He instructed that it be re-tended. And the re-tender happened on June 6. When they won the election, Mr. Speaker, the re-tender incidentally was on June 6. That's when the tender's board was supposed to meet. But it all happened on June 6. They won the election, Mr. Speaker. The Kuwaitis called them and begged them, literally begged them to continue the highway. They literally begged them to continue the highway, Mr. Speaker. Also, and I want the farmers, because he spoke about bananas, Mr. Speaker. There was also, Mr. Speaker, there was also the plan to develop the feeder roads in the same Mikunov, Mikunov and Vifotsov. The member for Vifotsov can testify to that that these loans were signed and ready to go. When they came into government in June, they cancelled it. The Kuwaitis called me, because they thought in St. Lucia there was transition. They called me and said to me, they said to me, Mr. Speaker, what is happening to these roads? I said to him in our system, when you're out, when you're out, you're out and there is no contact for you, Mr. Speaker. And they could not believe, they could not believe that a loan that had been completed, that had been signed, Mr. Speaker. The government would just abandon it. So I want to tell the people of Grossly that anytime they get stuck on the Grossly Highway, they must blame the member for Mikusov. Anytime they get stuck on the Grossly Highway, they must blame the member for Mikusov because he was the one who cancelled the loan for the construction of the highway. And the records are there. Unless you're thinking about records, these records are available. We can show it. He cancelled the loan, Mr. Speaker. He cancelled the loan. The government is documenting, Mr. Speaker. They begged the government not to complete, not to ban, not to stop the construction, Mr. Speaker. But you know, again, instead of he just he just says to himself, I made an error. But read it out, read it out, like a little child is trying to take his toys. That's how he behaves. Because he doesn't admit, admit, I said, listen to me, I was an error in judgment. I sought, we got done something different. Say that. Just say it. We may understand. Because you in government, we took responsibility. We said that we are not, after we got the report from the committee, we said we are not going your way in St. Jude. We are going the way of continuing work on the existing buildings. We took responsibility for our actions. We said we are not continuing on your billion dollar airport. We are going to redo the terminal. We took responsibility for our actions. We took responsibility. We said we took decisions and we took responsibility. But you refuse to take any responsibility for the decisions that you make. And you want people to get you vote back for you. No responsibility. He did everything right. Everybody was wrong. 152 is no margin. Nothing was wrong. You were perfect. And you lost the election because of a reward or reason. You were perfect. I have heard the member from Viford South say he would do certain things differently. But not you. You're right. You're self-righteous, Mr. Speaker. So Mr. Speaker, then finally he speaks about COVID. Can you tell me the member from Viford South can bring back COVID deaths in 2023? To score points? You bring back COVID deaths? I mean, where? The member from Microsoft knows very well the deadly Delta variant was not in government when it was not there when it was in government. But we will not bring that back. That's a fact. The Delta variant came in the year 2020. T1 to 2022. That's when it came. But you want to argue about it? You want to make a fuss? I'm Delta deaths. I'm deaths from COVID. Mr. Speaker, where are we? Where are we? Where are we in the country? You want to go back to that, Mr. Speaker? Then you speak about $1,500. I said what I said. I'm going to repeat. And you want to pay tips? You can pay tips. What I said. And I repeat it. What I said. What you are giving $500 from NIC. If we were in government. If we were in government at the time we would have given $1,500. And I stand by it. And I'm saying to you right now we are giving the public of St. Lucia for the Ministry of Energy those who deserve it 5,000 of them are going to get $1,500 each. And that is a fact. That is not a plan. That's not something we would do. That's not something we try and do. That's not something you write on a paper. That's not something a plan. Oh, we would have done that. We would have done that. We are doing it. We are doing it. Mr. Speaker, we are doing it. It's not $5,000. It's not $5,000. You know Mr. Speaker? Then finally, what was what was even more surprising Mr. Speaker? And I don't want to speak up. I don't want to say it. I don't want to say it. Because I have a responsibility because my job, our jobs here are temporary jobs. All of us will not be here every time we leave. We have a responsibility to the country, Mr. Speaker. I will not speak about Bank of St. Lucia. I will never do what he did. Never. Because and the man for shows them should stand up and disassociate himself from his statement, Mr. Speaker. But I won't get involved in that. But you know, that is the responsibility. What he believes is you must burn the house to kill a rat. It's a scotch of policy. You go and you say all what you can say, mash it up just because you're not in power and hopefully you can rebuild it. That's not how we behave in opposition. We were tough. We were tough on facts. We won the records. We never spoke about war. We never spoke about flogging people. We never spoke about we never spoke about about people's parts people's, we never called people mongers, Mr. Speaker. And I reiterate, Mr. Speaker that the member from Microsoft any time he opens his mouth I wanted the public television to fact check him in there, Mr. Speaker because he just says things just 20%, 40%, 90% all kind of things 4,500, all kinds of things, Mr. Speaker the facts are with us and I want to thank the people of St. Lucia. We're going to have discussions because you know this supermarket struck St. Lucia's search not because of the government the supermarket is run basically by one player that's a fact. It's run largely by one player. What we are doing, Mr. Speaker we are it's a fact. What we're doing is that we are holding, we're going to hold some discussions so we can see how we can deal with the situation because we understand the price of goods are going up. We understand it. We talk about subsidizing flour you are the first guy the member of Microsoft, he's on record saying this government has an idea by reducing the price of flour and sugar they have the poor. That's what he said you know he said that on a program he said our idea of helping the poor is to subsidize rice flour and sugar he forgot that he said so on a program he was criticizing us for saying that and now you want to say we must do it after we do it already but that is a double standard and that's why you must fact check him you must fact check him Mr. Speaker because he says things on one side and he achieves in itself rice as posture and goes into helping the poor my colleagues talk about helping the poor you call the poor medicans you call them medicans you said yes you said you were the one who said our patchy money is in our credit card and you you spoke about you speaking about the poor Mr. Speaker on a point of order again I'm going to ask the member to withdraw that statement I have never referred to poor people as being medicans I mean I can sit here and allow some of the other stuff to take place you said but the fact is I have never once you never used it with medicans not to describe a poor person who are you describing you tell me you said I never said the medical you said that the lady who brought the land the lady who brought the land the lady who brought the land asking him to withdraw the lady who brought the land you said she was a non entity you didn't say that either you were exactly what you do is that when you caught instead of getting the money this to me that is something I should have said Mr. Speaker again the member is misleading if he wants to remember when I spoke about he is making the people in this country and his policies and with the lady who brought the property that she was a non entity as a business person and we've clarified that but if you want to continue to do and make those kind of things but I'm going to from now on Mr. Speaker every single time that there's a misquote like him I'm going to stand up for a factually correct statement I never called people mendicants and I made reference to the young lady as being a non entity from a business perspective and instead of being more concerned as to why she brought the land and how she brought the land he wants to detract and speak about something completely superficial Mr. Speaker you see what he calls superficial a young person going to business that's what he calls superficial a young person going to business that's what he calls superficial but that's the same member that's the same member who can't try to justify giving a thousand acres of land to one man based on plans on renderings that's the same member who said he was not building a set of islands he went to a citizen and he said I've got two billion dollars worth of investment he said he had two billion he said he had two billion US deny you said it I'm repeating you you understand I'm repeating Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker but you know that the delusion that he's suffering from the delusion that he's suffering from Mr. Speaker but we are focused so that will not take us of focus Mr. Speaker so the value added tax on barrels is the people of this country and I I'm saying that we are going to continue Mr. Speaker to continue the policies that benefit the people of this country and we will not be distracted by people who do not understand that the people of this country took a decision I thank you very much Mr. Speaker