 and we are back and it is the sitting of the House of Assembly when we left the sitting had been suspended for 45 minutes and we are now continuing with the business of the day we do have the bills portion of the order paper to complete at this point so let's head now to the chamber floor Honourable Minister for Education Innovation Gender Relations and Sustainable Development Member for Miku North. Madam Speaker I beg to move for the first reading of the bill shortly entitled agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions. Agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions. Honourable Minister for Education Madam Speaker I beg to move for the suspension of standing order 48-2 in order to allow the bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. Honourable members the question is that standing order 48-2 be suspended in order to allow the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. I now put the question as many as of that opinion say aye as many as of a contrary opinion say no I think the ayes have it the ayes have it please proceed Honourable Minister for Education. Madam Speaker I beg to move for the second reading of a bill shortly entitled agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions. Madam Speaker the bill before us allows for us to bring into alignment our own legal framework regarding the accreditation of medical schools in particular. Members would have read that on the 26th of February in 2015 the then prime minister and the person of the Honourable Dr. Kennedy Anthony did sign on to this Caribbean wide or carry calm agreement which seeks to establish a an accreditation body whose main business is that of indicating that tertiary institutions that offer medical programs do offer programs that are internationally comparable. I understand it is late into the night and so I shall be brief but please allow me to draw members attention to page five where it is being stated the rationale for this is explicitly stated by indicating that international trends in the accreditation of training programs in certain fields in particular the regional accreditation initiatives of the European Union will have implications for the traditional methods of accredited medical programs offered by institutions in the Caribbean community and may I encourage members to expand their imagination a little bit and to acknowledge that indeed this is not applied only to the European Union but many of the other countries from which many of those students hail their respective home jurisdictions do want the assurance that indeed the programs that they have gone through can be dubbed internationally comparable programs as indicated on page five. Permit me please Madam Speaker to just read through the definition of accredited hair and this is important especially given the plethora of tertiary institutions we have come into our shores. Accredit means the according of recognition by the authority on the basis of an informed evaluation that the programs of study offered by an institution and any award it confers satisfy standards prescribed or approved by the authority and reaccredit accreditation and other cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly and this is very important for the purposes of this bill award means a degree diploma certificate or any other evidence that prescribed programs of study in medicine and other health professions have been completed successfully. On page seven we have the objectives and again in a nutshell the reason that really is to ensure that the various institutions here have programs that satisfy the internationally agreed benchmarks for medical degrees. Madam Speaker on page 12 you will notice that there's a very comprehensive list from at number two from 2A through 2O and these spell out the responsibilities of the authority and what it is we expect the authority to do in providing oversight. I want to highlight also that as well as having the power to accredit the authority also has the power to withdraw the accreditation should the institution be found to be wanting or lacking with respect to meeting the agreed standards. Madam Speaker curiously if you would permit me in the bill that follows some of the very justifications that I've highlighted here will apply similarly except that this one speaks to medical programs or degrees in particular whereas the bill that follows shortly is more broad ranging thank you. Honourable members the question is that the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions bill be read a second time. Honourable minister for economic planning and member for castries southeast. Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker I rise to support my colleague in bringing this very important piece of legislation to this honorable house. If we recall in the most recent history of this country and what has happened to our medical institutions which happen to be very vital to the economy of this country Madam Speaker in terms of being able to have these medical schools operate in a manner that gives the accreditation that is required and we have seen over the years Madam Speaker we've not had the necessary legislation to be able to hold institutions that come to this country accountable for what they are proposing and Madam Speaker while I will not spend a lot of time to go back into a lot of these things but we know that presently there are young St. Lucians who paid substantial amounts of money to attend schools that was deemed accredited only to find out upon investigation Madam Speaker that the programs that they paid substantial amounts of money to complete does not have the requisite international recognition that is required. Now Madam Speaker that is a serious breach on the path of those of us in government because the people of the country expect that when we are elected to political office that we would be the ones to look after the best interest in these areas. Madam Speaker you would recall in not too long ago up to now I think the some of the students who came to St. Lucia under the program of an accredited institution we know how they got we know how they got the accreditation or the approval to operate Madam Speaker and when the students traveled from overseas having taken loans and mortgages and all of these things for them to come to St. Lucia thinking that they were coming to an institution that was accredited that was recognized by the governor where they would be carrying out a program and being able to return to their countries as medical doctors Madam Speaker they found themselves in a situation that they came to St. Lucia and there was no school we know with Madam Speaker that is why this piece of legislation is so important so that we would be able to do our own due diligence as a country and it would not be left to one minister or two ministers of government to make that determination as we saw happened in the lumbered case and Madam Speaker we forget these things quickly because time has passed and it is not our young people who went to a foreign country thinking that they were going to enroll in a program that was fully recognized and accredited Madam Speaker the facts are there in relation to this the case went on these people paid large sums of money and Madam Speaker there were government ministers directly involved so you think it's only the minister's account that has remained an issue it's not there are several issues how did the minister instruct the board to issue and how did they get a license to operate within three days Madam Speaker the member for castries east is looking at me as if I'm speaking a foreign language he was part of the cabinet when that happened you know and Madam Speaker I was in opposition in the house and I came here and the then minister for grozily came and read a statement and you always had them talking about victimization ask them what they did to the police officer who was investigating the case and I happen to have been watching the upper house debate and I saw the minister for security speaking about how the transfer of the police officer who was investigating that particular case how is he was transferred interference Madam Speaker but but you see you see Madam Speaker when we bring this type of legislation to the house there is going to be an accrediting body and when somebody would apply for accreditation they would go through the proper channels because Madam Speaker we had people who supposed to know about institutions and they've accused me about a lot of things about schools but Madam Speaker I know about accreditation and I know about the boards you see people took it to be in St. Lucia that if the ministry gave you a trade license to operate that made you an accredited institution that doesn't mean that you are credited so Madam Speaker I have young people from the community of forestry who went to a particular institution which I will not name here did an entire nursing program and you know what happened to them at the end of the day they cannot get a certificate and those who got the certificate when they try to register with another institution they found out that the program was not accredited anyway and all of that happened Madam Speaker under the watch of the previous government now Madam Speaker we have a responsibility towards the youth in this country we have a responsibility and you know Madam Speaker some of them sitting on the other side were lecturers within the institutions you know they were lecturers within the institutions some of them some of them who used to be ministers their wives were the lawyers for the same institutions but you see Madam Speaker when when I stand when I stand in this it couldn't be this prime minister it could not be this prime minister oh yeah you want to find out about accreditation I can tell you about accreditation because Lynchburg College is accredited by a North American institution yes it is accredited in St. Lucia but I just explained to you is that it has a trade license to operate in St. Lucia hold on but that's what I'm explaining to you the accreditation of universities is not necessarily done by a board here it is accredited fully accredited by the South the North American board of accreditation but I told you they came here to accredit the institution and let me tell you how fight went let me tell you how fight went since you asked the question when they were being accredited the Sir Alpha Lewis Community College requested to be present to understand the process of accreditation what is it you don't understand Madam Madam Speaker oh yeah I can open a lot of those Madam Speaker now they're asking me questions about accreditation I want to ask them on this side the institutions the medical institutions that was opened under their watch what is the accreditation that they have now that is the question they should be answering I cannot how did Lombards get accredited how did they get the people to come to school in St. Lucia and if I recall watching a popular talk show talk with Rick where St. Lucia was advertised in India as part of America under the watch of the Labour Party you know Madam Speaker we were accused we were accused of there were the issues of money laundering in relation to the school and trafficking of people Madam Speaker our reputation has been solid in the whole world in terms of medical universities whereas you look at Grenada Grenada has a well recognized you look at Dominica you mean the people who are in charge it had to take the minister the present minister of education to come into government to sit with that this piece of legislation comes to the honorable house so that those persons now they will always tell you they signed that yeah they signed it is not what you signed is what you do with what you sign Madam Speaker the same way they signed the hotel deal in in 2014 2016 they couldn't get it going they did negotiations on the SH they never told us about it they need they did negotiations with Jufali we had to find that out in other places that's how they operate so it's not what they negotiate it is what they are able to do Madam Speaker and we are looking at a real government now Madam Speaker we are looking at a real minister of education whom herself has been a lecturer at universities in a number of places and she knows all about accreditation and I am confident that on her watch the ministry of education will move in the right direction in fixing the problems that was created by the previous administration because Madam Speaker at no point in time should a parent pay that kind of money for their child to go to school for the child to spend all of these hours racking their brains to pass the exams to do everything and when they are finished as normal as the Labour Party does what the piece of paper they are given the certificate is not worth the paper on which it is written that is how the Rochamel deal was described that's synonymous with the Labour Party Madam Speaker I always pass my exams I pass all my exams already you should ask and I'm happy you brought that up you should ask the Dean of Monroe if I didn't pass the exam how he was the Dean how he was the Dean and I pass exams that I didn't pass that is what you should be is that how the Labour Party operates is that what you're saying about your former colleague that he was he was Dean of an institution that allowed people to pass exams without writing exams you want to know what I studied I did study what you studied Madam Speaker Madam Speaker Madam Speaker the good thing about me is everything I do I write it myself yes so Madam Speaker here we are today and this piece of legislation because of the time and everything we may not pay as much attention as we should do it but I can tell you this is set in a platform and a foundation for us to build on that we can rebuild the reputation of this country in the education sector and that is vital so that when a young person whether they come from overseas or they are from St Lucia that they attend an institution in this country they know that they are getting value for money not the 800 square foot building that should house 200 students who are coming from overseas took all their parents savings came to St Lucia and you know Madam Speaker the Labour Party was heartless in how these people were dealt with and I always say in life what goes around comes around I thought about it Madam Speaker if it was a young St Lucia who had gone to a foreign country and that had happened to them how would we have felt about that but you see time passes and we quickly forget the sufferings and the pains of people but Madam Speaker I am proud that even when I was in opposition along with the leader of the opposition we went to the pastoral centre with the leader of the united workers party and did everything we possibly could to help these students there were many very good St Lucia's Madam Speaker who went out of their way to try and assist and feed and how some of these students while you know what the Labour Party was doing paying lawyers money to fight the case because some government ministers had messed up in what they did and had caused the reputation of St Lucia to be affected so Madam Speaker that is why I support this legislation that is why this legislation is so important to St Lucia so that we can see we have the standards by which you are going to operate we have the standards that if you want to come and operate an institution in St Lucia these are the requirements that you must meet because you know Madam Speaker they attacked Atlantic when it was at the wellness centre they said all kinds of things about it but look at what happened on the day watch look at what happened on the day watch Madam Speaker at the end of the day Atlantic is still a university operate they're not at the wellness centre anymore but they are an institution operating here what were they doing educating and these same people who say they are for education every time you do something to educate young St Lucia's to get them to move out and Madam Speaker that's going to be my last point when I came into government I said I would rather be judged by seeing to it that 50 young St Lucia's attend university than how many roads I fix how many footpaths I build and how many street lights I put up that is not what I want my legacy to be and for all the accusations that have been made about me I am proud to have been associated with Lynchburg College one of the most highly accredited educational institutions in St Lucia and I can tell you at the graduation this year it will surpass the number of 50 young St Lucia's and grown St Lucia's who have been able to get the master's and the bachelor's degree through the establishment of this accredited institution in St Lucia and if you want to judge me by that then I am proud of that Madam Speaker because that is what oh I thought you all said was mine now how I associated all the time you all were saying was mine now I'm telling you what it did you want to know how I'm associated I didn't do nothing exactly I didn't do anything you see Madam Speaker convenient truth when they when they want to accuse me of things oh is his school is this is that now I'm telling you that St Lucia's have acquired a university education here in St Lucia they could have kept their jobs Madam Speaker we didn't have to give them study leave we pay to go overseas we didn't have to give them economic cost they could have gained an education people who have a family who could not sacrifice their job and go overseas was able to get a university education I went and negotiated that that's what you could not do for your 20 how many years you say you've been in parliament tell me how many universities you brought to St Lucia to educate one St Lucia all the companies have I worked for it so so Madam Speaker Madam Speaker you see that is the problem with the members opposite Madam Speaker I am telling you I am proud to be associated with educational institutions that are credible and I challenge any member of the opposition to go and investigate Lynchburg College and find out its level of accreditation that's right that's my turn to talk and that's your turn to listen so so Madam Speaker now we have a real minister of education who understands the accreditation process who understands what is required and has now brought in this piece of legislation so that every other medical institution that is going I tell you is not who started is your habit of signing things and you all can do nothing it disappears it collects dust on the shelf you all just sign it on you all leave it there like every other thing so now we have a real government who can make things happen and we are making it happen for the people of St Lucia I thank you Madam Speaker Prime Minister leader of government business Madam Speaker I rise in support of this bill and I want to take a very different tack Madam Speaker because I think that we're satisfied of the institutional building that this particular bill will achieve and giving substance to the accreditation process in St Lucia but Madam Speaker be remiss of me not to sympathize with the many students and parents and business people in St Lucia who have been going through an unprecedented level of anxiety over the last couple of weeks if not months Madam Speaker because what has happened is that the US government has moved the goalpost on all of us in the Caribbean and that when many of these institutions thought they were going to be given I think until 2023 to be able to become accredited they were informed that that date has actually been moved to the end of this year in fact the institutions and many of the students who are attending medical schools here in St Lucia today with the exception of one that they've received letters from the US indicate that the institutions that they are currently attending that it will not be recognized and it has had a severe impact obviously on the students and the parents who have the students who have put in time the parents who have borrowed money and more importantly the business community in St Lucia the people in your constituency from Labry, Choiselle, View Fort that are renting premises to many of those students who have been given very short notice by the students that they're leaving and we have a crisis on our hand and I really want to thank in particular the Minister of Education the Ministry of Health and the Minister of Health for the meetings that they've been conducting in trying to find a resolution to this matter and while this accreditation bill will not solve the problem by itself but gives us certainly the basis in terms of negotiating a period of time to be able to get the institutions accredited as quickly as possible. So I want the the public to know Madam Speaker that we are very sympathetic we're conscious of what is taking place at the student level parents and also the businesses and particularly in the south that are being affected by this we're talking in the vicinity in one institution of over 400 students talking collectively almost a thousand students that are being affected by what is taking place right now and it was unfortunate Madam Speaker that more pressure was not bought to born on those institutions to have been accredited even faster and that we have found ourselves now in this particular situation so I wanted to rise to really commend the Minister of Education for the work that her ministry and herself in particular phoning the U.S. meetings that you've been having here locally with the institutions I also wanted to reassure those institutions that our government your government is doing everything it can to be able to save the situation and I hope that we would get the support of everyone because while we may have our differences on a political level but it's not good when we see that small businesses and families are being affected to this extent so again I want to rise in support of the of the bill I want to give the Minister the assurances of my ministry's full support in getting this expedited as quickly as possible and hoping that we can find an interim remedy to deal with the businesses in the south and to deal with the families that are being affected by this situation thank you honorable members the question is is that the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions bill be read a second time I now put the question as many as of that opinion say aye as many as are of a contrary opinion say no I think the eyes have it the eyes have it an act to give effect to and provide for the implementation of the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions members there are not many clauses to this bill however there is this schedule and when we get to the schedule we will take we will spell out call out the articles what a block clause two interpretation close to stands part of the bill close three force of law close three stands part of the bill clause four amendment or schedule close force stands part of the bill all right close five regulations close five stands part of the bill schedule under schedule article one no schedule contracting we'll set up contracting parties contracting parties section two contracting section two contracting parties than spot of the bill article one use of terms article one stands part of the bill article two establishment of the authority article two stands part of the bill article three objectives of the authority article three stands part of the bill article four composition of the authority Article 4 stands part of the bill. Article 5. Criteria for membership of the authority. Article 5 stands part of the bill. Article 6. Chairman and vice-chairman. Article 6 stands part of the bill. Article 7. Procedures of the authority. Article 7 stands part of the bill. Article 8. The seal of the authority. Article 8 stands part of the bill. Article 9. Powers and functions of the authority. Article 9 stands part of the bill. Article 10. The secretariat. Article 10 stands part of the bill. Article 11. Executive director. Article 11 stands part of the bill. Article 12. Financial provisions. Article 12 stands part of the bill. Article 13. Political budgetary measures. Article 13 stands part of the bill. Article 14. Exemption from taxation. Article 14 stands part of the bill. Article 15. Legal status of the authority. Article 15 stands part of the bill. Article 6. 16. Protection from legal process. Article 16 stands part of the bill. Article 17. Signature. Article 17 stands part of the bill. Article 18. Entry into force. Article 18 stands part of the bill. Article 19. Provisional application. Article 19 stands part of the bill. Article 20. Depository. Article 20 stands part of the bill. Article 21. Accession. Article 21 stands part of the bill. Article 22. Amendment. Article 22 stands part of the bill. Article 23. Withdrawal. Article 23 stands part of the bill. Article 24. Implementation. Article 24 stands part of the bill. Article 25. In augural meeting. Article 25 stands part of the bill. Clause 1. Short title. Clause 1 stands part of the bill. The question is that the committee rises and I report the bill. As many as of that opinion say aye. As many as are of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Honourable members, I beg to report that the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health profession bills went through committee stage with no amendments. Honourable Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender, Relations, Sustainable Development. Member for Miku North. Madam Speaker, I move that the Chairman's report be adopted and that the bill be read a third time and passed. Honourable members, the question is that the Chairman's report be adopted and that the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions bill be now read a third time and passed. I now put the question as many as of that opinion say aye. As many as are of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Be eaten acted by the Queen's most excellent majesty by and with the advice and consent of the House of Assembly and the Senator Senusha and by the authority of the same as follows. This act may be cited as the agreement establishing the Caribbean accreditation authority for education in medicine and other health professions Act 2017. Honourable member for Miku North, Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender, Relations, and Sustainable Development. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the first reading of the bill shortly entitled accreditation. Accreditation. Honourable Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender, Relations, Sustainable Development. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the suspension of Standing Order 48-2 in order to allow the bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. Honourable members, the question is that Standing Order 48-2 be suspended in order to allow the accreditation bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. I now put the question as many as of that opinion say aye. As many as are of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Leave is granted, please proceed Honourable Minister for Education. Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the bill before us, I do beg your pardon. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the second reading of a bill shortly entitled accreditation. Madam Speaker, the accreditation bill before us, like the one we spoke to a while ago, is a little bit overdue, but I am very encouraged by the fact that my colleagues and I find it necessary to do this now sooner rather than later. Not least because incidentally, St. Lucia is fast becoming a magnet for satellite or offshore tertiary institutions. It is therefore incumbent upon us to ensure that we have the legal and regulatory where with all to ensure that institutions that do come to our shores are co-sure, are internationally comparable, that they do meet international best practice or satisfy international best practice, and that we protect the investment of unsuspecting young people who wish to pursue an education. We protect the investment of royalties, of small business owners, of parents who invest quite heavily in the future of their children, and even in fact more importantly Madam Speaker, that we preserve the good reputation of this jurisdiction, our beautiful country, St. Lucia. In that regard, Madam Speaker, for the benefit of the viewing and listening public, allow me to read point number two on page one to state very clearly that the purpose of the bill is to provide for the process and mechanism for accrediting a program of study offered by a tertiary institution and the award it confers and to establish a national accreditation council. Madam Speaker, in the previous description of the CAMHP bill, I begged the indulgence of the House and went through the definition of a credit, which means the certification of a program of study offered by a tertiary institution and the award it confers under this act. The accredited institution means a tertiary institution that holds a certificate of accreditation and the award to which we speak can range from a degree, diploma, certificate, and includes sub-baccalaureate qualification, a baccalaureate or post-graduate degree. Madam Speaker, allow me to highlight on page nine number three under application this act applies to a tertiary institution that provides programs of study to students in St. Lucia, so regardless of where they originate, as long as they are studying in St. Lucia, we are now gaining the legal teeth to ensure that the institutions that offer those programs and where these students do register to undergo a period of training that indeed they would have satisfied certain requirements dubbed to be cautious and accredited and so we satisfy ourselves that they are well placed to offer the programs of study as per their marketing material. Madam Speaker, also of note is on page 11 functions of the council to determine conditions and set standards for accreditation, to accredit and re-accredit given that accreditation has a lifespan, to maintain a record of the tertiary institutions that are accredited under this act, to ensure that the quality of tertiary education in St. Lucia meets the standards set by the council for an award or credit, to ensure the maintenance of the standards, to provide for the validation and the recognition of new programs of study offered by tertiary institutions, at 10G, to advise on the recognition of foreign based tertiary institutions and the programs of study offered. I beg to repeat this, to advise on the recognition of foreign based tertiary institutions and the programs of study offered. Madam Speaker, I need not revise the many ugly examples we have of tertiary institutions that did not meet certain basic requirements and many people were harmed in the process. There is no point in reiterating that except to say that this bill seeks to rectify this and to minimize the incidents of such. Very importantly, at age 9H, to determine equivalency of programs of study and qualifications, so that if indeed a student claims to have received a BSc from, let's say literature from said institution here in St. Lucia, that BSc in literature is easily comparable to a similar degree offered by other accredited institutions and or that if indeed that degree is being had or offered by a satellite or offshore institution, that which is being offered here in St. Lucia meets that which is being offered at the parent institution. I, to develop and maintain a unified system of credits for tertiary institutions and A should be an A, should be an A, should be an A and that is the value, for example, of grade point average GPAs. They tend to resonate internationally because of the measurements being internationally observed or approved measurements for ascribing a GPA. At K, to establish relationships with national, regional and international accreditation bodies and quality assurance bodies and keep under review the systems of accreditation, procedures and practices of such bodies. And I must underscore, I must emphasize M, to enhance the quality of tertiary education in St. Lucia and to disseminate good practices by conducting research and training. And Madam Speaker at P, at all, sorry and I made reference to it a while ago, to protect the interests of students pursuing a program of study, and P, to establish and implement a national qualification framework that sets out the levels at which qualifications and equivalencies of awards granted in other jurisdictions are recognized. Let me give the listening and viewing public the assurance that if and or when these institutions fail to observe the standards agreed to, that at you we can revoke or the council can revoke a certificate of accreditation. The powers of the council at 11, B, to establish the requirements that a tertiary institution must satisfy to have a program of study accredited or re-accredited by the council. The independence of the council is emphasized to protect it from unnecessary partial interference and that must be emphasized at 12 independence of the council and at 13, the delegation by the council spelt out at 2 A, B, C and D. Madam Speaker, I am confident that this bill in its current form will go a long way in ensuring that our students, St. Lucian students and visiting students from abroad will have the opportunity to pursue a world-class accredited program in St. Lucian whether offered by St. Lucian institutions or satellite institutions. Madam Speaker, pages 24 and 25 detail the process for the issuance of a certificate of accreditation and re-accreditation respectively and also at the bottom of the page at number 44 the process for revocation is also indicated. The bill does offer an avenue for appeal should the institution fail to meet or at least it is claimed that institution fails to meet the standards agreed and is dubbed to be unfit that there is an avenue for appeal as indicated on page 27 at number 47. A tertiary institution that is agreed by decision of the council may make an application to the minister for the review of a decision within 30 days after being given notice of a decision of the council. The rest of the bill, Madam Speaker, reflects international best practice but I want to highlight in closing that which is indicated on page 33 at 68 under transitional and to give the assurance to those institutions already in operation that a tertiary institution in operation before the commencement of this act shall apply for accreditation within six months of the commencement of this act. So provision is being made for those already in the market and operating and I want to give those institutions the assurance that my ministry and where necessary in collaboration with other sister agencies we are doing all within our power to expedite the process of monitoring site visits to award licenses and permits, et cetera so that we are all agreed that wide institutions themselves have to meet certain standards. We have to do our part in ensuring that we do those visits regularly and our machinery is well oiled and prepared to respond to the various requests in that regard. I thank you. Honourable members, the question is that the accreditation bill be read a second time. Honourable members, the question is that the accreditation bill be read a second time. I now put the question. As many as of that opinion say aye, as many as of the contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. An act to provide for the process and mechanism of accrediting a programme or study offered by a tertiary institution and the award it confers to establish a national accreditation council and for related matters. We have quite a few clauses here. Do we take it by clauses or parts? Okay, we shall proceed in parts. Part, I think we will go for clauses two to five and then parts. Clause two. Interpretation. Clause two stands part of the bill. Clause three. Application. Clause three stands part of the bill. Clause four. Act binds the crown. Clause four stands part of the bill. Clause five. Purpose. Clause five stands part of the bill. Part one. Part one clauses six. Clause six through to 35. National accreditation council. Part one clauses six through to 35 stands part of the bill. Part two clauses 36 to 56. Accreditation. Part two clauses 36 to 56 stands part of the bill. Part three clauses 57 to 65. Financial provisions. Part three clauses 57 to 65 stands part of the bill. Part four clauses 66 to 68. Miscellaneous. Part four clauses 66 to 68 stands part of the bill. Schedule one. Section 41, four. Schedule one stands part of the bill. Schedule two. Section 46, two. Schedule two stands part of the bill. Clause one. Short title and commencement. Clause one stands part of the bill. Honourable members, the question is that the committee rises and I report the bill. As many as of that opinion say aye. As many as of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. Honourable members, I beg to report that the accreditation bill went through committee stage with no amendments. Honourable Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move that the Chairman's report be adopted and that the bill be read a third time and passed. Honourable members, the question is that the Chairman's report be adopted and that the accreditation bill be now read a third time and passed. I now put the question. As many as of that opinion say aye. As many as of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. Be eaten acted by the Queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Assembly and the Senate of St. Lucia and by the authority of the same as follows. One, this act may be cited as the accreditation act 2017. Two, this act shall come into force on a date to be fixed by the minister by order published in the gavette. Honourable Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Economic Growth, Job Creation, Externally Faced, the Public Service, Leader of Government Business. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the first reading of the bill shortly entitled Public Finance Management Bill. Public Finance Management. Honourable Prime Minister, Leader of Government Business. Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the bill be presented for a second reading at the next or subsequent meeting of the House. Honourable members, the question is that the public finance management bill be presented for a second reading at the next or subsequent sitting of this Honourable House. I now put a question. Is many, as of that opinion, say aye? As many as of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. Honourable Prime Minister, Leader of Government Business. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the first reading of the bill shortly entitled Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement Bill. Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreements. Honourable Prime Minister, Leader of Government Business. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the suspension of Standing Order 48-2 to allow the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement Bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. Honourable members, the question is that Standing Order 48-2 be suspended in order to allow the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement Bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. I now put the question. Is many, as of that opinion, say aye? As many as of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. Leave is granted. Please proceed, Honourable Prime Minister. Thank you, Madam Speaker. The participating governments of the Eastern Caribbean Union have realized the prevalence of micro and small medium. My apologies. Madam Speaker, I beg for the move for the second reading of the bill shortly entitled Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement Bill. Madam Speaker, the participating governments of the Eastern Caribbean Union have realized the prevalence of micro and small and medium enterprises in the Eastern Caribbean Union and that their importance in driving economic and social change. Generally, these enterprises have experienced difficulty in accessing credit given to the size of their operations, a lack of capital and collateral. These enterprises are, however, as we all know, Madam Speaker, critical to economic growth and job creation in our countries. On this basis, the participating governments of the ECCU have devised an Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation, which will seek to strengthen the financial system within the currency union by providing credit risk mitigation to participating lenders in order to increase the ability of micro and small medium enterprises to access loans and absorb a portion of losses incurred by participating lenders in case of defaulting payments. In essence, Madam Speaker, what we're is attempting to do here is to basically create a bank to guarantee loans for these smaller micro institutions. We're having difficulty in being able to borrow money. And so while it's not invidious that we're going to be giving them money, but we're in fact giving a guarantee, and so that therefore clearly the due diligence on which companies benefit from it is important, and also to ensure that their best practice has been put in place by those small companies. Because what we really don't want to, because ultimately at the end of the day, we're going to be exposed in terms of having to be able to carry out. This act brings about an establishment of an Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation. The main objective is assisting, promoting economic growth and development in membered territories by administering the credit scheme to increase the access to finance. Offer credit to lenders through qualified borrowers which meet the criteria which be outlined in the corporation and the strengthening of the confidence of lenders to providing loans to qualifying micro and small medium enterprises. To increase the ease of which the qualifying enterprises can access financing. The board of directors, Madam Speaker, of the corporation shall be appointed by the monetary council through a vote. However, the board of directors should comprise of one member from each participating government, one member representing the banking industry from the ECCU's Banking Association, two members representing micro and small and medium-sized businesses community from the Chamber of Commerce of two member territories, which will be rotated. The authorized capital of the credit guarantee corporation shall consist of contributions from one participating governments, any other investors approved by the board of directors, donors in accordance with the terms and the conditions that are acceptable to the board of directors. The initial authorized share capital of the corporation shall be approximately $30 million, which shall be divided into 30 million shares at a par value of a dollar per share. The shares of the credit guarantee corporation shall be allotted to the participating governments and other investors, as the case may be in proportion to their representative contribution in the share capital. Shenlusha's contribution to the authorized share capital is US dollars $2 million, Madam Speaker, approximately $5.43 million EC. A credit guarantee scheme will be established which shall address operation matters of the corporation include thresholds that the lenders that wish to participate shall have to meet, to extend to with the corporation's liability to a participating lender in accordance with the agreement between the corporation and the lender, the imposition of terms and conditions for payment of fees and charges, if any, by participating lender or borrower. The corporation shall be guided by the directors and requirements set by the monetary council. The ECCB shall act as a regulator to the credit guarantee corporation. I will ensure compliance on the part of the corporation. So Madam Speaker, I truly believe that this is a very important scheme that we're looking into open up here. I think that we can all attest to the difficulties that small businesses have had, particularly in the last 10 years in being able to raise financing. And we've seen that every economic study that has been done that the best generator of employment and to show the strength in your own economy is through the development of your small businesses. I think that we can all agree to that. And I think that while this may not solve all of our problems, Madam Speaker, but I think this will go a long ways in giving a leg up to some of those smaller businesses in the marketplace. So I want to commend the central bank and the work of the monetary council in particular for coming up with this scheme. And I certainly want to commend the work that was being done by the Ministry of Finance in helping to expedite this. And I'm very pleased, Madam Speaker, that Sen Lusia has chosen to participate in this program not only morally, Madam Speaker, but by through its contribution of over $5 million. So I look forward to the support of my parliamentarian members to be able to get this project expedited. Thank you. Honorable members, the question is that the Caribbean, the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Cooperation Agreement Bill be read a second time. Honorable members, the question is that the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Cooperation Agreement Bill be read a second time. I now put the question. As many honorable minister in the minister, the office of the prime minister for commerce industry and member for SUSE. Madam Speaker, I will be very brief, but I think it's incumbent upon me to support this bill, particularly the ministry that I serve where I recognize very often the challenges faced by the micro and small businesses in accessing finance, particularly the challenges faced with the banks. And I support this bill at this juncture and to also express that we are also currently running a program of the German savings foundation to build the training capacity within the ministry, which will enhance this particular bill in ensuring that our small business community is given the best and makes the most of this arrangement. So Madam Speaker, I rise to support this bill. Thank you. Honorable members, the question is that the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Cooperation Agreement Bill be read a second time. I now put the question. As many as are of that opinion, say aye. As many as are of the contrary opinion, say no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. An act to provide for the implementation of the agreement establishing the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Cooperation and for related matters. We do not have many clauses. However, the schedule is extremely large long and we can perhaps stick the schedule. This time we can perhaps stick the schedule in the parts. Is it the schedule that? Oh, yeah, pardon. For the schedule, we actually have parts, but then again, we actually can take the sections under the schedule. So the schedule, immediately under schedule, you see sections two, three, four, five, two, 11. Are we following? So it's the parts in the schedule. Okay. So we will take the schedule in sections. Madam Clerk, we'll do the headings under the parts. Yeah, under the schedule, we'll go this way. Okay. Okay, shall we commence? Close two. Interpretation. Close two stands part of the bill. Close three. Agreement to have force of law. Close three stands part of the bill. Close four. Financial provisions for giving effect to the agreement. Close four stands part of the bill. Close five. Fees. Close fives stands part of the bill. Close six. Credit guarantee threshold. Close six stands part of the bill. Close seven. Audited annual accounts to be laid in parliament. Close seven stands part of the bill. Close eight. Failure to comply with remedial actions. Close eight stands part of the bill. Close nine. Exemptions. Close nine stands part of the bill. Close 10. Amendment or schedule. Close 10 stands part of the bill. Close 11. Regulations. Close 11 stands part of the bill. Close 12. Savings on cessation. Close 12 stands part of the bill. Under the schedule, part one. Preliminary. Part one stands part of the bill. Part two. Establishment, powers and objectives of the credit guarantee corporation. Part two stands part of the bill. Part three. Organization and management. Part three stands part of the bill. Part four. Capital, finances, accounts and audits. Part four stands part of the bill. Part five. The credit guarantee scheme. Part five stands part of the bill. Part six. Officers and employees. Part six stands part of the bill. Part seven. Corporate governance. Part seven stands part of the bill. Part eight. General supervisory and regulatory control. Part eight stands part of the bill. Part nine. Progress, reviews and termination of credit guarantee corporation. Part nine stands part of the bill. Part 10. Miscellaneous. Part 10 stands part of the bill. Part 11. Final provisions. Part 11 stands part of the bill. Close one. Short title. Close ones, stands part of the bill. Honourable members, the question is that the committee rises and I report the bill. As many as of bad opinions say aye. As many as of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Honourable members, I beg to report that the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement Bill went through committee stage with no amendments. Honourable Prime Minister, Leader of Government Business. Madam Speaker, I move that the Chairman's report be adopted and the bill is now read for a third time in past. Honourable members, the question is that the Chairman's report be adopted and that the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation Agreement Bill be now read a third time and passed. I now put the question. As many as of that opinion say aye. Aye. As many as of a contrary opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Assembly and the Senate of St. Lucia and by the authority of the same as follows. This act may be cited as the Eastern Caribbean Partial Guarantee Corporation Agreement Act 2017. Honourable Minister, in the office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for tourism information broadcasting, member for Ancillary Canaries. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the first reading of a bill shortly entitled St. Lucia Tourism Authority. St. Lucia Tourism Authority. Honourable Minister, in the office of the Prime Minister is responsible for tourism information and broadcasting. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the suspension of Standing Order 48-2 in order to allow the bill to go through its remaining stages of dissitting. Honourable Members, the question is that Standing Order 48-2 be suspended in order to allow the St. Lucia Tourism Authority bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. I now put the question. As many, as of that opinion, say I. I. As many as are of a contrary opinion. Say no. I think the eyes have it, the eyes have it. Leave is granted. Please proceed, Honourable Minister, with responsibility for tourism. Madam Speaker, I beg to move for the second reading of a bill shortly entitled St. Lucia Tourism Authority. Madam Speaker, the bill, which is before us today, Madam Speaker, represents the commencement of an overall restructuring of the institutional arrangements for the tourism industry in St. Lucia. Madam Speaker, it seeks to replace the 1981 bill, the Tourist Industry Development Act, which is the governing act for the former St. Lucia Tourist Board. Madam Speaker, an act which was, which came into force in 1982, some 35 years ago. Madam Speaker, there were various attempts at amending the act to bring it up to the times. In 1993, in 1996, and in 2002, there were attempts at modernizing the act, Madam Speaker. But really, Madam Speaker, 35 years on, there was very little amendments could have done. While all of this was happening, Madam Speaker, we see that our neighbors and a number of our competitors in the tourism industry were moving away from what we call the traditional tourist boards and were instituting more sophisticated organizations to better finance the marketing of tourism and manage the affairs of tourism. And so we see Dominica, for example, establishing a tourism authority. We see Antigua establishing a tourism authority. More recently, we see Grenada going in that direction. Madam Speaker, this required us, Madam Speaker, to take a very careful look at our own situation in St. Lucia. And when this government came in, we found a board which we said, while in opposition, was underperforming, lacked the creativity, lacked the nimbleness, lacked, Madam Speaker, the force to go out and really do a good job in marketing St. Lucia as a tourist destination. Madam Speaker, what we saw, that while the Caribbean was actually growing, Madam Speaker, in the year 2015, and it topped the rest of the world when it became the leading region, Madam Speaker, and grew by 7%, St. Lucia's growth was averaging somewhere in the region of 2%. Madam Speaker, but we also saw that the financial arrangements weren't among the best, Madam Speaker. At present, Madam Speaker, we had a difficult budget situation where the allocations of the budgetary resources, Madam Speaker, were so disproportionately allocated where some 14 million went towards the Jazz Festival, an event, Madam Speaker, which had lost its spunk, its force, and its penetration in the international marketplace, Madam Speaker, to do a good job as the main marketing event. But it absorbed and utilized a third of the budget, Madam Speaker, as it pertained to marketing the island. Madam Speaker, we saw as well that in this bill, what it will do is that it will give, Madam Speaker, the private sector greater involvement in terms of nomination of board members. We see in the Act, Madam Speaker, clearly makes allowance for private sector organizations, Madam Speaker, to nominate board members. Madam Speaker, this we believe does a significant job in depoliticizing the construction of the board. So for example, what obtained in the previous tourism industry development act is that the minister had cat-blash power to appoint all 12 members of the board. Madam Speaker, also it was very broad in terms of the types of skills, there was a lack of specificity as it relates to what type of skills you're looking for. And oftentimes what we have found historically with the tourist board is that, Madam Speaker, you find that there were political cronies who hadn't a clue about tourism marketing, but found themselves on this organization to dispense and to give charge over, Madam Speaker, the main marketing function of the destination. I think, Madam Speaker, that that is careless and irresponsible and a country, Madam Speaker, couldn't allow this to continue to happen when one bear in mind the significance of tourism and the role that it continues to play in being the main foreign exchange earner, the main economic driver and one of the leading generators of jobs in this country. And, Madam Speaker, while I'm on that point, I must tell you that we are getting ready to break ground in Bradley's constituency in Chazelle. We have an exciting project here to continue that momentum. Honorable member for Chazelle. So, Madam Speaker, we had to move away from this situation. We had to create an organization that was more responsible, Madam Speaker, to charge the marketing of St. Lucia. Madam Speaker, for example, I think what this does as well, this act, it, Madam Speaker, better defines the focus of the board. So, in the old act, it did allow for the board to actually go out and manage hotels and restaurants, but I can understand why that was done. Remember, Madam Speaker, the act was constructed 35 years ago. And so, therefore, the island's tourism industry was at its infancy and the infrastructure were not as sufficient as they are now to make sure that you had a solid and strong tourism sector that was moving forward. But times have changed. And so, the marketing arm, Madam Speaker, of the board, needed to better define its direction and its focus. And it ought not to be an events management company as it was in the last 10 years, but it has to be, Madam Speaker, a very robust and strong institution to market the destination of St. Lucia so that what we will do ultimately is produce growth for the tourism industry and give the people of St. Lucia a great chance of prosperity, of jobs, and economic opportunity. Madam Speaker, what it does as well, the new bill, Madam Speaker, a great advantage is that it creates a more sustainable framework to finance the authority and to finance the marketing of the tourism destination. Madam Speaker, in the last 10 years, the accumulation of budgets, Madam Speaker, that was associated to the board, range, Madam Speaker, accounted somewhere in the region of 400,000. So we were averaging, Madam Speaker, about 40 million annually to market the destination. But what we did was we borrowed the money and it went into the capital expenditure. Now what this new act is proposing is that, Madam Speaker, when the environment and when the time is right, Madam Speaker, this act makes allowance for the authority to raise revenue, Madam Speaker, via taxes, via levies, via different fees, so that you have a situation whereby when the central government is going through a lean fiscal period, that it doesn't just pull the guillotine in the tourism budget. Exactly the thing that we would rely on, Madam Speaker, to take the destination and to take the country out of the hole that it would have found itself in economically. And so at this point, Madam Speaker, is very important that we establish a more robust, a more sustained financing mechanism, Madam Speaker, so that the marketing of the destination will be consistent, so that, Madam Speaker, the problems that we see where at times, the old argument comes up that tourism gets everything, where the private sector will have a greater responsibility and a greater opportunity to participate in funding the marketing of the destination and the country. Madam Speaker, we have made very tight in this legislation, we have found it necessary to include the structure of the authority, which would also change and create new departments, Madam Speaker, so that we have a better running of the organization and we have, Madam Speaker, a more dynamic and efficient institution to preside over the marketing of our destination. Madam Speaker, this is a very important bill for the tourism industry, but I want to reiterate that it is the commencement of a total reconstruction of various institutions on the island, Madam Speaker, the government tourism. And so one of the things that we will do, you would have heard me speak about village tourism and, Madam Speaker, we're looking to establish that institution, which will focus on product development, which would focus on, Madam Speaker, creating entrepreneurship among the local people and given guidance in training, in the development and the establishment of small tourism businesses, so that we see, Madam Speaker, total reconstruction of the various institutions of government tourism. We are also looking in the future, Madam Speaker, to establish a tourism council, which would encourage more cohesion, Madam Speaker, across public and private sector agencies so that the business of tourism is not just the department of tourism, but it becomes everybody's business. Everyone gets to participate, to share in the national vision of where the country is going, so that we can take St. Lucia Fowler. Madam Speaker, I thank you very much and I hope I get the support of my colleagues for the enactment of this bill. Honourable members, the question is that the St. Lucia Tourism Authority, Bill, be read a second time. Honourable member for Cassary South. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I rise at this very late hour. And of course, Madam Speaker, I'm sure you're aware that we'd have all preferred to be elsewhere. Madam Speaker, but I think we have some duties to perform in this honourable house. So Madam Speaker, please permit me to respond to the proposed bill before this house and to start off, Madam Speaker, by saying to the honourable member for Ansley Cannabis that he keeps referring to the former St. Lucia Tourist Board. The simple fact is there is still a St. Lucia Tourist Board and as a bill would state, it is only when, and I probably would read it, Madam Speaker, that it is only from the date of commencement of this act that the St. Lucia Tourist Board shall cease to exist. So the St. Lucia Tourist Board still exists, Madam Speaker. But Madam Speaker, I'll come back to that point a bit later. It is stated, Madam Speaker, that the purpose of this bill is to repeal and replace the old Tourism Industry Development Act and to increase the social economic contribution of tourism to national development. That's a specific purpose of this bill. Madam Speaker, if you are repealing, replacing, if you are abandoning the St. Lucia Tourist Board that has served us for many years, we'd want to believe that the minister of tourism would present to the house or at least somewhere would have presented a vision of where tourism will be going in this country. Now, Madam Speaker, I know the minister himself and I'll be fair to him, would have made statements here and there about tourism. The Honorable Prime Minister, who we know has a very strong view as to what tourism should be and what role it should play in our national development, has said a few things. But nowhere, Madam Speaker, have we heard a comprehensive vision of the role of tourism in our national development. Because if the Honorable Minister, member for Ansler Canary stated that the purpose of this bill is to put in the institutional framework for a new tourism industry, but we don't even know what that tourism industry is supposed to look like, at least from the view of the government side. Now, Madam Speaker, probably the first thing that ought to have been done was to do a review of the Senatorsha Tourist Board and of the tourism industry in Senatorsha. And if such a review was done to present it to the house to justify why a new institutional framework was being put into place. Now, Madam Speaker, we recall that a member for Ansler Canaries had announced last year that he would do an audit in the Senatorsha Tourist Board. And one would believe that before you present a new bill and new institutional framework for the tourism industry in Senatorsha would have received the audit. The audit would have told us what went wrong, who did what was wrong, and outline recommendations as to what ought to be done. So, Madam Speaker, taxpayers' monies were taken to conduct an audit. It has not been presented to the house, it has not been presented to the public, but we already have a new institutional framework that has been put into place to carry the tourism industry for the years to come. And one has to ask the question of the honorable member, where is the audit? What are the findings of the audit? And Madam Speaker, I think it is only logical that we would expect that the findings to be presented here today when the new legislation is being proposed and to be passed that would guide our tourism industry moving forward. And a lot has been said, Madam Speaker, by the honorable member about who spent what on what and who did wrong, but we've still not seen before the honorable house a complete submission from him. So, Madam Speaker, if we are restructuring, it should have started with that review. And if such a review was done, the honorable member should have presented it to the house or at least to the public. Madam Speaker, I'm gonna say a few things about the decision taken last year, Madam Speaker, to send the entire staff, almost every staff member of the tourist board home, on the grounds that the tourist board was being restructured and that staff members were being made redundant. Madam Speaker, I think it is a little unfair to staff members to have claimed that you had dissolved the tourist board. My girlfriend, Madam Speaker, what kind of decorum is this in this house? Madam Speaker, members on the other side are rather amusing. And so what you described the honorable member of other countries has been very amusing, Madam Speaker. But, Madam Speaker, maybe I have the most girlfriends, Madam Speaker, but the more you give me, I wouldn't argue if you're... Madam Speaker, the tourist board was being dissected from the moment the government was sworn in, Madam Speaker. And it was said that it was being done because restructuring was taking place. But no restructuring can take place until this becomes act, the commencement of this act. And one has to ask a question and the water authority members were sent home. The board was dissolved and persons told that they were being made redundant. And I trust, Madam Speaker, at the appropriate time that the workers can be given a full justification as to why they were sent home. The honorable member, Madam Speaker, who spoke of the tourist board has been an events management company. Madam Speaker, this is cross disrespect to the hard-working staff of the St. Lucia tourist board over the last decade or so, Madam Speaker. St. Lucia professionals that have given a lot to this country, working hard to promote this destination, to bring tourists to this country and to describe it as an events management company. But, Madam Speaker, I welcome to the whole notion of the events management company. Because when the honorable minister says that the tourist board was underperforming, Madam Speaker, let me remind him of the statistics, Madam Speaker, between 2000, in 2011, 312,404 stay over arrivals. By the end of 2015, it was 344,908. And increase, Madam Speaker, there was substantial growth in the US market. 122,356 in 2011 to 152,748 by the end of 2015. But you said you were underperforming, Madam Speaker. Cruise arrivals, honorable minister, and you said the person should go and do their research and read before they speak in this honorable house. Cruise arrivals increased from 630,000 in 2011 to 667,000 in 2015. Madam Speaker, in that same last five years, because of the strategic airline relief plan followed, there was increased relief to St. Lucia, additional jet blue services, new United Airlines services, additional Delta services, increasing relief from Canada by 11% in the United States of America by 9%. Madam Speaker, but despite all of that, let's put it in context of the Eastern Caribbean, honorable minister. When you're speaking of women underperforming, St. Lucia was performing the best, the best in the Eastern Caribbean, Madam Speaker. Tell me no, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, hold on, hold on, let me continue. St. Lucia performed above the average in two consecutive years, 2012 and 2014, but the data is there. St. Lucia performed above the average for two consecutive years, 2012 and 2014. The years, Madam Speaker, 2014 and 2015, Madam Speaker, and Madam Speaker, you have to, statistics again. In 2014, 2015, St. Lucia did not perform the best because in Aruba, Grenada, Barbados, there were significant increases in properties and room stock. The opening of the sandals in Grenada, sandals in Barbados, and hotels opening in Aruba, so they did better than St. Lucia, but in terms of real growth, St. Lucia still outstrip all of them, but as for the same reason why in St. Lucia, you will see significant increases because of the opening of the Royal Town Hotel. Because of that hotel being off the market for a number of years, and now that it's reopened, you will see a significant increase, and especially out of the Canadian market, Madam Speaker, because of the link between Royal Town and the Canadian market. So, Madam Speaker, when the Honorable Member says, St. Lucia was underperforming, St. Lucia was performing above the average, and the only time it was no longer was when other territories, Grenada and Barbados opened new sandals hotels and they were increases, Madam Speaker. So do not come to this Honorable House and then insert the hard work of St. Lucia professionals who worked hard and diligently to promote this destination. Madam Speaker, the Honorable Member said, the tourist board was just an events management company. But you know one thing, they're doing it a lot better than events company of St. Lucia is doing right now. Although I don't blame the professionals in there, I blame the concept of the Soleil St. Lucia Summer Festival. Madam Speaker, a concept borrowed from Southern France, concept almost down to the logo, Madam Speaker, copied and borrowed from another jurisdiction. And you're saying to me, Madam Speaker, and let's talk a bit about Soleil because the Honorable Member from Ancelerate should have told us what is the rule that events will now play in our tourism? Because the first major decision taken by the government in relation to tourism was to strip detention tourist board, send everyone home except a few chosen persons, and Madam Speaker, to then establish what they call the summer festival, to do away with the jazz festival. And it pained my heart, Madam Speaker, a couple of weeks ago to hear officials from St. Kitts boasting of the festival. It has now become a festival and saying that they copied the model of what they had in St. Lucia. So they now have 14 days of events all over St. Kitts. They never had that before. For 14 days, there are events all over St. Kitts in all the communities in St. Kitts. And you're seeing it was copied on the St. Lucia Arts and Jazz Festival, Madam Speaker. Instead of 25 years of hard work and brand-building in St. Lucia, we gave it up for something called Soleil St. Lucia. Madam Speaker, the Arts and Jazz Festival became a jazz weekend. And the Honorable Member at some point will want to need to tell us how much money was spent on the events that weekend. Over $4 million. And a lot has been said, Madam Speaker, on how much money was spent on the 25th anniversary of jazz last year. I can recall and the Honorable Member can correct me. I'm sure he said $11 million was spent. Of $14 million. Now $14 million was spent on an arts and jazz festival celebrating 25 years. It was the biggest jazz festival we ever had in St. Lucia in terms of activities, in terms of number of artists and everything else. And remember it was also the arts festival. There was an arts village. There were activities throughout this country for almost two weeks of events. Communities enjoy and benefited from it. But Madam Speaker, there was a jazz festival. Madam Speaker, where all over $4 million was spent on the weekend, Madam Speaker. And if you had been in the Khalid so tense and I'm the members in here, who were there? The Prime Minister sitting to my right. The Honorable Member from Gosele, I think he bought me a drink at one time. Madam Speaker, people were joking out. There were more people in the tent than there were at the jazz festival at Pigeon Point. This is not a joke, Madam Speaker. It's a fantastic thing. No, Madam Speaker, that what was your best event? Honorable Prime Minister. Honorable Prime Minister, I can tell you a few things about Khalid so. But let me tell you, if you've only now started following Khalid so, I've been going to Khalid so from the time I could crawl. So I can tell you about Khalid so and Khalid so and what not. But let's proceed, let's proceed. You offered me a section in the road march. There's nothing like a section in the road march. You know, it just shows you don't even understand what Khalid so is all about. But Madam Speaker, the point I'm making is, on what? We'll come to that, 1.7. But Madam Speaker, then we had, Madam Speaker, the reggae and soul festival. All more than two and a half million dollars spent on that weekend. More than two and a half million dollars, Madam Speaker, in the middle of the carnival season. In the middle of the carnival season, on a day that traditionally, those who follow Khalid so will tell you, every Father's Day there's a special Khalid so show on that Sunday. It could not be held this year because it was reggae and soul festival. More than two and a half million dollars I am told, Madam Speaker. And it will hardly 500 people attending the shows, Madam Speaker. I'm telling you what I am told. You can, okay. How many? 5,000? 5,000? No, it's 5,000. Okay, 5,000? 5,000? No. You'd be happy with that? No. But anyway. But can I just tell you something? Were you satisfied with the attendance? Absolutely. You were absolutely satisfied with the attendance. Madam Speaker, you recall a few weeks ago there was a show in Soufre by two very noted reggae artists too. Two in Soufre. You remember that honorable member for Soufre? Jack here on another one. Right, rise up. There were more persons in Soufre attending that reggae show than there was at reggae and soul festival. Madam Speaker, all that is happening now that they are competing with promoters. If promoters in St. Lucia who promote those reggae shows were given 2.5 million dollars, they would have had a lot better performance than was done. But the fundamental point, Madam Speaker, is what is the role of events in our tourism industry moving forward, Madam Speaker? And that's a critical question. Because how many more years will we spend millions on a jazz weekend, on a reggae and soul weekend that will not bring the desired results? And if the member for Miku Soufre on the prime minister says to me he was very satisfied with the turnout at those shows, Madam Speaker, it really begs the question. Now for Carnival, I'm told three million dollars is committed to Carnival. So over four million for jazz weekend, over 2.5 million for reggae and soul, that's already almost seven million. Another three million, another three million, Madam Speaker, for Carnival. Madam Speaker, 1.7 million was given in previous years for Carnival. And you know, Madam Speaker, I support increasing the allocation for Carnival. I support it, Madam Speaker. Because, Madam Speaker, Carnival needs more money, Madam Speaker. But is where is the money going, Madam Speaker? Where is the three million dollars going? There are no new events for Carnival. None. Promoters who are putting on the shows and the real life of Carnival are all the shows that are taking place. Madam Speaker, they will tell you it is worse this year to get the resources to make it happen. And, Madam Speaker, while I can invite all members there to come to Color Me Red, Madam Speaker, because I'm familiar with it, I can tell you it is no easier, Madam Speaker. Not one cent has been made available to assist the persons that put on the biggest shows that when individuals come from overseas, Madam Speaker, and they come for the parade on Monday, Tuesday, they also want the other shows to go to. They want the other events to go to. And these things cost money, Madam Speaker. So if one is put in three million dollars in Carnival, there has to be a serious dialogue with stakeholders as to how that money can best be utilized. Some people believe if they pay more money to the MCs at the shows and they pay more money, prize money, automatically the product improves. That's not necessarily the case, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the point, though, I want to make is that we need to have a very clear idea what is the role of events in our tourism industry plan moving forward and that events in Losia should not be competing as a promoter of events and shows in Losia. This should not be competing with all the other promoters. Those other promoters can do a better job than events in Losia, not necessarily in how the look and feel and the presentation of the event, but in terms of creating a vibe, creating a sense of something that you want to go to and you want to be part of. So, Solace and Lucia Summer Festival is a flawed concept, Madam Speaker, that needs urgent rethinking. No, I did, but I'm saying to you, but precisely after what I saw at Jazz, Reagan, Seoul, and the approach to Carnival, there's something flawed about it and there should be some rethinking because you cannot spend almost $11 million already and you're not really sensing it and if anybody is honest enough to tell me that they're happy with what happened at Jazz and Reagan and Seoul, Madam Speaker, then I'm not sure about this. Madam Speaker, the second point, the member for Anseli Carnival should consider and it's really important that he outlines the vision for tourism in San Lucia, Madam Speaker, because, Madam Speaker, we've heard that view photo will become the pull of the Caribbean, castries will become the monocoe of the Caribbean or monocoe of the world, I'm not sure, and that San Lucia should be a model and Jamaica should be the model for San Lucia. I heard all of that in the last, I heard the one about Jamaica, I think it was your Prime Minister, and I remember who said so, that Jamaica is a model, you know that we should be following. We need to define, well, I think the Prime Minister from Jamaica was nearby and maybe, you know, that was there, yeah, you heard it, all right. The ticket is next to your event. Tickets to what? To our event. To your event? Madam Speaker, Madam Speaker, can I tell you something? I own nothing that is yellow, and Madam Speaker, I never liked yellow for one simple reason, for one simple reason, and it's not political, Honorable Member. As a young man, I could not pronounce yellow, I used to say yellow, that's why I always had a dislike for the color. Anyway, Madam Speaker, I can see your reaction, but Madam Speaker, the point though is, we need a vision, we need a vision, we need a vision as to what kind of solution we need, because is it going to be a solution of skyscrapers? So we have a pool of the Caribbean, with our entire coastline dotted with skyscrapers, is it going to be castles becoming a monocoque? What is it, Madam Speaker, will we, but that's dreaming big, but you don't have to dream big, literally, Madam Speaker, to have big and tall skyscrapers. Your thinking big can be in the depth of your thoughts, and the depth of your understanding of what it is. St. Lucia must be promoted as a place with a certain personality, Madam Speaker. Who we are, St. Lucia's, respect for our patrimony, respect for our identity and personality, Madam Speaker. Having tall buildings doesn't make us big, and that's not thinking big, Honorable Member. Thinking big is a deeper concept than that, Madam Speaker. So I would like to hear from the Honorable Minister at some point in time. What is the vision for St. Lucia and how is St. Lucia moving forward? Because I have an interest in it, Madam Speaker, because the constituency I represent has Marigoby, one of the most beautiful and scenic spots in St. Lucia, and there has to be a clear understanding of how does Marigoby fit into this new bill and this new vision for St. Lucia? Madam Speaker, Fuwa show banan, when cruise ships come in, those are the first spots they see, and they've been talked for many years in this country or many years in this country about redevelopment of the port and redevelopment of castries. And I have an interest in it because the constituency I represent is right there on the coastline, on the front line. And anything that has to happen, Madam Speaker, there has to be dialogue with those persons who live in those areas. So the vision for St. Lucia tourism has to be discussed, and we have to have a clear understanding so I can explain and be part of that dialogue with the people of Marigoby, the people of banan, and the people of Fuwa show and old cemetery. Madam Speaker, let us move quickly. And I want to focus, Madam Speaker, the actual provisions of the bill at this point in time, because Madam Speaker, I want to say to the honorable member from Ansari countries that there is no material difference between the old and what's being proposed now. There's no basic, there is some tidying up, but there is nothing in there that was not in the old bill, nothing, Madam Speaker. Except you reduce the number of directors from 12 to seven, you remove a few clauses, Madam Speaker, but there is nothing material that when you read this, you say, wow, this is going to transform tourism in St. Lucia. It's not them, Madam Speaker. The honorable members speak of involving the private sector more. Tell me, where in this bill can you find this? Where? There is nothing in here that is materially different than what was in the old bill, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I want to refer, and I'm glad the AG is here, between section 95C and 196. And whether or not, Madam Speaker, there is not a contradiction between those two provisions, Madam Speaker. Because, Madam Speaker, 19-5 speaks that at a meeting of the board, the chairperson shall preside, or if the chairperson is not present, the deputy chairperson shall preside. Or 5C, if the chairperson, or the deputy chairperson is not present, the directors present shall choose one of their number to preside. So it means if the chairperson is not there, or if the deputy chairperson is not there, one of their members can preside. That's what that says. But then 6 goes on, a meeting of the board is constituted. If at the meeting, there is the presence of the chairman, chairperson, or deputy chairperson, and a quorum of not less than five directors participating in the meeting. So 19-6 says the chairperson, or the deputy chairperson must be present. And 19-5 says that if the chairman is not there, then the deputy chairperson, if the deputy chairperson is not there, they can choose one of themselves to preside in the meeting. So I'm not sure whether or not this is not slightly contradictory. And we may wish to consider, like I said, the age is there so we can provide some guidance to us. And I want to move quickly, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, section 21, Chief Executive Officer. And Madam Speaker, I noted 21 to F that the Chief Executive Officer attend meetings of the board unless directed otherwise by the chairperson but have no voting rights in the meeting. It is now usual, Madam Speaker, for the CEO to participate and attend all board meetings, even if he's ex-officio or has no voting rights. Under this clause, you virtually saying that your CEO, he can be instructed by the chairperson not to attend board meetings. And I think, Madam Speaker, that cannot be right. That at least the chairperson should be a member of the board, even if he's ex-officio with no voting rights. But the CEO should be a member of the board because you create a situation where a chairperson can virtually instruct the CEO not to attend board meetings. And that is not usual for modern corporations or for good governance and efficient operations. And members opposite may wish to consider an amendment to that section. Madam Speaker, moving quickly along. Section 21, 22, 23, 24 speaks of different positions. But nowhere in there is it said who they should be reporting to. In this bill, Madam Speaker, it doesn't say whether the CEO reports to the chairman or to the board. It doesn't say whether the Chief Financial Officer reports to the board or the CEO or the chairman. And maybe you might wish to consider and showing that there's a clear statement of the lines of reporting. So it says clearly that the CEO reports to the board because we all know and we've all been in in different businesses that those things can create issues where the CEO is not clear whether he has to report to the chairperson or he has to report to the board. And especially in the case of the Chief Financial Officer, is he reporting to the CEO or is he reporting to the board? Madam Speaker, clause 26 speaks of secrecy and confidentiality. And it states all the exemptions. But should we not consider, and I know this government has an obsession with secrecy and confidentiality clauses, whatnot, that, and I ask the question just for consideration, that if an employee wishes to report instances of corruption or wrongdoing, should that person not be exempted from having committed a crime? Because in there, it would be considered having committed a crime even if that person is exposing instances of corruption and wrongdoing within the corporation. Even if that person goes, you know, and reports it to the CEO or somebody, it can be interpreted as such. And again, I'm gonna ask the AG and the Honorable Minister to consider. Madam Speaker, quickly, section 35, Madam Speaker. It speaks of the annual report. A, an account of the performance of activities and operations of the authority. B, an assessment of marketing performance undertaken in this act. And C, an analysis of the program of the tourism industry during the preceding year. What is the program of the tourism industry? Are you doing an assessment of the strategic plan, an assessment of the work program of the authority? What is the program of the tourism industry? Is it the function, the activities of the authority? Is it that of the entire country? What does that mean, Madam Speaker? And I would ask the Honorable Member whether or not he should also consider a de-Madem Speaker that speaks of a report on product development in the country. Because this, if there is one addition to this that really makes a material difference is that it explicitly speaks of product development. In the previous act, it made mention implicitly about product development. This is explicit in stated product development. But maybe you should have as part of the annual report a statement on assessment of product development in the country. And Madam Speaker, I want to end, Madam Speaker, on the point where I started about the treatment, Madam Speaker, the unceremonious dismissing, Madam Speaker, of the staff at the Senatorsia Tourism Board. Madam Speaker, I believe they were treated badly for whatever reason. I'm not privy as to why it is felt that everyone should be sent home except a few chosen persons. Madam Speaker, but that's up to the union and the workers to deal with at the appropriate time. Madam Speaker, you see at the end of the day, and I think the Honorable Member kind of betrayed it. He said Antigua has a authority, Dominica has one, so we should have one too, because there was no need, Madam Speaker, even in tidying up the acts to change the name from Senatorsia Tourism Board to Senatorsia Tourism Authority. What was the rationale for changing the name from Senatorsia Tourism Board to Senatorsia Tourism Authority? Is it flashed in mirrors, Madam Speaker? Like the related opposition is very quick to say, just flashed in mirrors to say, we created something new. There is some tidying up, Madam Speaker, but there's no material difference between this and the previous, Madam Speaker. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Honorable Leader of the Opposition. Yeah, Madam Speaker, very quickly, the minister spoke about political interference and given the impression that this board is free from political interference, I want to just bring him to the new act, Section 10. First of all, the minister points the majority of members and the board directors. There are seven members, he appoints four. And the four that he will appoint, well, but he'll appoint four. Secondly, Section 10 is the same as Section 13. And I remember when we were in government, members of the Opposition created a lot of problems with ministers giving policy directives. It's exactly the same wooden as Section 10 in the new act and Section 13 in the old act. But I just want to make another point about the jazz festival. We have heard constant criticisms about the jazz festival. I want to know, was any study done did we sit down and get somebody to do a complete audit or of the relevancy of the jazz festival? What was the impact of the jazz festival on marketing? We just stayed there and we just said that the jazz festival is useless and then we need to downgrade it. Where is the scientific or the statistical or the marketing proof that said that the jazz festival needed to be treated how it was treated? You see, man and speaker, all of us like or want the tourism industry to prosper. But I don't think it's right. Like one day I was speaking, the minister of tourism told me, you see you don't speak with me about tourism in its arrogance. I was minister of tourism for 10 years. When I was minister of tourism, there was the largest, there was six new hotels who built when I was minister of tourism. But he told me, don't speak to me about tourism. Don't speak to me about tourism. That's what he told me. You understand? That is arrogance. The prime minister and I, we worked in the tourism industry together. When he wasn't in the state, he wasn't prime minister. He and I discussed a lot about the tourism industry. We shared a lot of views. We had opinions on it, but all of a sudden, because you have become a minister, don't speak to you against it. Don't speak to you about it again. Because you've got so, you know so much not to speak to you about it. I'm saying to you that every country has a marquee festival. Every country has something it's known for. Brazil is known for its carnival. China is known for its carnival. A one marquee festival. There is, in Grenada, there is yachting. Trying to build one major festival country is known for. I'm saying to you, did we sit down and analytically look at whether the jazz festival had passed its prime? You said it had lost its punk. So all I'm saying is that, did we just say that? Or is there any proof? Or is there any documented study that says the jazz festival had lost its appeal? That is all I'm saying. Second, the member for Cashew South made several very important points. But there's one point that we made that I want to emphasize. And it's the treatment of the employees. If you look at that act, the old act, section 22, transitional provisions, you will see all persons in the employment of the former board, immediately before the appointed day, shall be deemed to be employed by the board established under this act and subject to this act on terms and conditions which taken as a whole are not less favorable. That's what the, these are called the transitional provisions for the staff. In that act, in that new act, if you look at transitional provisions, there's nothing about the staff. There's absolutely nothing about the staff in the transitional provisions in the new act. And if you all take it to logical conclusion, that means that when the new authority came into being, all the staff had been dismissed because there is nothing there that speaks about, and I need you to tell me where in this new act that speaks about the, in this new act that speaks about the staff who employed at the tourist board before. So, my own speaker, all I'm saying is that the tourism industry is vital and important. And as if you're wanting all of us agree, all of us agree on that, it's vital and it's important. One, the prime minister may have his own version or his own objectives as to where tourism industry must go. We may have a different view, but all of us understand it's important and all of us want to work to make it succeed. So I don't think the tourism industry is industry where you must try to make cheap shots and try to, you know, just for the political gain. I think that this act is not fundamentally different to the old act. You wanted to change it and I'm in full agreement. When you're in government, you can make the changes. You want, that's what people put you there for. But do not begin to call people political cronies and just cast them aside and the staff, and you fire the staff unceremoniously. I mean, I'm saying that's not necessary. There are some things we supposed to mature, to be mature about. And I'm saying the tourism industry is wanting, we should not act in that manner because it will affect all of us and no one of us. There's no one inside here who has all the answers to the tourism industry. It's too dynamic, it's too fluid for any one of us here to have all the answers for the industry. So I think finally, Madam Speaker, the tourist board made an appointment in June the 16th over a foreign American representative to represent St. Lucia. And it says the person will be responsible for promoting St. Lucia's tourism offerings in the United States and driving US visitors to the island through strategic publications and communication tactics. There was a St. Lucia doing that exact job. There was a St. Lucia who was representing St. Lucia in the States. We got rid of that St. Lucia who has 20 years industry experience. More than 20 years, we've got rid of her and we employed someone else. And I'm sure that person you employed, that person can't find souffle on their own. That PR person employed cannot find souffle on their own. You must drive them to souffle, but you employed her. You've got rid of dissolution. You've got rid of her, you've got rid of her instead of allowing her to let her work with that new person, you've got rid of her and then you've appointed someone else. So, Madam Speaker, I believe that the government wanted to change the act. It's in the government's authority and power to change the act. But I think in changing the act, they should not pretend that all was bad. The industry was in a mess and they are the saviors of the industry. And there are many things, Madam Speaker, that have been said here in this honorable house that gave the impression that this country was a dump and this government will take it out from being a dump. It was a dump. If there's nothing that was as bad, the economy was in shambles and everything was bad, you know, Madam Speaker. Even if reports say that the economy had shown signs of improvement, we come here and we cast to get everything. We behave as if the country was hell. We behave as if, I understand, that you want to grand charge and you want to make us look bad. But don't appear as if everything was a mess. When you're in a position, you did the same thing. You're in government, you're doing the same thing. You're positioned, you're positioned. I came here this morning and I spoke about, just for a minute, I'm sorry, I know you need to leave. I spoke about artificial intelligence. I want to ask the only members to go to Google, futureoflife.org. Benefits and risks of artificial intelligence by Mark Tegmark. And I also want you to look at Cambridge Analytica and you see the point I was asking, the question I was asking, because you wanted to make it appear as if I was insane. I just see something from anywhere. I want you to go and Google it and check out Cambridge Analytica and you will see the point I was making as the relation, the relations between artificial intelligence, data analytical and political persuasion. I want you to look at your 7C. And when we come back, we'll discuss it. So, Madam Speaker, I want to tell the honorable member for Anseli Kanwins that he's brought a new act. That's in his right. He can do it, because that's what people put him there for. But do not pretend as if you found the industry in such a mess and he's the savior for the industry. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Honorable Minister in the Ministry for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport, Civil Aviation, Member for Sufferé, Forsythia. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'll be very brief, Madam Speaker. But I believe that it is incumbent upon me, Madam Speaker, as Parliamentary Representative of the constituency of Suffren, known as the Make of Tourism, to add my little piece to the bill presented there tonight by the honorable member for Anseli Kanwins and the Minister in the Ministry of Tourism, that of the St. Lucia Tourism Authority, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I believe that with this bill, the St. Lucia Tourism Authority, it is, I'm confident, Madam Speaker, that this is the right direction for the country, Madam Speaker. And also, it is going to be very beneficial to my constituency of Suffren. Madam Speaker, I am extremely grateful with the fact that this new industry's focus will be mainly on the marketing promotion and research of the industry. What we had previously, Madam Speaker, the old Tourism Development Act and under the Tourist Board, Madam Speaker, I believe there was too much attention being paid to promotion of events and very little effort in marketing and promoting the island, Madam Speaker. So with this new first on marketing promotion, Madam Speaker, I see tremendous benefits for Suffren and the country, Madam Speaker. And with better marketing, better promotion, Madam Speaker, definitely it will result in an increase in visitor arrivals. If you have an increase in visitor arrivals, Madam Speaker, I could see benefits to other sectors of the agricultural sector, manufacturing, handicraft, and the arts. And this, Madam Speaker, will go a long way in benefiting my constituents of Suffra, Forsajak, and the rest of the island. Madam Speaker, I am extremely happy also with the Village Tourism aspect of this tourism authority. And I'm particularly impressed and satisfied when it comes to the non-traditional accommodation sector, which Village Tourism will focus on, Madam Speaker. And I'm speaking of the non-traditional accommodation sector, like apartments and individual houses, Madam Speaker. What it means, Madam Speaker, is that a middle-class, Suffra person with a four-bedroom house who only two persons who occupy it, Madam Speaker, may now be able to rent it out to visitors through, I think it's Airbnb, Honorable Minister, and be able to make some additional income to help support the family, Madam Speaker. So I'm very, very satisfied with this aspect of Village Tourism under this tourism authority, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, under Village Tourism Authority, as with Village Tourism, Madam Speaker, I see it is going to add value to the sites and the attractions in Suffra and surroundings. And that, again, Madam Speaker, is going to create the economic thrust that we are looking for in Suffra and the economy, Madam Speaker. And, Madam Speaker, lastly, I am very, very much in favour and in agreement with the private sector having a bigger voice, a bigger role in this authority. We see, Madam Speaker, in the act on the Section 7c that the private sector will now be able to nominate three persons to the board of the authority. In the previous Tourism Development Act, the Minister, Madam Speaker, had total authority to appoint all 12 directors to the board. But with this authority, the private sector will be able to nominate three persons to play a bigger role in the development of the sector and take us to where we want to be with tourism in this country, Madam Speaker. So, Madam Speaker, I want to support this bill and I want to commend the Honorable Minister of Tourism for laying out this bill here tonight for us. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Honorable Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I stand to lend support to my colleague, member for ancillary countries. In within a short space of time, Madam Speaker, that we have been in office to be able to understand all of the challenges that this sector is facing and the need to be able to chart a new path. Now, I did observe, Madam Speaker, the member for Castro himself. He seemed to have been saying, well, there was no need to change the act, but yes, there are some new things in the act. But, Madam Speaker, you know, when misinformation is given in this honorable house, it is always good to correct it. Now, I saw the member for Castro's is left, but I want the records to show Madam Speaker. In his presentation, he said he has been Minister of Tourism for 10 years. Now, Madam Speaker, I always know the people in the Labour Party have a problem with checking. They have a problem with numbers. Because, Madam Speaker, to my recollection, in from 1997 to 2001, the Labour Party was in office for nine years. During these nine years, the former parliamentary rep for Castro's office, Minister Rambali, was Minister of Tourism for a period of time, about a year plus. So, I wanted the member from Castro's is to tell me, when did he spend 10 years as Minister of Tourism? If he spent nine years, if the party spent nine years in office, and during these nine years, Madam Speaker, one member, another member of the party was Minister of Tourism for over a year. So, I want to know, because when they came back into office, Madam Speaker, he was Minister for infrastructure. So, at what point? But you see, Madam Speaker, conveniently, they will just tell you, I was there. I did this. So, I want him to come back, and I want to set the record straight in this Parliament, that he was mislead in the House. When he said he was Minister of Tourism for 10 years. And Madam Speaker, it is not what he said, you know. It is to show that he is an authority himself, and he knows certain things about the industry. So, he's given himself more kudos than he really has. Madam Speaker, these records need to be set straight. And so, I heard the member speak about the Jazz Festival. The law of diminishing returns is what you have to begin to look at. When you have reached the peak, when you have reached the top, and there's nothing else to gain. So, you have to re-market yourself. You have to reprogram yourself. You have to do things differently. And so, I'm telling you, what the Labour Party try and do is add the Arts Festival. And maybe the first year, the Arts Festival may have made a little sense. But afterwards, what was it? Nothing was broadcast. Who were they marketing to? That was the Arts Village. I know when they used the Audi building to do it. What did we get from that? So, I am saying, Madam Speaker, here we are. We have been doing things, Madam Speaker. $14 million was spent in the Jazz Festival. And he wants to ask, well, what scientific evidence is there? What were the ticket sales? What were the ticket sales? Well, I think the member gave how many thousand tickets was given before the last election? Ten thousand tickets. But the problem is they took it and they didn't even go to the show. Because you gave out eleven thousand tickets. At all the shows put together, there was not eleven thousand people. So even the people you gave the tickets did not go to the show. Madam Speaker, Madam Speaker, no, last year. Last year. Madam Speaker, the reality of the situation is this government came in on a platform of change that it was not going to be business as usual. And we were going to do things that is going to benefit the country. So you want to know about Soleil and what's going to happen? You want to know how it is going to work? Give us three years. Because any new thing you begin to do, a new product on the market, takes time. So you too much in a hurry. Take your time. You will have the opportunity if you still here to have that discussion when we are finished with dealing with all the matters. So Madam Speaker, I fully support my colleague minister and the member for Ansela Ray countries in introducing a new tourism authority to help chart a new path for this sector to take us in a direction that we were going opposite. We are going in an opposite direction to where you are taking us. And when you want to talk about the numbers we will come and have a discussion about the tourism numbers because I tell you you have to take it from where you got it. What were the best years of tourism in this country? It happened during the financial crisis under a UWP administration when we first hit a million arrivals in this country. When everybody said we could not do it, we did it. So you will have the opportunity to judge us in the future. I fully support the bill. Madam Speaker. Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to be able to support my colleague from Ansela Ray countries in this first phase of restructuring of tourism. I stand with many years of experience as an individual that not only had the opportunity of studying more than 10 years but of experience in tourism. I had the opportunity Madam Speaker of being a member of the San Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association. In fact at one point I actually had the opportunity of being the President of the Association. I was an economist in the Ministry of Economic Development in which part of my portfolio was overseeing some of the tourism projects. I was given the opportunity at the age of 31 Madam Speaker to be the Director of Tourism. I did that for three years. I left and I had the opportunity of working with a boutique hotel chain. I had the opportunity of working with Air Jamaica. I started off as Director of Sales for North America and ended up my stint as the Senior Vice President for Marketing and Sales Globally. I came home Madam Speaker and I opened up my own hotel. I had the opportunity of being the President-Elect of the Caribbean Hotels Association and was very fortunate that Sir John, the late Sir John, asked me to join his cabinet as the Minister of Tourism in which I took over the position of Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. I say that all of that not to boast but to say that I've had the opportunity Madam Speaker of being involved in tourism at all the different levels. Real experience. I mean being firsthand involved and being able to get a perspective from different views, from a small hotel perspective, one point was 20 rooms, to being on a regional front. The opportunity when I was with Air Jamaica was the experience I gained by being invited to many different marketing boards at the regional level and also at national levels in other countries. And so I got to see best practices and I got to see worst practices. One of the things I learned very early Madam Speaker is that if you continuously try to measure your success by percentage growth that that's where you fall into trouble. Because I keep on making the example of a child who goes to school, gets a grade of 40% and comes back home and tells his parents I did 10% better this year. That means he got a grade of 44% still failed. I gave the example and I learned these things the hard way of turning that into bagel, the Minister of Energy. And I said I'm envious of the Minister of Energy because the Minister of Energy can get geologists and engineers to come and determine how much resources are in the ground. You can then go to an economist that can tell you over a period of time how much you can sell those resources for. So it means that you know, he knows the full capacity potential of what is in the ground. And so therefore when he goes to the Minister of Finance that he can say here's how much is in the ground, here's how much it's going to cost us to be able to drill and here's how much the profit is going to be to us. I bring that up story because in the Caribbean we don't do that for tourism. None of us measures the potential of tourism. We constantly measure tourism by how much it did last year. In fact, the late Sir Dwight Venner and I got into a very interesting discussion. And I lamented the fact that here you have the largest industry in the Caribbean, the number one foreign exchange earner, the number one employer, the one that has the greatest potential for growth, yet the ECCB did not have a tourism economist. But you go throughout the OECS, you cannot find a Ministry of Economic Development, a Ministry of Finance, anywhere that there is that level of tourism expertise. Nobody's measuring the potential of tourism. We're all just sitting here trying to manage what we have and to grow what we have and then boast about it. That even the analysis that my colleagues on the opposite side are talking about, I grieve them. That level of analysis has been lacking for a long time. And it's because of the lack of that analysis that we make some bad decisions. So if there's anybody who has had an intimate relationship with the Salucia Tourist Board, I can say to you, Madam Speaker, Alan Shastney has been that person. From 1989 until now there has not been a year that I have not been involved in the Salucia Tourist Board one way or the other. Whether it's directly providing oversight or as a hotelier, constantly involved and watched the Salucia Tourist Board evolve. And I would say to you that we have to be able to accept when things are wrong. Problems in the Salucia Tourist Board did not arise today. Been there for a while. We continue to see, Madam Speaker, the lack of genuine concern. We continue to want to come to this house on important matters like this and play petty politics. I asked the members on the opposite side, didn't you not do a study on the jazz festival in 2014? Did not the conclusion of that study, I believe the person who headed that study was a gentleman called Petrus Compton. Did the conclusion of that study not see that events should be taken out of the Tourist Board? Didn't your government in the last budget presentation extract events? No, but I'm just saying to you, but don't come now. I didn't put words in anybody's mouth. I didn't put any words in anybody's mouth, Madam Speaker. The point is that you came to this house and said that we were wrong to take out the events. Why would we take out events? Isn't that what you not said? I did not say that, Madam Speaker. I made a point where the Honorable Member from Anzac County said that the Tourist Board had become an events management company. And I went on to provide statistics as to the performance of the Tourist Board. And then I spoke specifically about the organization of Saul A. St. Lucia. The St. Lucia Labour Party had announced that it was going to set up a festivals commission. A provision was made in the budget under the St. Lucia Labour Party for so. I never said it was wrong to do so, Madam Speaker. I did a short analysis of what was done this year with the various events. So Honorable Prime Minister, please stay on course. So, Madam Speaker, all that was forgotten to be said before, Madam Speaker. I just want to make the point. We were supposed to just surmise that. Because the suggestion that was being made is that the new Soleil and Events Committee is not working and we should not have done it. And that we should have not criticized the St. Lucia Tourist Board of being an events committee. Company. Although your own report said there was a conflict. The St. Lucia Jazz Festival, again, Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity of being there at its inception. Front row seats. I labored. I did a lot of things to be able to help to get the St. Lucia Jazz Festival off the ground. And I can say to you that in those early days of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, there was tremendous amount of skepticism as to whether it would work. A lot of criticism. But that's okay, we're accustomed to that. When you're going to do something different and new, that there's that level of criticism. But by the third year, everybody was celebrating it. And in fact, I was very honored when the former minister sent me a letter recognizing the contributions that I had made to the St. Lucia Jazz. I was all the further honored that the late Desmond Skeep, who was chairman of the committee, eventually became, I believe, chairman of the Tourist Board. And really took Jazz Festival to a different level. I mean, and kept on growing it. I also had the opportunity of going to one troll. The opportunity of going to once you all jazz. Going to the New Orleans Heritage Festival. And I watched how all these festivals that started off as jazz festivals continue to grow because exactly what the members on the other side said, it became about how many people attended the show. That became the driving thing. Immediately on a completing one show, we were sitting down trying to figure out how we can have a bigger and better show. It got to the point of absurdity that we spent $14 million. But more importantly, we spent a half a million U.S. dollars on one artist. An artist that came to St. Lucia and could barely speak English. Now I know he speaks English, but he sang most of his songs in Spanish. And anybody who would have done their research would have known that Mark Anthony was not a good act to bring to St. Lucia. Because it became no longer about bringing acts that were going to generate any marketing overseas. It became about politics locally. Who could bring the biggest shows and the biggest splash? Not about what the economic driver was. Were we growing the number of rooms? I can tell you at my hotel, we were full. All the hotels were full. But once you're full, you can't then start dividing up a room into multiple parts. I can't say, well, you know what? I'm going to rent the room out for eight hours three times a day. You can only rent the room once. So the diminishing returns the minister is talking about is real. The jazz festival had met diminishing returns long ago. And what made it worse is that we lost the ability to market the jazz festival internationally because we were no longer on TV. And so the question became, and that's the question you must ask yourself. If you're going to spend 14 million dollars on a jazz festival that's over two weekends, the question becomes, Madam Speaker, what else can I do with that 14 million dollars? I could have said, you know what, let me get rid of the jazz festival. I mean, he spent the 14 million dollars on marketing. So the question becomes, if I am now spending, I can't remember the calculation, but the calculation is something like 300,000 US dollars a month that you could spend on internet marketing. The same time the minister was talking about when we peaked out, we were spending $50,000 a month on internet marketing and we were through the roof. So imagine being able to spend $300,000 on marketing what more we could do. So that's the question becomes, if you're going to spend 14 million dollars on promoting tourism, the question becomes, where is the best way to spend that money, Madam Speaker? So we said that we think that events make an important contribution to the development of our country, that it creates monies in your economy, it helps develop the arts and creates an outlet and we think that there's a big opportunity. So the alternative was to spend the 14 million dollars over a period of time and following the exact same logic that the opposition had indicated, decided to create a separate company. But that's not the important part of this bill. The important part of this bill is that you ask what's wrong with the San Lucia Tourist Board. The San Lucia Tourist Board is not focused, but every single time it gets an allocation of money, it ends up picking up all kinds of little hobbies and does all kinds of different things and the core essence of what it was supposed to do, which was marketing, got lost. That's the fundamental problem of the Tourist Board. And when you looked at the legislation for the Tourist Board, there was no wonder why. It was supposed to do everything. It was all over the place. So the Tourism Authority, Madam Speaker, and I want to commend the Minister is to bring a focus to the Tourism Authority to be a marketing agency. And the intent now is to be able to put a tax onto the industry and that money is going to go into the Tourism Authority and not through the central coffer. And so it means the Tourism Authority being a party corporate can be its own entity and is no longer going to be attached to the budget of government. As the Minister of Aviation you'll appreciate that. How many times we had to go to Slasper and ask Slasper to put up the letter of credit to get an airline. The million and a half dollars for Delta. The two million dollars for United Airlines. The monies for American. The monies for American Eagle. More often than not that was being funded through Slasper because the Tourist Board just didn't have the cash. The Tourist Board is constantly having a carryover. Every year we want to criticize each other because we say that the Tourist Board owes money. Has to owe money because the Tourist Board is making decisions every year a year and a half out and having to make those commitments. But yet we don't want to understand that we must restructure the industry in order to be able to solve the problems. So the first part is to create a Tourism Authority that's going to be for marketing. The Minister started alluding to the fact that he's going to create a Tourism Council. Why? Because Tourism is everybody's business. The Board of the Tourist Board created that. I was a Minister. I tried putting private sector people on. I kept on repeating to them that they are here to represent their associations. By the time you look around twice everybody is representing themselves and there's no information being disseminated. So now you're going to have a Tourism Council in which you will have the Ministry of Agriculture. You will have the Ministry of Security. You will have the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. You will have the Ministry of Commerce. You will have the Manufacturing Association. You'll have the Farmers' Associations all sitting around the table talking about Tourism. Because one of the frustrations about being the Minister of Tourism and I can certainly feel for the Minister is because you wear the title of Minister of Tourism everybody thinks you can resolve the problems. So somebody has a problem at the airport you're supposed to fix it but it's slasper. Somebody gets arrested and you're supposed to be in charge of the police. You're not. Somebody goes down to the Vendors Association and has a problem with the vendors. It's a Castery City Council. And the list goes on of all the things that you're supposed to fix but you have control of nothing. So the idea is to create a council in which all those partners now will be equally hallucinated on what Tourism is going to be. And that day he will have a secretariat with proper professional people of Tourism Economist, proper research people, a satellite accounting system that they'll be driven by numbers. And that's what I want to commend the Minister for. When I hear people wanting to accuse the Minister of being arrogant I have not seen that in him. I've seen a young man who has some strong ideas and has great perseverance but has taken advice to try something new. And he said, it may not be right, but I know what we're doing is not right. And we as cabinet are prepared to support him in that process. So I want to say, that the vision and the ambition that the Minister of Tourism has for Tourism, I applaud. And I'll never say it's too little. But more importantly said by him and the rest of his colleagues are to ensure that the impact of Tourism resonates to every single quarter in this country. So the product development component of Tourism is the Village Tourism. So the Tourism Authority is just a marketing agency. So it's not meant to be the master all of everything. They will be a Tourism Council and there will be regulations and guidelines for the Tourism Council. There is at the beginning already Village Tourism which is going to be involved in the local part making sure that Indigenous product can come to the forefront has given every opportunity. And that that is both from a guest houses, rum shops, restaurants, duty free vendors and exactly what you said. We've said that we want to spend a hundred million dollars on improving the product the infrastructure of villages because those small businesses will not succeed if you cannot create the right environment. So I want to say that I've taken the comments that the opposition have made Madam Speaker on this bill as being genuine and being properly concerned but I want to assure them that we have a broader perspective and one that I have the greatest amount of confidence that the Minister of Tourism is going to be delivered on and I know that he has the support of all the Cabinet colleagues and we continue to dialogue with everybody in San Lucia. So again Madam Speaker, I just want to say I support the Minister, I want to applaud him and the AG's office for the work that they're doing and I also want to applaud because several comments were made with regards to the treatment of staff members. I want to applaud the management of the tourist board headed by Miss Agnes Francis for the work that they did with the unions in making sure that everybody was adequately compensated that nobody was displaced and I know the Minister is probably going to say it but to come and suggest that we were taking a PR person in North America to replace a sales person in North America, makes no sense and the same Ojo Labs that the Minister is scared of and this game AI intelligence that he's scared of let him know that that same artificial intelligence we intend to try to use in creating a sales office in San Lucia that's making outbound phone calls so I want and some of the staff will be hired to do that so I want to applaud you Minister and I know as time comes the wisdom of what you're doing will be seen and felt by all solutions. Honourable Minister in the office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for tourism Madam Speaker thank you very much it's late Madam Speaker I would like to move I would like to I would like to move Madam Speaker that for a second Honourable Member either you have a right of reply because you had a move of the motion of the bill so either you respond or we come to the end of the debate Madam Speaker I would like to move we come to the end of the debate Honourable Members the question is that the San Lucia Tourism Authority for the second time I now put the question as many as of that opinion say aye as many as of a contrary opinion say no I think the ayes have it the ayes have it Act to repeal and replace the Tourist Industry Development Act capped 15.32 to increase the socio-economic contribution of tourism to national development and for related matters we have 41 sections do we take do we have 41 clauses do we take all the clauses or do we do parts so we will do sections 2 and 3 and then take it therefore thereafter take it in parts section 2 interpretation section 2 stands part of the bill section 3 application part 1 section part 1 closes 4 to 27 San Lucia Tourism Authority part 1 closes 4 to 27 stands part of the bill before we move further I think can we look at clause 19 in that section sub section 6 would we seek the honourable leader of the honourable AG's intervention at no change so it is self-explanatory okay okay I will go again part 1 closes 4 to 21 stands part of the bill part 2 closes 28 to 35 finance part 2 closes 28 to 35 stands part of the bill part 3 closes 36 to 41 part 3 closes 36 to 41 stands part of the bill part close 1 clause 1 stands part of the bill honourable members the question is that committee rises and I report the bill as many as of that opinion say aye as many as of contrary opinion say no I think the ayes have it the ayes have it honourable members I beg to report that the San Lucia Tourism Authority bill went through committee stages stage with no amendments the minister in the office of the prime minister with responsibility for tourism Madam Speaker I move that the chairman's report be adopted and that the bill be read a third time and passed honourable members the question is that the chairman's report be adopted and that the San Lucia Tourism Authority bill be now read a third time and passed I now put the question as many as of that opinion say aye as many as of contrary opinion say no I think the ayes have it the ayes have it be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent majesty by and with the advice and consent of the House of Assembly and the senate of San Lucia and by the authority of the same as follows this act may be cited as the San Lucia Tourism Authority Act 2017 members at this lead stage I wish to inform that we cannot go through with the proposed meeting however I have circulated the agenda to follow perhaps at a subsequent sitting of this house when the sitting is a lot shorter but I want members to bear in mind that I have supplied you with some documents that I would like you to consider not to take it for granted I want you to go through it but I will also send it to circulate it to members via electronic email so we will discuss at a subsequent meeting Honourable Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House stand adjourned sign a die Honourable members, the question is that this House sitting do stand adjourned sign a die I now put the question as many as are of that opinion say aye as many as are of a contrary opinion say no I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it this this honourable House sitting this House do stand adjourned sign a die members of the House of Assembly who are present here today we are quite anxious to end this almost 12 hours sitting of the House of Assembly for today June 27th 2017 we have gone through the entire order paper from the statutory instruments to the motions to borrow money again there were four motions to permit the Minister for Finance to borrow sums to cover the 2017-2018 budget as well as several other projects and we had the bills portion which was just concluded we had four bills going through all of its stages at this sitting including the St. Lucia Tourism Authority bill, the accreditation bill, the agreement to establish the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in medicine and other health professions this has been the National Television Network's live broadcast of today's House of Assembly sitting from the Government of Information Service I am Alicia Ali, thank you so very much for joining us, for all of you on the National Television Network on the Government of St Lucia's Facebook page and on all our other mediums thank you so very much and please stay tuned to the National Television Network