 Mr. Speaker, today I rise as a patriot to lend my support to the constitutional amendment to allow Saint Lucia to have the Caribbean Court of Justice be our final court of appeal and I do so proudly Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, please allow me leave to first of all congratulate Julian Alfred and again so in Saint Lucia and the region's metal in track and field. Mr. Speaker, as the member of Eufort South said before me, the Caribbean continues to prove that we have the best in the world Mr. Speaker. We have the best intellects in the world and of course we have the best sprinters in the world Mr. Speaker. And so Mr. Speaker, we say not even in our young athletes that you don't have to be from a particular region, a particular creed or color to provide some form of service to your country and indeed to your region Mr. Speaker. And so when I hear talk about the Privic Council having superiority in intellect and being unbiased and being non-political, sometimes I scratch my head Mr. Speaker. Simply because as a sportsman and Mr. Speaker, you are one of those who always follow the history of events. I remember a time when the West Indies cricket team did not exist and the English cricket team dominated the cricket in the world. And so Mr. Speaker, a group of men from the region came together and showed them how it is done and this is what I expect from the Caribbean Court of Justice that we are sending to today Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, too often we forget our history Mr. Speaker. Too often we forget that we too are powerful individuals Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I sat there today and listened to the member from Miku South speak and Mr. Speaker, I remember a time playing cricket, Devon League cricket Mr. Speaker. And when I was going and bat Mr. Speaker, the guys used to say, Daki, we're not for a duck. Little Pekong from here to there Mr. Speaker and I had to have thick skin. And I'm looking at the presentation from the member from Miku South and just my sentences, my utterances have him turning red Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just as he turned red, the people of St. Lucia in July 2021 turned red and said we are confident in this Philip J. Pierre administration Mr. Speaker. And so Mr. Speaker, I have to say to young people that we must understand what our vote stands for Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before the election of July 2021, the Labour Party indicated its intention to put its trust in this regional body Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, do not tell me that in 2023 we now have to start a communication process. Mr. Speaker, our young people ever since 2001 under the member for view for itself Mr. Speaker, they started their reading and analysis Mr. Speaker. And when the election was called in 2021, it was in the manifesto of the St. Lucia Labour Party. And Mr. Speaker, young people understand your vote, your vote in a general election is indeed a referendum Mr. Speaker, is a symbol of who and what you believe in. And if the St. Lucia Labour Party in July 2021 said to the people that we are moving towards the CCJ and young middle class elderly came out in support of the St. Lucia Labour Party, why are you insisting 18 months later that we need to go back to these very same people Mr. Speaker. Do we have no confidence in our people? Are we saying that most of them Mr. Speaker, the land of Derek Walcott Mr. Speaker have no idea before they voted that the St. Lucia Labour Party would have done this? No Mr. Speaker, they went in droves Mr. Speaker and that is where our two thirds majority came from. It came from the people of St. Lucia Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've heard some other things being spewed Mr. Speaker. And sometimes I wonder if people just believe that we are illiterate in this country. So Mr. Speaker, I heard people say that with the CCJ, they will have an amount of political interference man. As if to suggest that Philip J. Pia and the St. Lucia Labour Party, the member for castries east, can call on a judge and somehow influence some matter Mr. Speaker. But Mr. Speaker, in my limited knowledge of the law, I know there is a power of recusal Mr. Speaker. So if a defendant Mr. Speaker is of the opinion that a particular judge is biased against him, he has every right to speak to his legal team and move a motion or move a motion or desire of recusal of that particular judge Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is this thing new? Mr. Speaker, so when we say that this thing is going to be politically advanced Mr. Speaker, I wonder if sometimes we do not pay attention to what really happens Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I took a few days off to celebrate getting older Mr. Speaker. And social media was a blazed Mr. Speaker by hacks wanting somehow to start a political movement. Mr. Speaker, let's call it what it is Mr. Speaker. The fact of the matter is that the only desire that the opposition wants a referendum is because they need some form of political motivation. They need to score political points. Mr. Speaker, they do this because they have failed the people of St. Lucia Mr. Speaker. They do this because Mr. Speaker, they have a leader that is woefully unpopular, a leader that refuses to produce a basic document saying what happened at the last election. And so Mr. Speaker, let's call it what it is. It's politics. It's a show or desire to show some form of strength Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, they have gone in all different directions to try to cast aspersions on a government in 18 months that have shown the people that they are genuine about putting them fools. And so Mr. Speaker, they tried it with a member for Castry South. They tried it with a member for Castries East. They tried it with a member of Gross Delay. All sorts of aspersions. I've never seen Mr. Speaker, an opposition leader say anything at any time just to see what sticks Mr. Speaker. There is that just belief that people are stupid Mr. Speaker. And so Mr. Speaker, you see another attempt foiled because they have no idea what to do Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, I have a special cold attack the member from Choselle. But I dare say that member is very aware that this Labour Party is doing the right thing Mr. Speaker. He is very aware and I need people to ask themselves that question. Knowing the man from Choselle Salty Bus. There is a reason that even after the political leader, the opposition leader did not show up that this member decided today he is going to stand down. And we know why Mr. Speaker. It is because this government is doing the right thing for our people Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let's sing. Mr. Speaker, I sat here flabbergasted by the noise bed by the member for Mikusau. Mr. Speaker, there were conversations in social media about constitutional amendment. I'm astounded by the fact that he has chosen to speak against this constitutional amendment that potentially makes life easier for the ordinary man. And non-woman Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, is playing politics with a mechanism that brings parity to persons of lesser means. Mr. Speaker, to get justice at all levels Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Julia of Lafayee, if she finds herself as an ordinary woman in some battle with her neighbour. And for some reason all the courts decide that Julia is wrong. Mr. Speaker, Julia from Lafayee now has a court of appeal that she can with due time apply for to seek justice Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Marissa and all of Monsepo, if she is walking down the road and somebody decides to rob her and she defends herself. And for some reason the courts got it wrong. Even she Mr. Speaker can apply to this CCJ. Mr. Speaker, rocket of Vesequie Norbert. A staunch defender of myself who may one day find himself defending me too much. And maybe defending himself and need the CCJ. This Mr. Speaker will be for these individuals ordinary Mr. Speaker. Abok grows. Oh you know them. Mr. Speaker. Sir Lucia has contributed millions of dollars in financial support to the CCJ. Mr. Speaker, I have to ask myself why didn't the former prime minister in his nearly six years in government not request come to this house not request a referendum on the CCJ then. If he was so concerned why did he do nothing about the constitution to change it so that it demands a referendum Mr. Speaker. Why? He did nothing. Sir Speaker, we know what he was doing. You know he was selling our land millions to Lockerbie, horses before people. Not one room or hotel built. Scandal after scandal. Globe charting. Spending thousands in a hotel. But Mr. Speaker, you were there for almost six years, five years plus. If you had that conviction, why didn't you do nothing then? Sir Speaker, I won't stay long. Because the member for view for itself. That was a masterful it is Mr. Speaker. Masterful. Mr. Speaker, I got everything in it as you know Mr. Speaker. And so we know the facts, we know the history, we know what happened and we know what this government has to do and we are doing today Mr. Speaker. I'm very honored to have our next generation of legal minds Mr. Speaker. I was honored to have them here today Mr. Speaker. Because Mr. Speaker, once we get this done, Mr. Speaker, they will be happy to know that case filing and management, case management done electronically. Mr. Speaker, the CCJ took the lead on the technological advancement of the law Mr. Speaker. And so Mr. Speaker, it will make it easier for them Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very confident that in our meets earlier today. At least one. In fact all of them Mr. Speaker, because of what we are doing today. Can have as the ambition sitting on the Caribbean court of justice Mr. Speaker. One of them here today Mr. Speaker. And so I look forward to this happening Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes as young people we tend to go with the flow Mr. Speaker. And we tend to just go with what we hear certain individuals in society say and do. But let's just think about it for a moment Mr. Speaker. Why are we so afraid? Mr. Speaker, I was in Grenada for a short time and Mr. Speaker, every time I looked around it was almost as if I saw a Saint Lucien Mr. Speaker. These people looked like me Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these people sounded like me. I remember being into Bego. And of course Soka Monak was hot at that time. You know you hear the music. Mr. Speaker, the people into Bego, they danced just like me. They probably can't wine as good as I could. But they danced just like me. That's what you do in Grenada. Just like me Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, they sounded similar to me. So why are we so afraid of these people Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, I went to Grambling State University on a scholarship. And Mr. Speaker, our international day we stood together as young people. We understood that staying together we could have achieved more than believing that there was a superior class or superior type of people. Mr. Speaker, right after we celebrate 44 years we want to signal to people that somehow our people are inferior. I cannot teach my twin girls that. We are the creme de la creme. We get it done. We've shown in times past that we can do more once we come together as a region. So Mr. Speaker, the fact is the constitution of Saint Lucia requires two-third majority. The framers understood that you needed to have this level of agreement on this. And this sits in the house today Mr. Speaker. It could have said half, it could have said 50%. But two-thirds it sits here today. So Mr. Speaker, as a member for Grozile representing the ganjaman, representing the rich man, representing white black Indian, representing the middle class. Mr. Speaker, I stand today unreservedly endorsing the amendment to have the CCJ become our final court of appeal. I do so Mr. Speaker, because it is to the benefit of all of us. I thank you Mr. Speaker.