 Welcome to the national television networks live broadcast of today's House of Assembly sitting. It is the 20th of June 2017 Thank you so very much for joining us here at the House of Parliament on Library Street in castries From the government information service. I am Alicia Ali You can also catch our broadcast on the government of St. Lucia's web portal Triple W dot gov t dot LC and also on the government of St. Lucia's a Facebook page When the house last met the appropriations bill 2017 2018 was given leave to go through all its stages in one sitting The house adjourned during the second stage of the bill more commonly identified as the debate stage Prime Minister of St. Lucia honourable Allen M. Shassney presented the bill and Comments were received by member for castries east and leader of Her Majesty's loyal opposition Honourable Philip J. Pierre member for Choselle Salter bus and minister in the office of the prime minister with Responsibility for commerce industry investment enterprise development and consumer affairs honorable Bradley Felix member for castries south honorable Dr. Ernest Hill there member for ancillary canaries and minister in the office of the prime minister with Responsibility for tourism information and broadcasting Honourable Dominic Fady member for castries central and minister in the office of the prime minister with Responsibility for external affairs Honourable Sarah flood Bobra member for force a jack souffle and minister in the ministry of economic development housing urban renewal Transport and civil aviation honorable Herod Stanislaus member for castries east and a minister for economic development housing urban renewal Transport and civil aviation honorable guy Joseph and The last sitting rounded off with a member for Miku north and a minister for education innovation gender relations and a sustainable development Honourable dr. Kale TC Rigbert That leaves a nine members left to give their contribution Those nine members are Honourable Stevenson King Honourable Leonard Montu Honourable is a Cal Joseph Honourable Edmund Estefan Honourable dr. Kenny D Anthony Honourable Alvabab teased Honourable Moses Javak teased Honourable Sean Edward and the prime minister Honourable Allen M. Shastney will give his rebuttal and he is part of that nine members that are outstanding and Just so that we put everything into context Prime Minister Honourable Allen M. Shastney and he's also the minister for finance economic growth job creation external affairs and the public service presented on the 9th of May the Bill 2017 2018 it was his maiden budget address and he focused on a road map for the country where he wants to implement a programs policies and Projects to build a new St. Lucia The strategic priority areas for the next four years include creating sustainable employment a social re-engineering tourism agriculture security and justice energy and Climate change the estimates of expenditure and revenue were passed in the House of Assembly and It was passed in him the amount of 1.513 billion dollars in The Prime Minister's presentation when he focused on the item labeled agriculture he was very much focused on national food security and marrying it with employment in A bid to revitalize the banana industry and increase production a banana productivity Improvement project was announced to come on stream very shortly in this fiscal year and He did estimate by year three of this project 60 to 70,000 pounds of bananas will be in constant production Climate-resistant crops is a very specific focus and I guess Honorable Ezekiel Joseph in his presentation may speak to that and the Prime Minister revealed that greenhouse technology will be used to reduce the seasonality of crops The focus for agriculture is to have a more sustainable production output, which will help spur the economy and sustain the economy Under education now the Prime Minister did announce a more evidence-based approach to the education policies in St. Lucia one of those studies would be a Diagnostic study of the education system aimed at transforming the sector and What the Prime Minister intends to do is to introduce and enforce standards throughout the education system The Prime Minister justified this by saying that St. Lucia students need to be more globally competitive So that they can thrive in a rapidly changing world and in keeping with the global technological advancement Prime Minister Shasne revealed that the government will be working to make digital content available and making textbooks a secondary measure in schools Minister for tourism Minister in the office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for tourism information and broadcasting in his presentation Revealed that the tourism industry is doing a lot better during the first half of 2017 in fact there was a press conference Last week where Honorable Dominic Fede revealed there was a 23.4% increase in productivity in the sector We are awaiting the arrival of the Speaker of the House of Assembly Honorable Leon Theodore John Who is due to make her way into the chamber very shortly a Number of senators are present and there will be a sitting of the Senate this Thursday Where the business of the people will be introduced and conducted we see the opposition senators on Screen in the persons of Honorable Joachim Henry and Senator Gibby and Ferdinand and When we look across at the government gallery, we can see a leader of Government business in the Senate Honorable Ubaldes Raymond Dr. Ubaldes Raymond see senator the Honorable Mary Isaac As well as as senator the Honorable Fortuna Belrose Senator the Honorable Herman Gil Francis All taking in today's proceedings now going back to a Honorable Dominic Fede's presentation. He did indicate he the tourism authority bill is Actually ready to be tabled before the house and will be done. It will be done After this city the next sitting of the house should be scheduled very shortly after this one is concluded and and The tourism authority is supposed to be made up of both public and private sector interest coming at one table and The National Tourism Council will be born out of that tourism authority as well as the village Incorporated where we're looking at village tourism community tourism heritage tourism and making sure that every community on island is able to benefit from the tourism industry Minister in the office of the prime minister with Responsibility of all commerce industry investment enterprise development and consumer affairs Honorable Bradley Felix in his presentation clarified two matters which and they were the fuel tax and The removal of subsidies on rice and sugar Regarding the fuel tax Honorable Bradley Felix indicated that The government of St Lucia is Structuring its policy to limit the amount of loans taken to repair and rehabilitate the island's route network And it was during the estimates of revenue and expenditure Prime minister Honorable Allen M. Shastney announced an additional tax on fuel However, during the debate on the appropriation bill for 2017 2018 Honorable Bradley Felix said St Lucia needs to take measures to become more Subsufficient in recurrent expenditure and this fuel tax will go specifically to rehabilitate in the road network The sergeant at arms is entering the chamber carrying the mace and he has just announced the arrival Of the speaker of the house of assembly Honorable Leon Theodore John And this signals at the beginning of our proceedings today here at the house of assembly Let us pray Almighty god By whom alone kings reign and princes decree justice And from whom alone cometh all council wisdom and understanding With iron worthy servants here gathered together in thy name Do most humbly beseech thee to send down thy heavenly wisdom from above To direct and guide us in all our consultations And grant that we having thy fear always before our eyes And lane aside all private interests Prejudice and partial affections The result of all our counsel May be to the glory of thy blessed name The maintenance of public will peace and tranquility of St Lucia And the uniting and knitting together of the hearts of all persons And estates within the same In true christian love and charity One towards another through jesus christ our lord amen The grace of our lord jesus christ the love of god and the fellowship of the holy ghost be with us always and forever more Amen announcements I am in receipt of communication from the honorable member for castries Central informing that she's currently out of state on national duty and unable to be here with us today I beg to remind honorable members that when the house last rose The question was that the appropriation two thousand and eight seventeen two thousand and eighteen bill be read a second time Honorable member for library Thank you very much, madam speaker Madam speaker When the house last rose The opposition in responding to the appropriation bill 2017 2018 Clearly established And successfully argued the following One that the economic logic of the budget is flawed That the approach of this budget is inconsistent with our national priorities That the budget has a difficult relationship with the truth That this budget is devoid of a social conscience That the dsh deal accentuated In this budget is hopeless inimical to the well-being of st. Lucia and pregnant with reckless desires And that the optimism Of ministers of this government is based on the flimsiest of circumstantial evidence Madam speaker It is only reasonable to infer That the prime minister chose the portfolios of finance economic growth job creation Public service and external affairs because he wanted to give careful and sensible treatment to those areas The prime minister on page 33 of his budget address said and I quote The government is currently working on a medium-term strategy aimed at crafting A clear path towards growing the economy While improving st. Lucia's fiscal and debt position However, madam speaker It is indeed sad That the aforementioned economic goals are not given any degree of seriousness in this budget Aimed at setting the stage For the realization of this particular goal In fact, madam speaker The leader of the opposition was right When he said that the budget is exceedingly risky and dangerous And in this regard madam speaker I shall reconstruct The opposition leader's argument to provide me for ready compass To navigate the prime minister's budget Madam speaker, it is abundantly clear That the framers of this budget Has conjecture on the basis of armchair logic That there will be rapid economic expansion for capital investment Coupled with an unimaginative and poorly conceived shift of the tax burden away from the middle class The flawed economic rationale Is to stimulate consumption that will result in augmented future revenue streams And cover the alarming increase In the government's deficit and the resultant increase in public debt However, to test the validity of any hypothesis That has been deduced It must be subjected to systematic and repeated examination of relevant facts It cannot be based on the flims, yes, of circumstantial evidence The facts are, madam speaker One, the recurrent deficit will increase From 3.4 percent to 7.6 percent A primary deficit of 50.7 million dollars is anticipated during this financial year A reversal from a primary surplus of 108 million dollars recorded in 2016 The overall deficit of the government will increase During this fiscal year by 158 million dollars Moving from 1.4 percent of GDP to 4.7 percent of GDP Consequently The leader of the opposition warned the government of the dangers presented by such a massive increase in the country's deficit And accentuated the problems associated with deficit budgets of that magnitude, madam speaker He went further to inform the House of arguments put forward Against budget deficits by outstanding economists including some from Harvard University And they include When a government runs a deficit budget National government savings decrease Two public debt increases in line with the deficit Higher debt and reduced national savings, in other words increased pressure to cover debt repayments and a greater need for debt roll over Results in higher interest rates and a higher cost of debt Thereby resulting in a vicious cycle This often results in the need for bailouts and interventions by agencies such as the IMF And finally Large deficits result in unstable fiscal policy as the government is forced to juggle And reprioritize to meet its commitments The inability of the government to commit to long-term fiscal policies Results in reduced investor confidence and haphazard governance This approach madam speaker He argues Is symptomatic of the one pursued By president judge bush prior to the american recession A strategy of short term and politically driven tax cuts Growing government debt and larger government This is the absolute antithesis of what was done by the former prime minister and minister for finance Who inherited a fiscal deficit of almost 10 percent and pursued a strategy similar To president clinton a strategy of program fiscal consolidation Reduce public deficit and set the stage for prosperity led by Private sector activity The rational madam speaker was to return st. Lucia to macroeconomic stability To create opportunities for real increases in expenditure on social services Reduce the cost and risk for all investors and thereby lay the foundation for increased investment and growth Hence the reason for the improved performance By the former prime minister and former government and it's articulated in the prime minister's budget address So it would be superfluous at this juncture to accentuate it madam speaker madam speaker If there is no increase in consumer spending as prognosticated by the prime minister And growth projections do not materialize The government will be placed In a vicious cycle of continued Financing the deficit more ever Such a massive deficit exposes the government to external shocks due to the reliance on external sources of finance With global turmoil and uncertainty Madam speaker, we are in a very complex and fluid world situation One that calls for the strategic realignment of political and economic strategy To pursue To pursue madam speaker A deficit budget at this time Is reckless And extravagantly dangerous and carries the possibility of leading us into a major crisis However, the prime minister insists on page 10 of his address that this government has chosen the path Which will restore prosperity to our nation I want to remind this house of what I said during the debate on the estimates about france And I can hear the stall warning I can hear the stall warning in the cockpit madam speaker That we are stalling the economic recovery from the former period Madam speaker, the prime minister must understand That the absence of margin for error for small countries like ours Creates ongoing discipline to follow high quality policy approaches That allow countries to grow and develop in order to sustain a competitive position This is why the former minister and member for yufat south was pursuing a calibrated policy response That was addressing the real policy challenges in a manner that preserved fiscal sanity in our country because as I indicated A few moments ago madam speaker, we live in a very different world In fact, the prime minister has responsibility for external affairs And during the course of his presentation He did not accentuate our response to this complex and fluid world situation There was no policy on external affairs to signal to the nation what the underlying sentiment is Madam speaker We are indeed confronted for more complex and uncertain global environment And the prime minister did not even adumbrate Our foreign policy posture It is well documented by many sources and I think the prime minister underscored underscored this in his presentation When he said that 2016 was a difficult year for small countries Slogish growth continued in most small economies In fact, most small economies were recording less than 2% gdb growth And many sources prognosticated even for Singapore last year growth of 1.5 to 2% The lowest since the global financial crisis But those very same sources noted that the most concerning dynamic of 2016 for small countries Was the change in the international economic and political environment The supporting public and political consensus That supported a relatively open global system is weakening rapidly In many parts of the developed world there is growing appetite to turn inward Reject integration and protect national sovereignty These forces have been building for some time But 2016 was a year in which these forces seemed to have crystallized Madam speaker my keen sense of perception led me To say in my first address to the united nations On september 30th 2013 And I quote The rich must resist the temptation to retreat inwardly at this time As this can shut down the global economic engine The post 2015 international develop agenda must be driven by common aspirations Shared goals and a unified vision of a secure and serene world Which we can proudly be quiffed to the next and succeeding generations On quote Developments such as the brexit vote and the us presidential votes Reflect a significant shift in underlying public sentiment This development posed serious risk to the international economic and political system In which small economies like ours had to adapt to survive over several decades What is st. Lucia's proposed policy response to this external environment Is st. Lucia active in global theaters to protect and promote st. Lucia's interest Neither the prime minister nor the minister in The the prime minister's office with responsibility for external affairs Did did say anything about it in fact the member for castry central Went off on a tangent Instead Attack the ash bishop And speak about extramarital books And went on and on and on about extramarital books I thought What the member for castry central is going to conclude In her presentation was that we need to stop the discrimination Against children born out of wedlock They should enjoy the same basic rights as those who were born in a marriage Currently you have a a maximum of 200 dollars for a child born out of wedlock And 200 dollars is not even the starting point for a child born in marriage If we want to repair our moral compass, that's one thing But we need to understand That children are born in this country And they must enjoy the rights Of every other citizen irrespective of class Irrespective of religious background and beliefs And therefore I believe that the time has come for legislation to come to this parliament For us to address this very significant issue a child going to st. Joseph's convent born out of wedlock Or not and they have to take a bus from viewport to the st. Joseph convent. They pay the same amount of money Every month irrespective of the status But madam speaker, I wish to address myself to the Whole aspect of job creation that the prime minister did accentuate in his budget And on page 12 of the prime minister's budget address he noted and I quote Madam speaker creating sustainable employment is a priority of this government And we have pledged to work towards an unemployment rate of no more than 15 by 2021 as stated in our manifesto It is expected that many of the investments within the coming months Will create employment throughout the island particularly in the sectors of tourism agriculture and construction And concluded clearly Clearly our approach is very different from the labor party on quote Then the prime minister went and talked about tourism Let growth and employment All the investments he confirmed That will create the employment will actually The work of the st. Lucia labor party Said the royal turn 900 jobs had been created That's the work of the labor party the harbour club Fair month st. Lucia resort as sabichar schwozell And I remember the member for schwozell went on and on and said that his government had vision And and somebody from saltiba spain x amount of money to get to viewport And y amount of money to get to the north and that's why they're focusing on the south But it's the work of the labor party That was the thinking For us to stop the internal migration from the south to the north to create employment in the south That is why we did that the range development at black bay And not the offspring of the st. Lucia labor party So the prime minister on on the tourism On the tourism did not present anything new Agricultural let growth Then the prime minister on that same page said and I quote madam speaker this government recognizes the importance of agriculture particularly for creating employment Especially in rural communities reducing poverty Generating income and achieving food security Our government will create the environment to enable the private sector to participate in the development of the agriculture sector And foster a commercialized approach to livestock wearing Fresh produce farming and fishing on quote Madam speaker, I will deal with the food security path when I come to discuss dsh But at this juncture, I wish to address myself to the plight of the farmers of this country under this united workers party government Madam speaker The actions taken by the government to compromise the st. Lucia marketing board and the st. Lucia fish marketing cooperation Has impacted on the ability of this country To provide an improved framework for farmers to enjoy better and stable prices for the produce As well as to encourage A certain level of production which is required For domestic consumption What should have happened was for those two entities to metamorphose Into a centralized marketing mechanism for the farmers of this country to have a better market for the produce Which would improve domestic production to meet our needs Importing what we cannot produce and have a proper pension scheme and health coverage So that in the twilight of the years After giving all sweat equity Madam speaker This government Have been talking about bananas They will do everything for banana farmers And they were the ones who introduced bananas into this country But I will get to the bananas in a while, but what I will advise the government to do Is to reconsider that approach It has to destroy the st. Lucia marketing board and the st. Lucia fish marketing cooperation Because we had the banana salvation committee We might have which was bsc. We might have an msc now We might have an an msc in terms of a marketing salvation committee Because you are destroying a mechanism that the farmers currently enjoy You increase the price of fuel which will increase the unit cost of the production And then you are placing it in the hands of businessmen And you might just create another problem between the farmers And those business interests Again, I am adambrating To this honorable house to the prime minister and to the government They need to exercise an abundance of caution in this period What is even more disturbing Is uwp's continued bluffing that they will turn bananas to the glory days With its bold subtitle at the top of page 16 Banana resuscitation Madam speaker, resuscitation means the action of making something active of vigorous again The kembridge english dictionary defines it as the act of bringing someone or something back to life or waking them How can you bring back to life? What you confirm to be alive and well on page six of your budget presentation When you said and I quote the agriculture sector grew by four percent The sector was poised to make an even greater contribution But its performance was impacted by tropical storm mafio in september 2016 Banana exports were poised to record a second consecutive year of growth With the volume of exports increasing by 15 percent up to the food quarter However, production declined in the fourth quarter as a result of the storm Resulting an overall contraction in volume of 1.1 percent to 14,629 tons On quote The uwp government must have bluffing the farmers It was Sir George Charles who introduced bananas to st lusia In fact, there were more banana farmers then In fact in the mid fifties They had in excess of 10,000 banana farmers in this country and today in fact registered with s lbga Today we do not even have 50 percent of that amount as farmers In fact, why because madam speaker because madam speaker It was easier For farmers to grow bananas on small plots as opposed to sugar cane And we will move we engage in social change at the time, but anyway Madam speaker an IMF publication The Caribbean from vulnerability to sustain growth Noted on page two and I quote Both banana and sugar producers Have been supported for many years by preferential access to markets in Europe That have enabled Caribbean producers to receive prices Substantially above those on the pre-market In response to increasing international pressure on restrictive european trade regimes the erosion Of preferential trade access by Europe's former colonies is now accelerating Banana production in the windward islands has fallen sharply And is and is now about one third of the 1990 level on quote So madam speaker. I want to know what magic That the uwp government has To tell banana farmers That they are going to in to to to work magic for them They from first they promise them a marketing in matting in france Where is the market? They are producing. They have a lot of bananas on the ground, madam speaker But I want to place on record madam speaker That no other government in this country Apart from a labor party government as on anything significant for the farmers of this country The contribution Of a labor government to banana farmers is second to none and madam speaker I would like to refer to government handset when I made my presentation in this house On thursday april 24 2008 and I quote Madam speaker I wish to quote what labor has done for bananas and I shall make it a document of the house It states and I quote What this shows is that between 1992 and 1997 When the united workers party on joncompton went power St. Lucia's banana production dropped by almost half from over 135,000 tons to just over 71,000 tons Since 1997 St. Lucia's production has dropped by 58 percent And this is what the united workers party will not admit What the uwp will not tell you and does not want you to know Is the fact that the st. Lucia labor party government has done more for bananas than any other government in history The slp government wrote off 44.7 million dollars of debt owed by the st. Lucia banana grows association to To make sure that the new company st. Lucia banana cooperation did not have any obstacles in its path The labor government made available 3.65 million dollars from the european commission to pay severance for the slbg star So the slp government used 16.3 million dollars of european union funds for banana Reproduction recovery plan which was supposed to stop the decline that had taken place in the banana production While joncompton and the uwp were in power if I may continue Continue madam speaker to quote from this document for To help the farmers improve the quality of the bananas Our government constructed three modern inland reception and distribution centers at a cost of 12.5 million dollars between october 2000 and march 2001 The slp government provided 2.5 million dollars to help control lift spot on banana farms Six at the end of 2000 our government gave another 1.4 million dollars to the banana industry So that the price of banana boxes or katoon could be reduced by one dollar seven in april 2001 the labor government provided 3.5 million dollars to the banana industry trust to set up a revolving input credit scheme So that banana farmers could get credit for inputs in 2005 we put another three million in this program Between april and december 2001 we spent 2.5 million in funds from the budget to help control lift spot Nine so far we have made available another 20 million dollars from sfa funds to put irrigation and drainage in rozo Called the sap mavia valley canals and market 10 when our government realized that the banana companies were no longer Providing extension and technical support for farmers. We set up the banana emergency recovery unit To help farmers with the help of the caribbean development bank the european union and using local revenue We have given the banana industry through the bureau over 23.5 million dollars Plus another 4.5 million after tropical storm lily to help with rehabilitating fields and to prepare for euro gap Madam speaker if i may continue to conclude 11 and 12 For a number of years now our government has made all banana inputs 100 percent duty free That means the government collects no duties and no taxes on the agricultural inputs that are used in the banana industry and 12 this year That was then in 2006 our government put another 1.4 million dollars in the banana industry to help farmers put irrigation lines on their farms Madam speaker i challenge members opposite to emerge with a similar document to demonstrate What they have done for farmers in this country madam speaker and then we shall expose the reality of things to the masses on court on court History will record the only contribution Is when the banana farmers were demonstrating in the valley and two farmers lost their lives That's the contribution that history has recorded So we need to be very careful and i will not hold the current minister of agriculture. He was not around He was not even in the orbit of the united workers party of any degree of alacrity So he was not responsible for the tradition of doing nothing for agriculture But he has joined them and i think he's defenseless in terms of what he can say at this juncture madam speaker Madam speaker Renewable energy sector On page 31 of the prime minister's address he said and i quote Energy has usually Not been seen as a sector in its own right within our country We wish to change this view But he acknowledges that this sector occupied center stage in the former labor party government When he says on that same page and i quote Government will seek to continue And to accelerate ongoing work under diffusion of renewable energy and energy technologies Government will also seek to advance ongoing work in the areas of geothermal exploration and solar farm development on court But the prime minister stops A wind farm at denry which was part of our government strategy to lower the cost of energy for everyone including manufacturing Because we know in an economic downturn madam speaker When jobs are created it is mostly in infrastructure and mostly men Are involved in construction activity But between 60 and 80 percent of jobs in manufacturing are occupied by women So whilst we were dealing with the infrastructure, we were also creating opportunities for the women of this country But yet still the government goes on a roll and claim that You know, they are pursuing this thing with relentless zeal and great determination When they with this top project started by the labor party administration madam speaker I would like to Focus a bit of attention Although i'll come to dsh and give it careful and special treatment But they have used dsh As some great tool To stimulate employment in the southern part of the island and to create employment in the country Madam speaker Our young people in this country Are currently arming themselves with associate degree Masters degree in fact in fact today a bachelor's degree Is first losing its value in the era of credential inflation So they do associate bachelors Masters phd. That's the order of the day They are preparing themselves to build a new sentlusion economy. Do you believe That you are going to invest billions of dollars and not some investor coming from overseas, but we putting in billions To create jobs for people to go and bathe horses To go and give horses injection To brush hosty Is that what it's all about You take approximately a thousand acres of land in the south and just give it to somebody And say that you are smart businessman and you have you have a business approach If i employ anybody to run a business and that's the way they run the business i'll fire you Because you some guy comes Some guys come We are here i'll tell you why we are here momentarily Madam speaker The agreement signed by the government and the document was laid in the house by the leader of the opposition And sanitized by the prime minister on talk shows and even quoted from that document as an authentic document Quoted from the same document the same document they made all the rural with when the leader of the opposition Established it in the house Oh, it's called a ledge document the prime minister had already sanitized the document. There's no ledge document You all confirmed that this was a document The prime minister read sections of it on requin show So it's not no a ledge document and in that document no provisions were made for st. Lucian's to get jobs But the prime minister comes in the budget Presentation and say between 500 and 800 jobs are going to be created after putting all of that in The royals and alone as he indicated created at least 900 jobs and did not occupy don't even 20 acres Just to bathe And that the creole horses in view for it will have no path to play in what is going on. Madam speaker madam speaker If the government did not destroy nice and the step program Whatever the unemployment is today, it would have been lower Whatever it is it would have been lower Because whatever it is That's nobody you all can take credit for anything you all have done nothing in this country Whatever it is it would have been lower if you all did not destroy jobs In fact since coming into office madam speaker They have destroyed modern 6000 jobs They have destroyed the lives of thousands of people in this country and they laugh And they laugh madam speaker And they laugh They laugh And then the prime minister goes and say on page 48th of his speech And I quote madam speaker I have witnessed firsthand the depth of despair and hopelessness that many families are experiencing in st. Lucia It is for this reason our government felt that there was need to provide immediate relief To send lutions by way of the reduction in value added tax from 15 to 12.5 percent On quote madam speaker The poor people go to the supermarket and the prices continue to increase It has not made a material difference in the lives of the people What what matters is that the people were working They had an ability to make an effective demand for goods and services you fired them So thousands of families are on the bread line and you say you witnessed first on the depth of despair of course You fire and teachers now Firing teachers now But madam speaker He says We wish to pursue with urgency madam speaker the implementation of a social safety net System for the lower income group in our society. We are carrying An empathetic government that will address the plight of the less fortunate in our society on quote Madam speaker. He went on page 11 to say Our government has chosen the path of change We are committed to building a new st. Lucia with citizens who are humble and proud Committed to excellence and accepting of all people's thoughts and ideas of all people's thoughts and ideas We relish the challenge of creating a society that is competitive productive and inclusive completely untrue When you attack the national trust And you remove the subvention simply because they are variants with you. You are not creating an environment to govern On page 10 The prime minister again We are seemingly drowning in a pool of blatant negativity and decadent behavior Crime violence abuse lack of respect for people and property These have become the norm and part of our daily existence We must encourage this course but not destruction We have to set better standards for ourselves and for our children to take pride in our country At the rate the government is proceeding Giving away our land. There may be no country for us to be proud of at the end of the term To make matters worse madam speaker Everything with the name st. Lucia is being attacked and demolished The st. Lucia tourist board The st. Lucia marketing board the st. Lucia fish marketing cooperation Radio st. Lucia st. Lucia national trust st. Lucia jazz The st. Lucia postal services and I will not be surprised madam speaker if The salvation army is next on the list By saying that it's a threat to national security because it has the name army in it I will not be surprised madam speaker Even one Even one that's what you want you'll never Even one You don't see i'm not responding leader of the opposition That is what in our creole language we say Even one of st. Lucia's symbols of excellence is being treated with contempt and disrespect honorable derrick walcott One of our noble prize winners A man who has taken st. Lucia internationally Not just I would say beyond this world Into our solar system and our milky way galaxy A symbol of excellence A project in his honor You have destroyed it you remove $700,000 as a subvention because you're so upset that the national trust is doing its work very well But madam speaker The full implications of the project Is one that they will not appreciate Because they do not understand what it is For poor people to live In misery They may have seen it with their naked eyes But they do not have that christian immune system to really comprehend it We put in place a project that will help us deal With the situation of tension and joblessness in the city It would have started a process Of moral regeneration in the city Creating a much improved framework for us to change the architecture and to have a lot of young people Especially in those areas employed But no But no the same crime and violence they speak about they do it using the machinery of government And we are not going to sit idly by And allow the government to use The machinery of government as an apparatus of force and aggression Against people that's at variance with the posture assumed. We cannot run a country like that Madam speaker In the same manner in which a medical practitioner Uses what they call a cbc To obtain an idea of the overall health of a patient So I shall use st. Lucia's national priorities to adambrate the potential impact of dsh on the people of the south and the island of st. Lucia Sustainable development The definition of sustainable development that is used by the united nations is Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability Of future generations to meet their own needs The sustainable development challenge according to dr. Dover For small island developing states like st. Lucia Is closely linked to limited physical size of land area Island topography fragile tropical ecosystems Limited renewable and non renewable resources Limited amongst a flat land and arable land Hence madam speaker. We need our flat and arable lands for sustainable agriculture and food security So where is the food security the government is boasting about in the budget? Sustainable agriculture and food security in in simplest terms Sustainable agriculture is the production of food fiber or the plant or animal products Using farming techniques that protect the environment public health human communities and animal welfare Aspects of food security include socio-economics marketing and policy development Environment and water management soil and crop management animal production health and welfare management Food quality safety and nutrition Sustainable agriculture and food security focus on the availability of food now and in the future So when you take Lands that were actually carefully chosen for agriculture You take it away and we don't have an abundance of flat land in st. Lucia We are mountainous island. We have limited flat land You talk about food security You talk about an area that is already demarcated for agriculture and you give it to your friend Thio Aking for him to create a petty bourgeois enclave for him to come and race horses with his friends And the prime minister himself indicated that it's not going to be a profitable entity It's not going to make any profit So after investing so much into it, where are the sustainable jobs? Where are the sustainable jobs? What would guide the thinking of any human being to give away our scarce resource of flattened arable primary culture lands? What are the opportunity costs? If not the unavailability of lands to contribute to sustainable agriculture and food security So much for the government of agriculture So much for the government of agriculture Madam speaker eradicating poverty is seen as an indispensable requirement of sustainable development According to the united nations development program and I quote Economic growth will not reduce poverty improve equality and produce jobs unless it is inclusive Inclusive growth is also essential for the realization of the mdg is on quote consequently. It continued umdp promotes inclusive and sustainable human development and works to reduce poverty in all its dimensions Our central focus Should be on measures that focus on poverty reduction By a spectrum of programs that address income human capital and asset poverty How can we reduce income poverty if agricultural lands at boseju viewport Currently providing a revenue stream for a number of farmers to support their families are hijacked by dsh We very little regard for the negative impact on them and their families So another set of people that will become casualties In an ill-conceived project ill advice Not to mention on food security the environment and sustainable development In fact, my ministry had participated in accessing funds for the increased production of livestock and other animal production To to feed the abattoir Which will be destroyed or absorbed in this foolishness Destroying in the process Thousands of job opportunities for the poor people of this country thousands of jobs will be destroyed by displacing those persons And with the establishment of the equine disease prison It will impact negatively on constituencies a wrong viewport In oj currently we produce a lot of pigs. We produce a lot of chicken Are you going to come to oj and tell the oj people are very independent? They need to give up pig production They need to give up production of the chicken because you have a few rich friends that will become the race horses In the backyard. In fact, I intend to move into pig production We'll produce pigs That the population of pigs in oj and the library constituency will be more than the population of sentry Because we are not going to retreat from our economic security to To assist the government in producing a petty bourgeois enclave for their friends all over the world Madam madam speaker A science digest on world development reported that research on the impact of research led agriculture productivity on poverty reduction in africa asia and latin america concluded Research led technology change in agriculture generates sufficient productivity growth to give high rates of return in african asia and has a substantial impact on poverty reduction and growth So madam speaker while we are giving away our lands to to our king for one u.s. Dollar per acre for 99 years Our farmers goes in my constituency And other neighboring constituencies have difficulty securing lands from investment lucha So asset poverty will continue to increase in this country under the united workers party government I remember madam speaker That this land issue and investment lucha has been a very very Significant one for me and one cannot say is because the united workers party is in office. I took issue Last year when I spoke in this honorable house in government with investment lucha And the manner in which they were treating my farmers and other people in the constituency And if you look at our manifesto, you had already agreed For us to make those lands available to the people at concessionary prices Because you need to arm your people with assets You cannot take the assets the limited scarce resources of this country and give it to foreigners at the expense of our people We cannot do that This has serious implications For the environment as poor people move Into agricultural production by cutting trees on slopes In an attempt to survive and contribute to sustainable agriculture and food security So what are you telling your farmers when you take the flat lands available for agriculture you take it away Honourable member you now have 15 more minutes within which to complete your presentation Thank you very much, madam speaker I will try to To make a steep descent if possible So madam speaker environmental stability I think during the course of my presentation It is very clear that this project will impact our country negatively in so many ways including the environment Even on health At a time where we are encouraging our people to eat properly And we want farmers to produce The ministry of agriculture under the former labor party administration team up With the ministry for health to try to make people eat better So that we can prevent the number of persons going to a hospital for treatment because Healthcare does not embrace the provision of hospitals and health centers alone They embrace the whole compass of preventive medical facilities good food good water on a clean and wholesome environment Madam speaker citizen security When a petty bourgeois enclave Is created in viewport With none of the jobs that you promise Coming on stream You will have poor people Surrounded by visual signs of affluence This will begin to create tension in that part of the island We have to look at the examples of cuba We have been a glittered with casino and what happened What spawned into profitable orbit casino narcotics prostitution All species of immorality flourish In Havana and what happened less than 20 percent of the people Had good food less than 14 percent had electricity and running water The majority of the people of Cuba lived in abject poverty While rich people came from all over the world and enjoyed themselves Silicon Valley today The center of the technological revolution too many To see the kind of poverty that exists and the kind of tension that exists in that environment because Of the affluence that's around them And many professors have actually studied the problem in silicon valley and said a number of People who are lined down on Benches and on the ground in public parks. It's amazing But it seemed to be One of the areas that enjoy the best salaries, madam speaker So we are going to create a weakened social fabric A weakened social fabric that will compromise the immune system of this country And we might see the possibility of increased crime in this country You see the government must understand That grandstanding the people of senticia when they speak is not the way to govern I think I have addressed the whole issue of education in the context Of our national priorities and indicates where our people are headed Madam speaker economic resilience Already we have high debt to GDP ratios in our region We have a serious debt problem and we have difficulty raising money using bonds When you enter an arrangement with dsh In that particular manner It will heighten st. Lucia's vulnerability to external shock It will heighten st. Lucia's vulnerability to external shock in fact What the government should have been doing is to prevent macroeconomic stability Following on the example of the former minister for finance Was using a very cautious approach to dealing with the economy because we do not have a great room to maneuver But no Like the copilot in france. He has put The aircraft in a climb and the aircraft is stalling madam speaker. It is stalling When you enter a deal You sign an agreement to establish some escrow account overseas None of the monies belong to us. You invest in so much, but the liabilities belong to us That is not good business That is not good business But also madam speaker The high rise buildings Proposed for sandy beach Is a significant problem to aviation And with this cip program That the due diligence process have been tempered with The high rise buildings that you all intend to put at sandy beach is not for the people of you pot But to create a safe haven for all types of fugitives All types of fugitives who come right there in the departure path of an aeroplane all the approach path depend on which runway Huh, you believe that America Will be happy with american airlines delta united coming into st. Lucia With that type of situation already it would violate the standards and recommended practices of the international civil aviation organization That's one you cannot have high rise building in the approach path of an aeroplane And so madam speaker It might strain relations between us and our traditional friends. It will compromise security And therefore I say to you That it will be a chemical red line It will be a chemical red line That no High rise buildings coming at sandy beach No, to your king will come and control No land at sandy beach and put one tractor or toy truck whatever in our waters going to maria island That's a chemical red line, madam speaker And I make no I make no bones about it No, the dead body means you'll do everything to prevent it But I am saying now it shall not happen and the word shall must be emphasized It shall not I cannot live in this period and be a coward I cannot live in this period Being parliament sitting there and laughing and taking part in a debate And our country is being given away and for me to say I was afraid to be criticized I was afraid to be a center of controversy in this country. I have said on platform before And I always communicate with my god via my conscience And if at all That the time will come where I believe I'm a law-abiding citizen and a god-fearing man That's why I have the courage to speak in the way that I speak And I'll tell you I will tell you I will tell you madam speaker That if at all My position as an MP and as a member of the labor party Will compromise my patriotic response to DSH I will leave elected politics The preservation of personal political power does not matter to me I will not rage against the passing of political power I am deeply convinced That I cannot please any just cause before the bow of history If I am a material accomplice to what is happening there And as a parliamentarian I cannot stay there and see a government Just doing whatever it wants as if it has like dominion over life and death in this country And say I did not want the press to give me blows or I did not want people to criticize me I have reached a certain level in my life Where I've understood I before I was in elected politics. I was in politics. I've been in politics a very long time I have seen the good the bad and the ugly in the politics But as a god-fearing man I have always exercised Good judgment because I say god precede what I say And when I ask him to precede what I say I say what needs to be said So madam speaker I address you at a time where this country is angry This country is angry because this government has victimized Many persons in this Honorable member you now have 15 minutes within which to conclude your presentation Five minutes But madam speaker at a time when the government Is on a path of confrontation with everybody that disagrees with it So I stand at the peak of a nation's discontent And I shall use it as a pinnacle From which to deliver a simple but urgent message Madam speaker the st. Lucia labor party has remained true To its peace loving character And that even in the midst of provocation We have exercised and out of the ordinary restraint Because we embrace the principles of democracy Including the orderly transfer of power. We are not blood thirsty political warmongers In politics as a government There will continue to be challenges and difficult issues Which will test the result of the government But the government must not increase the specific gravity of its problems By needless attacks on social partners dismissing them as sectoral irritants Madam speaker as a parliament As a government as a country we must always advance the principle of reasoned discussion Dialogue and discourse And the unswerving pursuit of peace As national conflicts Madam speaker are inhibitors to persistent economic growth And therefore social stability Madam speaker in light of what I have said And in light of the behavior of this government No deputy speaker no respect for the constitution of this country We were in the middle of a debate during during the appropriation bill And the house was adjourned until today Like as if you in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights Certainly certainly This is this is This is a government that is drunk with power Wild with new liberty And using power as a weapon against the people of this country Against our supporters against person that they perceive to be supporters of the labor part And they are very much unconcerned about cuts coming to take a bed That a poor person will work in a nice food bring in And the humiliation of some From a poor supporter of theirs laughing while cuts come and get that bed And that poor child Do not have a bed to sleep on that doesn't move This government Even men and women with hearts of stone Will be touched not this government And it is for this reason That as long as they sustain the posture Of confrontation vindictiveness Wickedness Attacking even the church Even the church Once that is the behavior of this government We have no alternative But to sustain our protest action Until we re-establish peace and tranquillity in this country And I pray to the almighty god That the people of this country Do not get angry and out of control Let us keep our protests within the parameters of the law and within the parameters of democracy But I have been faithful to our national pledge to defend my country And I will defend it madam speaker I am unafraid and I say to the prime minister today and I say to cabinet colleagues Change change the posture Or else face the inevitability And the the ultimatum with immediate effect Retreat unconditionally from this posture of confrontation attack Retreat unconditionally from this DSH deal in the manner it is currently constructed Return the nice workers to the jobs Catechers and orders you fired Pay the rest of the contractors the money Honor the contracts that they had And return the subvention to the national track Failure to do so You will hear from the people of this country You see the the last demonstration you saw That was just rehearsals That was just a rehearsal that was just that was just a dry run Our next demonstration Will make this thing look like a mickey mouse Compared to what we're gonna have because the people of this country are determined to establish Peace and tranquility in this country and that's for any government Whether it's whether it's the labor party or the uwp. There are things that people are no longer willing to tolerate They want you to respect the constitution They want you to respect the the rule of law in this country. They do not expect to be victimized And so you'll be hearing from us. Madam Speaker, I thank you Honourable Prime Minister Thank you very much Madam Speaker It seems the opposition now has exhausted itself On the debate And I intend to exercise my right to close the debate So I'm going to take up the concluding remarks based on the comments that were made So far Madam Speaker, I've tried to take into consideration Some of the comments that are made by the opposition And I want to bring up in particular Madam Speaker the member from Cassie South Who continues to bring lies and deceits To this house Madam Speaker And I want to specifically make reference Madam Speaker To a comment that he made Where he said That this was the largest deficit That was brought to this house That he is known of You know Madam Speaker what I don't understand about my learned friend from Cassie South Is why he continues to insist on making statements that are so easily verifiable So easily to be able to correct Madam Speaker So when I look into it and I look at the fact Madam Speaker That this year We have In our estimates We have in our estimates Madam Speaker, which was submitted for this budget Oh sorry We have in our estimates Madam Speaker That for the budget of 2017 and 2018 Madam Speaker That the overall Financing that was going to be required Was three hundred and forty five million four hundred and thirty one Thousand two hundred and twenty seven dollars We also had an overall Deficit surplus Of two hundred and twenty million dollars nine hundred two hundred and twenty Million nine hundred and eighteen thousand and two hundred and four dollars But we don't have to go back too far in history Madam Speaker In fact, we only have to go back to 2015 and 2016 Which is in fact The third budget that they presented The third budget so it means that whatever ills that they were in the economy Madam Speaker They had three budgets to be able to rectify those ills And we can only see say that you would have felt the impact of this great policy that they were proclaiming to have That they would have been able to see the benefit by the third year but Madam Speaker In 2015 2016 the financing required by that said government was three hundred and forty six million four hundred and fifty four thousand eight hundred and ninety eight dollars Compared to the three forty five So a million dollars more than they currently have So all the comments you hear It was amazing to listen to the last speaker from labory Talking about the ills of a deficit budget I'm talking about that if you have a deficit government What it was going to do to the plight of the people of this country and more importantly To undermine the viability of the private sector in this country That's what he said, but if you take from 2005 Until the end of 2006 And you recommence again in 2011 12 all the way through the only thing that the labor party did was run a deficit government That's all they did They didn't know how to do anything else Madam Speaker That's all they knew how to do But it's amazing all of a sudden the level of enlightenment That the opposition seems to have gained in opposition The same things that people were pointing out to the madam speaker the whole time They couldn't understand and that they could come to this house And make the allegation that this is the largest deficit ever presented in this house When you only have to go back two years to disprove that But that is the kind of thing I become accustomed to and all of us in solution have become accustomed to The labor party doesn't say what is right They say what is suits them In order to make the shoe fit They give you a sales job the labor party Continuously misunderstands or deliberately misunderstands That the criticism that we have of them Is that sometimes they have great ideas And I don't know whether those are generally good ideas or the fact is that they walk around and somebody gives them a good idea And they say boy, let me take that up and let me carry that as a man And as a mantra of the labor party But we continuously to joke on this side or people appear to think that we're joking when we say that the labor party suffers from labor page None of those ideas can bring them to fruition So when the members on the other side talk about the projects sabbusha black b royalty or harbor club Who do they think they're fooling? in the case of black b Negotiations and an agreement on an mo u was finalized in 2014 in 2014 Yet madam speaker On the eve of election in 2016 in fact to be exact four days Before the elections on june 2nd Is when they signed agreement and when the member from labry wants to talk about access to lands Or concerns When the members on the other side madam speaker want to continuously talk about projects The fact is that they have difficulty in bringing them to fruition And I was making the example of black b That negotiations started at the beginning of 2014 And a conclusion including the approval of the attorney general was in later in 2014 So he's so concerned About the unemployed people in the south That you would have thought that they would have done everything to have expedited the project That's how much they love the project. That's how much they embrace the project But instead madam speaker On the eve of elections So remember there was a document that came to the house that said that cabinet had Empowered the prime minister to make whatever decisions he wanted In the name of cabinet So that's an occasion in which he exercised that right And this is when we talk about that our people genuine in their concerns So on one hand the member from labry is concerned That we're leasing 200 acres of land at a dollar An acre per year Versus the fact That they agreed to sell The black bay lands sell them not lease them sell them For three dollars you see a square foot Anybody in the south knows that if you go to invest in lucha, madam speaker Nobody is being offered for the development of their from lands to be able to buy lands for three dollars a square foot I don't believe that anybody is being offered who is poor the opportunity to buy land for three dollars a square foot And you want us to take you sincerely? That we're supposed to sit on this side And believe that we can take the advice of the other members When in fact that the behavior is completely opposite What prevented them from getting sabershow off the ground? Their idea how come the project didn't start? Even politically they must have known that their candidate was in trouble That they needed the beef of their visibility and their credibility in schwaasel Because how else can you explain that the labor party lost? schwaasel and saltables By one of the greatest margins that anybody had won previously In fact, I want to congratulate the member from schwaasel And saltables mr. Bradley Felix And the things they did to try to convince and to prevent bradley from running So it means to tells me that they knew they were in trouble And any kind of real politician would said let us expedite the project You had the investor it was your idea But they even under those circumstances madam speaker They couldn't deliver labor pain Maybe did you had an epidural Harbor club Harbor club is a project. I know very very well I remember when the gentleman came to san lucha. I did not know him He bought a home in marigold bay He bought the sunset harbor land in receivership from the singer freelander bank And his only intention madam speaker And maybe he feels like he should have listened to himself now His only intention Was to build a dive center for his son And I remember discussing with him and meeting with him to say to him that the land is too valuable That dive centers cannot survive by themselves Because most of the hotels also have Their own dive program And he came back to me weeks later. He said allen i'm going to build a hotel And he went to claude guillaume May he rest in peace And started the design And in fact he signed an agreement With coco palm And that coco palm and a harbor club We're going to do joint marketing and we were going to share In our senior manager I say that Not to brag But I know the project intimately And I remember when the government announced the citizenship by investment program And mr. butchler simply wanted residency Because every time he was coming in and out of san lucha despite the amount of money he'd invested in a house He had already put down a dive center and was now going to spend over 60 million u.s. Dollars on building a hotel He was required to get Multiple entries So after the six weeks you'd have to leave to go about it again And the government said to him just go and get a citizenship by investment He said no, I don't want to become a citizen of san lucha All I want is that I can be a resident and that I can come in and out When he spoke about the amount of money that he was paying on that Despite the fact he was given duty free concession So over two and a half million dollars in taxes Yet he was supposed to be tax free And the problem that he was having madam speaker is that because The company was not up and running He could not become that registered and in not him being that registered he could not Play him back as that And these were all flaws that were brought up in the process To which the government ignored him because from the moment that the government found out that alan chastney was involved in the project The project became non-existent And you know what's amazing madam speaker Is that I wish that we could have another hundred daniel booklers to come to san lucha another hundred Because here's a man That despite other international construction firms Giving him great deals. He said no I've come to san lucha. I want to use San luchin contractors And the same contractor that built the expansion of his home who then built the dive center He invested in that solution So the crane that you see on the outside daniel bookler Gave him the funds to be able to buy the crane All the scaffolding that you see around the building all the modern technologies Mr. Bookler is the one that financed that Not for a foreign entity but for a local entity And I say that because at the same time that that construction was taking place madam speaker We had roulton and when I make these comments about roulton. I'm not criticizing roulton. I'm simply making an observation In that we must rectify the situation So while roulton was being constructed 50 percent of the workers from roulton came from outside solutions That's the difference That's the difference when you're completely committed to making it that it's a win-win situation But I'll say to you that it cost mr. Bookler A lot of money to do that way We then talk about roulton The labor party wants to talk about How great they are that they brought roulton to the table Here's the truth madam speaker What brought roulton to the table to the table was an opportunity because of the failure of smugglers beach For the third time smugglers beach went into receivership matters And in fact in the last occasion The bank of san lucha was the main financier i'm not mistaken The bank of san lucha lent smugglers For both capital and outstanding interest payments. I believe the amount was close to 47 million dollars And the project was sold For 15 million That's a good deal So in fact The property was sold for the land value The building had No value and the operations had negative value But I still on the day of the opening of the project When I did not notice that the opposition was there. I had no hesitation In congratulating the former government and I do it here today publicly as well For doing whatever it could have been done to make that project happen because it's a good thing And I don't care if it's labor or a martian that made it happen Once it benefits the people of san lucha My party the united workers party will support it Talk about Range I've dealt with that The deal was done in 2014 You're coming four days before the elections to be able to announce it But we heard a truth here today, madam speaker. So very important And sometimes people get lost in their Exuberance in their motion. It often happens to my friend my learned friend From labry He often often often likes to hear himself speak and he's very poetic But he said something that was important. He said that We're interested in giving people jobs to brush The teeth of horses mouth And to groom horses That tells you how far away from reality that he is Because I've met a lot of young people My constituency in fact in his constituency as well That cannot wait for the project to happen That in fact, they're the ones laughing at us Wearing the jacket and ties And having to go to the offices they have no interest in that And I would suggest to my learned colleague The ability to see the relationship between a human being And a horse And the skill set that's required Is awesome Is awesome To see these incredible animals and as powerful as they are and to see somebody take control of that horse And the opportunity that it's going to create for them When I go not just in St. Lucia, Madam Speaker I went to Trinidad I was in Jamaica I was in Barbados I was in Antigua And I was amazed as to how many young people came up to me who recognized me and said p.m There's one thing you're doing in st Lucia. See that horse racing track? Boy, that is exciting That is exciting And who wished that their government would be doing the same thing But yet the ambition that we have Cannot be celebrated or recognized by the other side Because they're too accustomed to living in mediocrity So I want to change a little bit, Madam Speaker We have the list of projects that we have from the World Bank And there was a project that was started Actually, Mr. King, I think that you were the one who started that project The St Lucia Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project So after Tomas and the dust had settled a little bit The then government led by Mr. King Proposed to the World Bank to borrow almost 71 million dollars In order to be able to finish up works To be able to restore the infrastructure of St Lucia After all the paperwork was done The project was approved One was approved on the 4th of June, 2014 $36 million Another one was approved the 16th of July, 2014 $12 million Another one was approved on the 4th of June again for $15 million So when you take those three projects The one for $36 million that was approved in the 4th of June Only $6.8 million have been distributed Leaving an outstanding amount of $29 million or $30 million U.S. dollars The one that started in the 16th of July Of $12 million to date $1.9 million Has been distributed The undisputed amount is $10 million And the amount of $15 million In 4th of June, 2014 Of the $15 million, only $2.9 million Has been discussed Leaving an outstanding amount Of $12.1 million So let's add it up $30 plus $10 is $40 plus $12 is $52 million $52 million, Madam Speaker U.S. sitting there And you want to come and talk about Infrastructure And how much you care about the people of this country And how of a good government and how transparent you are I know exactly how they think Alan Shastney and the United Workers' Party are wicked people Not letting me speak I want to remind them on the other side Seven people have spoken already on this budget from United Workers' Party Seven And all they have is had three But you see they want to have their cake and eat it They continuously believe that they're still in government For the member of Labry to try to put words in the mouth of the public And to threaten this government That if we don't follow their rules and don't embrace their policies That there's going to be hell to be paid But there's a thing in San Lucia, Madam Speaker I have come to know it well It's called the silent majority The silent majority And they spoke in June in large numbers Madam Speaker The other things that were indicated by the other side That I felt I needed to be able to respond to, Madam Speaker First of all, with regards to our position on the different statutory bodies The Solution Marketing Board We have highlighted that there is a deficiency That there is a cause to be concerned at the Solution Marketing Board Because you have an agency that is benefiting from duty-free incentives Unlike any of the other important agencies in Solution And despite giving that advantage continues to run in a deficit And we've indicated that we are going to examine it critically And that we're going to determine its future If in fact we knew what we would have done We would have announced it But you see the laborers They're impatient They have to rush up ahead They want to try to anticipate because they want you to do a thing That they can go out and say that you're wrong The Solution Fisheries Market We have all kinds of people selling fish in Solution And the fact is it is clear to the naked eye That there is something wrong with the structure of the fishing market And again millions of dollars are being advanced to the fisheries complex In the whoops that every time that they'll be able to repay the money 14 million dollars has been lent to them With the hope that they're going to repay it So again, what have we said? We're going to determine the future of the fishery cooperative Nobody's made any pronouncements But we've said there's enough red flags there for us to be concerned Radio Solution When even some of the people who are the most determined people The people who have put sweat and equity into Radio Solution Got to hear for themselves and see the numbers that we saw They themselves could not defend Radio Solution And there's a word that we continuously use Madam Speaker Because they believe that it's a word that is going to frighten us all Because they like to wave the flag when they have to wave Called Patrimony And they talked about the patrimony of Radio Solution Madam Speaker And the patrimony in my mind is the archives It's the archaeological history of Radio Solution All those great interviews All those historical moments in our country Which is our Patrimony But we collectively cared about it so much That those archives and that hard drive Guess where it was? In a chicken coop outside of Radio Solution And in fact the weather has deteriorated to the extent we don't even know That we'll be able to recover The Minister of Broadcasting Former Minister of Broadcasting Who holds the flag high Talks about the patrimony of this country That when you go physically to the building of Radio Solution That the leak in the roof was so bad it rotted the floor And they cannot even use the kitchen They cannot use upstairs That we're talking about having to spend eight million dollars Just to bring it back into operation And then the question becomes Bring it back into operation To do what? To compete against the private sector So let me say this to you I don't need to make this document a document in the House Madam Speaker Because it already is This is the 1998-1999 budget statement By Dr. D. Kenyanski Here's what he said On page 16 Mr. Speaker, in recent years it has become fashionable For governments to argue that the responsibility for generating Investment, employment and growth in the economy Must be shared with the private sector Indeed previous administrations have adopted the policy position That theirs was the responsibility for setting the enabling economic environment While the private sector should be the primary engine of growth and development In practice, however, this has not been observed Until May of 1997, what passed for government in this country Operated exactly in the opposite manner The former government, meaning the United Workers Party under Sir John Monopolized the investment agenda Undertaking ill-conceived and ill-advised projects in the private domain Many of these projects were undertaken without appropriate dialogue or discussion Drawing down indiscriminately on financial resources Which should have been available to other sectors in the economy Here's the interesting part Such action has the effect of crowding out the private initiative And setting up all sorts of nefarious bodies in areas where government Has little commercial advantage and even less chance of financial vitality 1990, 8th, 1999 Let me go on to show this, Madam Speaker On page 101, Madam Speaker The state of statutory boards Mr. Speaker, during my presentation of the supplementary budget to this honorable house I spoke of the serious economic challenges confronting our statutory corporations And the preparedness, the preponderance of archaic management systems in these parastatals Permitted me to take a cross-section slice across the autonomy of our parastatals To describe to you the extent to which this disease of financial mismanagement And lack of accountability had spread The Water and Sewage Authority, which is responsible for attending to two of the most basic needs of our people Has outstanding liabilities of 110 million The National Development Corporation, our nation's premier investment promotion and business facilitation agency Has an annual revenue shortfall of $5 million And a long-term debt of almost $40 million Due to the NDC's inability to meet its financial obligations The government has, over the past eight months, paid an excess of $4 million to the Caribbean Development Bank on behalf of NDC The San Lucia Broadcasting Authority The victim of much interference by the previous administration Has an outstanding liability of over $1.61 million Madam Speaker, 1998, 1999 The financial problems of the Denry Farm Goal Have reached critical, if not fatal proportions This statutory body recorded major financial deficits of 15 of its 18 years of operation Yet its problems were never attended to by the previous administration The current liability of this company is over $5.8 million And before its operations were shut down a few weeks ago Should I repeat that again? Before its operations were shut down The monthly operation deficit averaged over $80,000 a month The San Lucia Livestock Development Company Has a total liability of $4.1 million And for almost two years Had not been able to finance its loans with the Caribbean Food Corporation The future viability of this company is presently under threat The cumulative debt of the San Lucia Housing Authority for the year ending 1997 was $7.5 million The San Lucia Banana Growers Association Debt, perhaps one of which our nation is most familiar, currently stands at over $40 million The extent of the financial mismanagement of our statutory corporations Is perhaps most clearly seen in the case of the Fish Marketing Corporation I remind you, Madam Speaker, 1998, 1999 This statutory body, which enjoys an end-of-the-bill monopoly position In the lucrative business of importing and selling seafood Had at the end of the year deficit in 1995 in excess of $170,000 By the end of 1996, this deficit had grown to $275,000 The imposition of stricter financial management practice Resulted in the Fish Marketing Corporation erasing its deficit Recording the end-of-the-year surplus of $187,000 A turnaround of over $450,000 Mr. Speaker, my government is committed to the eradication of the financial mismanagement And the political interference that previously characterized the governance of our statutory corporations Really, this is why a great Calypsoan bingo wrote the song There are two Prime Ministers in our country Because he writes and says all the right things In fact, when I went through this document There is a proposed increase in the gas tax on page 27, Madam Speaker Mr. Speaker, it is our view that collecting road and vehicle user fees via petroleum tax Is a more efficient and more equitable mechanism Tourism, we've been lambasted about increasing the tax It's amazing how history repeats itself, Madam Speaker On page 25, Mr. Speaker, as part of the marketing effort in tourism Government agreed to make a one-time contribution to American Airlines of U.S. 1.5 million Already the tourism industry has begun to benefit from this measure This is the same government who continuously says subsidizing airlift is wrong Already the tourism industry has begun to benefit by this measure Airline seats to San Lucia from Miami are solidly booked To finance this expenditure, the airport service charge will be restructured and increased Effective May 1, 1998, nationals, and listen to this, this is incredible Nationals will be required to pay EC $35 while non-nationals will pay EC $40 So the recognition that we can have a dual rate was already recognized by that then government And yet they had no fear in putting the tax And there was no concerns that it was going to dampen our market But yet now, they'll make all solutions to believe that what we're committing is sacrilege That we're committing suicide What was very interesting, Madam Speaker, is that you didn't have to go very far Was on the first page It says, Madam Speaker, Mr. Speaker, the presentation of this budget has benefited from a program of financial reform And management currently underway in the Ministry of Finance Sound financial management, and I want solutions to listen to this carefully Because this is a government that was elected on a euphoria for change This is their first major budget piece because they had a supplementary budget So this was their first grandiose one, so this was their platform of where they wanted to go And we all now have the benefit, Madam Speaker, of looking back in hindsight We can go back and reflect on these words and ask ourselves Did they deliver? Because clearly when you read this, they understood economics They understood politics, implementation deficit So it says, sound financial management of the state's resources Provides a strong foundation for proper accountability As far as the citizens of this country are concerned They pay taxes in the full expectation that resources raised by the government Will be used for the services that are beneficial to the society That they will raise taxes with the full expectation that will resound to their benefit Did you all see, did the people see any benefit to the increase of the gas by 66% When they introduced that of 15% and increased revenue by I think it's over $300 million Did the hospitals get better, Madam Speaker? Did the quality of our education system get better? I'm at pains to explain to solutions what we inherited And if I am criticized, I'm criticized for not taking enough time to allowing solutions To truly understand what we inherited As I said in a speech two nights ago I don't propose or pretend to be the exterior I have found I can only do one thing at a time I can either talk or I can walk And I have chosen what the people of San Lucia need at this time is walking And I trust that the silent majority respects and understands that And measure me not by the words, not by the words that we have put down But by our actions That is what we want to be measured by That is what we want to be measured by So when you increased of that, where is the benefit? When we came in, Madam Speaker Not one of the Coast Guard boards were working Not one The radar systems to be able to anticipate and detect people coming in illegally There was no DPP The DPP's office did not even have the requisite number of lawyers Computers Paperclips Nothing The forensic lab that you boasted so much about you allowed it to close Magistrates had to use their vehicles as their offices And it was on the commitment of them that justice was carried out No assistance of the judicial system Judges don't have chambers They don't have the requisite administrative support That judges involved in criminal cases are sitting in a courthouse In which literally the jury is sitting on their lap And five feet away from them is the accused This is not exaggeration That is the reality of what we've inherited The jury is sitting on their lap The lap of justice There's a period of time Madam Speaker And you know that you're a lawyer In which you didn't know which place to go to to hear your case If I'm lying, tell me so How many cases were adjourned Because people didn't even know where the court case was going to be Or heard You go to schools and the sewer system is not working The roof is leaking The windows have never been opened The furniture has not been redone And the list goes on We talk about after school programs and sports Where is it? Are we going to lie to ourselves Madam Speaker? Come with me on a school day at 2.30 And stay here in Constitutional Park And see for yourself where our young people are going Go online and see the videos that are being peddled around To see what the young people are using their creativity for That is what we inherited This is a government That when it came into government Knew better It said as far as the citizens of this country are concerned They pay taxes in the full expectation That resources so raised by the government Will be used for the services That are beneficial to this society Can the farmers say that? Can even our criminals say that? We built Bosonsu That was what they called it And did we build Bordelay to help the judicial system? But it's overcrowded Is it that you need to get a degree in psychology or sociology? To understand that when you take a young man of 17 years of age Or 18 years of age Who may have broken into somebody's house I don't support that And you send him to Bordelay on remand Because his family cannot afford the legal support Or he cannot afford the bond to get out And you leave him to lament there for how many years And you expect him to come out Holding the flag Is that what we expect, Madam Speaker? Is that a reasonable expectation from society? They expected that those entrusted with the responsibility For providing these services Will at all times be accountable For the proper use of the resources made available to them At all times Rochamel Were the resources of the state accounted for? NCA Were the resources accounted for? The cost overruns on the highways Not by the hundreds of thousands But by the millions Was the state resources accounted for? I didn't bring it with me today, Madam Speaker But the audit department did an audit of the traffic department And sad I believe the number was approximately Only 5% of the traffic tickets issued were actually collected There's a systemic breakdown in government of accountability Nobody's being held accountable I went to Inland Revenue It was exactly the same day when it first opened In fact, the carpet had turned from red to burgundy Because it was the same carpet from the 80s So the entities that are supposed to be putting those processes in To ensure the accountability of funds It is almost as if they were deliberately undermined For what interest I don't know I'll leave that for the public to determine Government's stewardship of public resources Calls for full accountability And transparency on the part of public service managers And all other officials entrusted With the public duties and responsibilities The people in turn expect that those upon whom Such authority is conferred Will use it responsibly And that they will in all times remain Fully accountable to the people There's many more passages I can read But it seems like an entirely different party Wrote this document Because in fact, if I didn't give you the name of it You'd have thought it was Sir John Compton And United Workers Party that wrote that document Because these are the same principles that we use So, Madam Speaker, I have presented And my government has presented a budget That's a transitionary budget Yes, we have a deficit this year But the intention is to be able to grow this economy Unlike what my learned friend from Labry indicated That that's a huge risk We on this side don't think so Just this weekend, Madam Speaker We had the opportunity of doing a press launch For the opening of the Fourth Sandal's property Which promises to be their first six-star property In Samusia, which would be 330 rooms And my government will do everything we can To make sure that construction can start Before the end of this year On the 29th of June That we're going to be down in the great constituency Of Shwazel Insultables In which we're looking to break ground On a 200-room hotel at Samusia In August, we intend to be able to make another announcement As to who the management contract is going to be given to On the Black Bay Project That I am comfortable in saying That we're well advanced in our negotiations And commitments on the Canal's project For 350 rooms I'm excited at the fact that the Rex property The two owners died, the Carayas And the properties now have been vested into the trust And the trust now has agreed To demolish the existing Rex property And to build back a Hilton hotel of 350 rooms And to redo the Royal solution And add another 50 rooms To make it 500 rooms And in including as part of that project They're going to be assisting us in putting together A master plan for the Rodby Bay and Grosally area And that we can create even more opportunities The Sandals Group has also Honourable Prime Minister, you now have 15 minutes Within which to conclude your presentation Thank you, Madam Speaker The Sandals Group has also purchased The golf course And purchased the golf course And they're now in the process of adding A conference facility, more restaurants They're also going to be putting in squash courts And tennis courts And I was very excited to hear The press interview with the Minister of Tourism And I must congratulate the Minister of Tourism Not only in creating the environment In which people want to invest in this country But the fact is that in a very difficult time That Samusha's tourism arrivals Are up over 20% And I must specifically say to him Thank you Because while he's been doing that We've been transitioned into a new tourism authority And things are held to scale And he is now with the assistance Of the new events company Put on the new Soleil Festival And he's done it without having much resources And I want to say that He has never complained And the people in the tourism authority Have never complained They have gotten on with the job And they are doing it well And I congratulate you I want to talk a little bit about the DSH project You know, Madam Speaker Evidence will start coming out As to how involved the former government Actually was in the DSH project Because the people who introduced me to Mr. Teake Is actually the Labour Party And in fact a lot of the things That they are fighting in The so-called framework agreement Are originated with them In fact to deal with my issues With what they're bringing up I decided I may have to go out And employ a new person And I found out that there is a person That's called the Fixer So when high net worth people have difficulties They go and find them And members on the other side Will know what I'm talking about And hopefully maybe the name And what the Fixer was doing Will come to light But it's interesting The DSH project And what Mr. Teake's role Is going to be in that project Madam Speaker Is that we have agreed to put together Jointly a master plan for the south It is my government's belief That trying to go out and get investors On a piecemeal basis Meaning identify a piece of land And trying to sell that piece of land And get it developed Is much more difficult Than when you can show people A comprehensive plan And show that the government is committed To doing something radically different And it pains to keep repeating That Mr. Teake King Because of his history in horse racing Gives us the opportunity To get into that industry At the highest level That his horses just ran In the Kentucky Derby And won His horses ran in the Preakness His horses run all around the world And when I went to China And I got to meet the Russians And I got to meet the Australians And the Irish people And the people from Kentucky I recognized that he's revered So when you have the opportunity now Like Formula One car racing That we're getting involved In an international industry That brings with it exposure So even without anything being Spent as yet An investor from Trinidad Mr. Chen who owns Movie Town And for those Saint Lucia Who've been to Trinidad And who've been to Movie Town And see what that development is all about He has rushed to Saint Lucia To come to invest Because of the horse racing track What he has done is He was the chairman Of the horse racing club in Trinidad And he himself owns 11 horses And so it's attracting A high net worth individual That we would not have otherwise Been able to bring This is the same principle That a golf course does A golf course doesn't make money But everything around the golf course Makes money The golf course helps Improve the quality Or the value of land It draws people And creates the visibility So even when you now have A golf tournament And you're on TV So this horse racing track Is going to create jobs For young people At all different levels And the one I keep on saying That we're underestimating Is the broadcasting Because every single week We're going to be showing The horse races on TV Which will be aired Throughout all the betting Holes in the world Whether it's in Vegas Whether it's in London Whether it's in France Whether it's in Germany Austria, Australia All around the world And we have the opportunity Of promoting our destination But I don't expect The Labour Party to see all those things Because the Labour Party Is blinded by success Instead of accepting the fact That they have failed That they started with a promise That they did not deliver on In any way And instead of their party Going internally And saying Where have we gone wrong And what changes Do we have to make In order that this party Can deliver to the people Of Saint Lucia What sort of vision they have And I'm not going to tell them What that vision is But no It's easier to blame everybody else It's easier to deny Other people The opportunity for prosperity That's what's easier It's easier to criticise Ojo Labs I mean I have to use My American profusion And say Oh my God Really? That you can't understand that? That we're bringing a company here That's bringing a new technology That is not anywhere else in the world First time it's being launched Is the use of artificial intelligence With a call centre It's being launched in America In the real estate industry And that we were lucky enough To make that happen And I can tell you exactly How it happened The same gentleman Mr. David Rubin Was involved in a company here Called Yodel And Yodel employed 150 young people Madam Speaker And VZ K12 K2 And they personally trained Those young people To be able to make Phone calls to Americans And they gave them A 40 minute selling pitch And were able to convince The business people in the states To buy the software program For $15,000 And they did it As a cost effectively As their American counterparts I was impressed And in fact if you look at The United Workers Party Manifesto You will see That we have call centres in it And it is out of the conversations With Yodel And Mr. Rubin That we had already started To plan in opposition What we were going to do Unknowns to me Is that when we came To the government Weeks afterwards Yodel was sold For $333 million And the new company Decided to transfer its call centre From St. Lucia to Nova Scotia And it's when I was going To Dallas To meet with American Airlines I said I heard that Mr. Rubin now Was in Austin, Texas Let me go and see him I went to see him And then this is when he told me About his new company And I said Is there any space for St. Lucia David He said Well you came at the right time What are you prepared to offer I said We will give you A free Building For three years We will build out the building for you We'll put out the capital expenditure To create Exactly what you have here in Austin, Texas Not one standard less Than what you have And that we're willing To subsidise your staff For a year and a half That for the first six months We will contribute $1,000 To the salary Of somebody working in Ojo Labs And then for the next six months We will contribute $500 And then for the last six months We will contribute $500 And we will do that Up to four years To anybody who's employed For the first time in Ojo Labs For the first four years We as a government Will help subsidise your salaries To get that young person Into the operation In addition to that Ojo said Let us create a joint venture company Because we believe That with the success of what we're going to have An opportunity To get other companies Who are going to emulate what we're doing To move to San Lucia Is there And because Ojo Will be the example they're going to be using That we could now convince them to come to San Lucia So that in our training We're going to start training young people To build up an inventory Of young people Who now can facilitate that new investment Let us compare that to nice That you paid a person $1,500 a month Supposedly for one year To give them job experience But instead You ended up paying them $1,500 a month With one year contract And the same person Was given another contract And the same person was given another contract If that was me I would have the expectation that I have a job But it was never described as a job It was described as an opportunity And what about all the other young people Who wanted to get out of opportunity So where was the transparency That those people were employed by whom Madam Speaker By a project that did not fall under The government It was in the prime minister's office The director reported directly to him They had no accountability to anybody in the government They employed who they wanted So it gives the impression That it was political So when we now say 6,000 jobs have been lost I ask my fellow solutions If in fact we have come in And we have been so reckless To have lost 6,000 jobs How is it that the unemployment rate Has dropped to 20% It's simple math Because in fact if we lost 6,000 jobs It means we must have replaced them With over 10,000 jobs Those people who have gotten the jobs Have earned it on their own merit They have needed no politician To get them in the job Our job is to create the environment For you to get jobs But you must go and apply yourself You must be willing to make the sacrifices Do not allow the politicians To be part of that On about the prime minister You now have five minutes With energy to conclude Thank you Madam Speaker So Madam Speaker I have to say to you That even though we have not even begun All of our projects entirely That we're seeing more than green fields And I want to say to you That what we're going to be doing In youth and sports Is going to be revolutionary And instead of having a minister's account We're going to have the account For the sports people That we have a minister of agriculture Who knows what he's about And that we see banana production He's talking about that Bananas are falling down But at least they are Bananas being grown to fall down Under them there was none They took 120,000 bananas That's what Sir John left them They even got into government The same salvation group He's talking about Salvation whom? Salvation for themselves Salvation for the Labour Party But not for the banana growers And any banana grower Who is still alive today During those days knew That they were given oranges to hold That they were lied to They were promised all kinds of prices For the bananas What did they get? Nothing They got a good kick in the backside The only party that has delivered Salvation has been the United Workers Party And the values that were instilled By Sir John and Alan Buske George Mallett That we want to build on those values We have an education system That's in dire need We've had several meetings And we're hoping to be able to announce A new university in San Lucia And the culinary arts and wellness We're recognizing that Sending young people to get Tercery level education Without making sure That they have requisite jobs Is sending them to a penance Because it means they have inherited debt And no way of paying it back We must emulate Germany and Switzerland In which they are skills training Madam Chairman Skills training If you're going to be an expert In a particular industry You don't necessarily have to have A tertiary level education But if you're going to make Your country productive It's those skills But you know Madam Speaker And we're talking about Because even the subtle skills That are required to be able to take care of a horse And the pride that goes in that They cannot appreciate They would rather deny The people of San Lucia For their own selfish reasons And they would rather demean the people But they did it in tourism When tourism was prospering They talked about menial jobs That's what they talked about Is menial jobs And they're the ones Who do the most psychological damage To hold solutions back But solutions are smarter And I'm so happy that our party While we were in opposition That we had those internal discussions We were not scared to speak frankly With each other We didn't always agree But we eventually found the position In which we could agree on And that we didn't wait to get in government To have a plan So the only surprise From me Madam Speaker Was when I came into government To find out that this year That we have to turn over $800 million in debt Explain to solutions what that means That there's a ratio normally we use To determine how often you have to Turn over your debt So if you have a bond When it becomes to maturity And you're supposed to pay it back When we left government It was in excess of 10 years We've come back to government To find out now It's 4.3 years So every four years You have to turn over 100% of your debt So this year you have to turn over $800 million And we know what's taking place In Barbados The fact is the Barbados economy Is not doing well And fact is the confidence In the Barbados economy By the private sector Is not strong And we've seen that When they have those kinds of shocks In the system That it has possibly an impact on us So we must give the confidence To the business people And to the financiers That Saint Lucia is on solid ground We were helped There was a rebasing Or recalculation of our GDP Because what was said was that The GDP did not include The value of properties in it And as a result Our GDP now has been re-evaluated To be 16% higher So instead of having a debt To GDP of 81% We now have a debt To GDP of 66% Now while that is gratifying It doesn't mean we're out Of the problems We're still running a deficit And the intention of this government To grow the base of the economy Because it's simple The people who are earning money Currently cannot afford To pay any more taxes As it is People in the middle income Have lost their homes Are no longer driving cars And if you overtax On your high-end earners They have the ability Of going somewhere else So the only way That we can solve this problem Is by making sure that more people Are benefiting from the resources Of the state And that people can pay As they go Not in advance And that we're not accumulating The debt So when I say to people That the patrimony of our country Is measurable to our credit rating What do I mean by that? Because I know what they like to interpret it as In 1997 If you took the total amount of debt That we had as a country And you divided it by the population It was $2,700 That every solution owed At the end of 2016 After 20 years of the labor government And you divide the total debt we have It's $17,000 It went up 500% And I don't mind if it went up 500% If there's something to show for it But in addition to being in further debt The quality of life in this country Has gone down So Madam Speaker I'm very proud to say I'm excited about this budget I want the people of St. Lucia to know That we on this side Are committed to seeing them Get out of the mediocrity And the level of debt And hopelessness that they're in And I know many of you when I see you Have already started to feel the benefit Even the same soleil That we took so much criticism for I'm so heartened the fact that this weekend When people saw the Reagan Soul Festival And have started to understand that For the same $14 million on one event We're now going to put on six events And that so many more people can benefit That is one example of where this government is going And I thank you very much Madam Speaker Honourable members The question is That the appropriation Appropriation 2017-2018 Will be read the second time I now put the question As many as of that opinion see I As many as of a contrary opinion see no I think the eyes have it The eyes have it I have to provide for the services Of the state of St. Lucia for the year Ending on the 31st of March 2018 We have only two clauses and a schedule So is The schedule shall be called after clause two Clause two Appropriation of one billion Five hundred and thirty million Six hundred and fifty two thousand Two hundred dollars For the services of the state of St. Lucia For the year 2017-2018 Clause two stands part of the bill Schedule Section two The schedule stands part of the bill Clause one Short title Clause one stands part of the bill Honourable members the question is that I rise to report Of the bill As many as of that opinion see I As many as of a contrary opinion see no I think the eyes have it The eyes have it Honourable members I beg to report That the appropriation 2017-2018 Bill went through committee stage With no amendments Honourable Prime Minister Madam Speaker I move that the chairman's Report be adopted and that the bill Be now read a third time And passed Honourable members the question is that The chairman's report be adopted And that the appropriation 2017-2018 Bill be now read a third time And passed As many as of that opinion see I As many as of a contrary opinion see no I think the eyes have it The eyes have it Be 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 This act may be cited as the Appropriation Act 2017-2018 Appropriation of 1,513,652,200 Dollars for services of the State of St. Lucia for the year 2017-2018 There shall be and there is Herobrine granted to her Majesty The Queen her heirs and successors For the year ending on the 31st Day of March 2018 The sum of 1,513,652,200 Dollars to be paid and appropriated Out of the general revenue and funds Of the State of St. Lucia for the Set year in such quarterly amounts As the Minister of Finance may Appropriate and to be approved And to be expended in the manner And for the purposes mentioned In the schedule to this act Honourable Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Economic Growth, Job Creation, External Affairs and the Public Service Leader of Government Business Madam Speaker, I beg that this House Be adjourned or stand adjourned To sign a die Honourable Members, the question Is that this House to stand adjourned, sign it die 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 This House sitting Stands adjourned, sign it die And there you have it The conclusion of today's House of Assembly sitting For the 20th of June Today Tuesday Just a quick summary of our It was a continuation of Stage 2 of the Appropriations Bill 2017-2018 The Member for Library Honourable Alva Baptiste Spoke, gave his contribution And of the 9 Members remaining to speak Only 2 gave their Contributions here this morning That is the Member for Library And the Prime Minister of St. Lucia Honourable Alenem Shasne Who exercised his right to close the debate And the Member caught the Speaker of the House's eye The Prime Minister in his rebuttal To concerns raised by the opposition He spoke to the Citizenship By Investment Program And some of the issues raised By the members of the opposition He also defended Government's Decision to close some of the Statutory bodies in St. Lucia For example, the St. Lucia Marketing Board, the St. Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation An interesting morning here today And thank you so very much for joining us For our broadcast on the National Television Network And we will be back on Tuesday On Thursday the 22nd of June for sitting of the Senate From the Government Information Service I am Alisha Ali, thank you so very much And we'll see you on Thursday