Loading ...The 2010/2011 budget debate is now over. The upper house aside, this year’s budget debate has been another depressing episode of what passes for government in this country. The St Lucia economy remains in a very precarious position with its major driver tourism, still gripped by uncertainty in the UK and USA, our major markets. The UK economy remains still at its weakest in many years with worrying growing budget deficits. At the time of writing a conservative government looks likely which will mean cuts in UK public expenditure—public sector jobs included. Such a scenario will weaken consumer confidence and with it related spending. So we should not be sanguine about any increases in tourism arrivals from the UK. And of the US economy, our main tourism market, well the story is similar.
So what were MPees in the lower House debating bearing in mind these challenges? Sadly the discussion descended into name calling—who was the Massa and who was a poodle. Have you noticed that the recurring theme following this year’s debate was the nonsense about Kenny Anthony referring to Guy Joseph as Allen Chastanet’s poodle. In the meantime the country cannot come up with answers for the impending problems that are likely to befall us. If the tourism industry fails to take off, then we are sure to have another year of negative growth and economic hardship, not to mention rising crime. I say rising because no credible and workable solutions have been suggested to stem the level of violent crime.
Where is the Minister of Housing and his plans for generating new homes for the many young people seeking proper accommodation? Instead he was in the parliament fuelling hate over a seemingly innocuous poodle comment.
Of course Kenny Anthony could have diffused Fredericks’ inflammatory dog-calling interpretative comment by explaining the term poodle: a servile follower. Perhaps caught off-guard, he gave some credence to Frederick interpretation by suggesting he was responding to the Massa name calling from the government side. I was intrigued by the comment that it was Joseph that was the poodle and not Chastanet. They have been seen together quite frequently but how does one decide who is the follower. Constitutionally Guy Joseph’s position is more secure as a minister than Allen Chastanet, the former being an elected member of the house and the latter selected. So why would Kenny Anthony believe that the more secure minister of government, Guy Joseph is a follower of the selected member of parliament and tourism minister Allen Chastanet? Have we forgotten that it was Ausbert d’Auvergne the selected MP and government minister, who had to go for the elected MP Rufus Bousquet to make his re-entrance into Cabinet? Maybe Kenny Anthony sees the roles between the two government ministers in the way Allen Chastanet would see it. Yes, so little has change even among those we expect to be far more enlightened. I shall concede this: perhaps size was the only physical determinant for the servile follower; Allen is a bigger guy.
Listening to the voices of despair among St Lucians it appears that something needs to change about the way we run this country. We must change or we die, literally. Our politicians appear to be out of tune with the demands of the St Lucian society. Yes, social cohesion is required. But we cannot achieve it with politicians tearing down each other and expecting the rest of society to behave differently. The pursuit of political power cannot be a selfish pursuit. Its ultimate pursuit only has legitimacy if it is for the sole purpose of advancing the common weal of the citizens. I honestly believe there are people who care enough about this country to do something about this morass we currently find ourselves.
Too many politicians appear more concerned about themselves than the good of the country. Having identified them we must begin to expose them—Labour as well as UWP. There are those intoxicated with power and must be shepherded out if not hurled in for rehabilitation. There are others who just could not survive economically outside the politics. And another incapable of survival without what has become the oxygenize-trappings of political office. I am sure you could fit our politicians within one of these groupings and I suggest bloggers attempt the exercise.
I am not sure a new political party is the answer to the required change. It is likely to be too costly and would take much time before creating a significant impact. The answer appears to lie in more selfless people joining the existing parties and trying to effect change from within. It is for this reason that much is expected from the likes of Dr Robert Lewis of the Labour party. He must be given all the support to stand up against the unchanging, self-seeking honchos within the Labour party who cannot wait for another taste of power to secure undeserving contracts for rodent destruction and more.
On the UWP side Jeannine Compton, a close ally of Dr Lewis, needs to do similar work in her party. Her approach hitherto needs some sophistication otherwise she will remain outside the sphere of influence necessary to effect change.
We cannot afford to lose hope as a country because too many are depending on the more able to help in the alleviation of misery and poverty. The termite of poverty and frustration is eating away at our society and we need to address this issue sooner rather than later; otherwise this country will one day come apart and in a destructive way.
RSS
this is so true…..however …milk and rat poison is poison no matter how much milk you add…..think stlucia……time for total change
I used to call them (well most of them) vampires but ever since I became a born-again critic, I see them as salivating hyenas. Vampires suck our blood but the hyenas go the extra mile.
All parties except the newest party sound so much alike. They just want to continue where the other party left off, with just a simple promise to do better than the other party. They do not intend to do anything really or radically different. They just want to do better. Therefore, even slightly better for them is a very big deal. Ask any thinking person how this is ever going to solve our serious problems of crime, poverty and unemployment.
One does not have to go to Sir Arthur Lewis to see that both parties are mostly concerned with continuing on the same track as we are right now. In other words, if you are looking for change, do not hold your breath. With a well-read but equally and poorly understood budget statement, the next government in St. Lucia will be facing a future just like the new government in Britain. An SLP government will again try to legislate its way to economic growth and keep on selling the only natural resource we have, our land.
THE BUDGET WAS WELL READ?
Don’t make me throw up! Time for change but Maryanna is suggesting that we all work within the existing parties??? What a shame!!!!
A great article. No one is taking heed of the ominus signs. We have an unsustainable debt level, very little revenue generation options, extremely high unemployment rate, we are headed for a financial disaster just like Greece and I am not at all sure we will get a bailout we are too inconsequential on the world stage. We need to take this matter serious. We ignore it to the peril of all
what do you suggest…
Two Chinese nationals arrested in connection with the seizure of a large quantity of counterfeit cigarettes and bleaching creams were each granted $3million bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Charged with misleading and deceptive conduct breaching the Excise and the Customs acts are Xiocong Huang and Lau Huang.
The allegations are that on May 7 about 7 a.m. an operation was carried out in the Louisville Road area of Russell Heights, St Andrew. During the operation, a large amount of cash, counterfeit cigarettes, batteries, knapsacks and bleaching cream were seized.
The police were also reportedly led to two wholesales allegedly operated by the accused men. At those locations, it is said that another large quantity of counterfeit goods was found.
An attorney representing the men successfully argued for bail, explaining that they both had ties in the country, with one of the men having children who are attending school locally. He also told the court that not all the goods that were seized were counterfeit.
The men were ordered to report to the Constant Spring Police Station and to surrender their travel documents. A stop order was also put in place. The matter returns to court on May 20.
Here’s why Kenny Anthony and SLP will never get it. Compare Kenny’s humility vs Brown and Miliband’s open acknowlegement that thier party messed up big time.
Here is Kenny talking to HTS. Even after Labour got its ass kicked in England here is Kenny trying to make it look as it they were not beaten badly..
Now look at what the guy who wants to lead the Labour Party in england is saying. Now this is a real leader.
Anyone who thinks that Kenny Anthony will ever change here is your proof. A leader who can’t acknowlege when people no longer wants him should be feared. This is a man living in denial.
LP on UK Elections
Story By
Winston Springer
The Political Leader of the St. Lucia Labor Party is enthralled by the dramatic outcome of the UK general election. None of the three main parties secured an outright majority resulting in what is referred to as a hung parliament. ( Dr. Anthony who is a constitutional lawyer by profession is fascinated by the result given projections the incumbent British labor party led by Gordon Brown would have been decimated at the polls.)
VS
BBC
David Miliband, a former protege of ex-Labour leader Tony Blair, has said he wants to rebuild the Labour Party as “the great reforming champion of social and economic change in this country”.
He said Labour had to acknowledge that it had “lost this election and lost it badly” and now had to “re-engage with the public and understand, especially in England, why we lost”.
Note: Kenny has said or done none of those things since losing in 2006. What we have is guy blaming the people for voting him out.
Please tell us and give us examples where did kenny blamed the people for voting him out? We must try to get off that foolish talk , we talking as if Kenny is the first politician on earth that was ever voted out of office and is seeking re election. That is what politics is all about, you win sometimes you loss sometimes, if you do not want to loss you do not enter politics. Phillip J Pierre loss i believe twice to Lansiquot before he won three times, so what is your point? The person some of you all call father of the nation have lost elections in St Lucia very badly before. St lucia and England situation is very different, there are many, many political parties in England compared to only two major parties in St Lucia. Kenny cannot take his political que from what is happening in as far off as England, he have to look at what is happening in St Lucia. I believe it is only some bias uwp supporters who will not support for the SLP anyway, who is asking for Kenny to leave.
You must not know nothing about the history of Kenny Anthony and Labour party. Poor Jab. When Labour came to office in England it was Kenny and the SLP who were making a big deal about. The term old and new Labour came from England and Kenny tried to partern himself after Blair. SLP even brought down British MP’s to speak at their rallies.
All Labour parties in the Caribbean came from the Labour party of England. If you are going to make Blair and the British Labour Party your hero in good times, why not follow their example in bad times…
They are more gracious and humble than Kenny go ever be!!
Take it in your pipe and smoke it. Next time do some homework on the party you suppporting before you run here and write junk in defence of Kenny.
What is your point? So what you are saying, if i understand you clearly is, if one labour party lost an election anywhere around the world, all the others must loose or will loose also. If one labour leader give up his post all the others leader must follow suit. does that make any sense to you? I am happy you are the only one who knows the history of the labour party, good for you. So what if Blair came to St Lucia, this is not the first or last time fellow politicians will come to support politicians on both sides. I will always support Kenny because of all the development he did in my beloved St Lucia for nine years. If you are not blind, go around St Lucia and you will see for yourself. Now we have a government who have stalled development and has taken St lucia down a backward slide.
These are difficult times globally and most economies are suffering one way or another. The situation is no different in St. Lucia and we all recognize that fact. The main areas of real concern should not be just the politicians and their behaviour in the house.
St. Lucia needs an overhaul quite badly. We need to overhaul just about every sector you care to discuss or highlight in discussion. Crime, education, industry (not just Tourism…there is agriculture too), health, social, community; the civil service, the private sector, the regional community and our relationship with other member states; yes, a complete overhaul is needed.
But who better to perform this mammoth task but the current bunch of experienced politicians we currently have in St. Lucia? These guys really need to approach their politics with fresh impetus and, I stress once again, for the betterment of St. Lucia. We really cannot continue with all this negativeness around us. We don’t have to change the politicians but they can change their behaviour, their goals, their willingness to work for a better St. Lucia. It can be done guys, so do it…!
We also need the new kids on the block (new people in politics) who can make a difference to assist in this overhaul.
p.s. I agree with you Maryanna, I also do not believe that a new political party is the answer. I’d say that a fresh approach to how things are done and what we actually do for the better will help tremendously.