Frederick says ‘Mario Michel would have made a good prime minister!’

Castries Central MP Richard Frederick came out guns blazing on Tuesday April 19 to defend allegations leveled at the ruling administration. He vehemently defended the Prime Minister’s 2011/2012 Budget, explaining there are some things that neither citizens nor governments can control, one such example being the rise in fuel prices.

Said Frederick, “As a people we need to do for ourselves what government cannot do for us. We need to be a little more conservative in our daily operations, close the fridge door, let’s car pool, turn off the lights when we don’t need them.  We need to conserve what we cannot produce.”

In defense of his party and taking a swipe at the former administration the Housing Minister stated, “Thou shalt not squander the people’s money and call it cost overruns.”  Frederick made it clear his government does not undertake more than it can afford.  Additionally, he refuted allegations that his Ministry of Physical Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Local Government and the Environment, has misappropriated funds.
One of the opposition allegations is that the housing development Frederick commissioned shortly after he assumed office is nowhere near to completion.  In fact, the opposition alleged only one person resided there.

Said Frederick in response, “The development in Marigot is totally completed.  The development yielded 105 lots.  Of those lots only six are available.  All the others have been sold or assigned.  I can indeed say Marigot has been a success.”

Additionally, Frederick reported his ministry recently handed over four newly built houses at Morne Dor in Anse La Raye to residents of Conway as part of his ministry’s promises
to relocate those residents.

In light of this Frederick told the House, “The government is pursuing with due dispatch the rationalization of lands in a number of areas.  The rationalization plan is designed to bring those squatted settlements into the periphery as far as infrastructural development is concerned.”

Frederick said the Labour Party resorts to name-calling and false accusations because it is easier than challenging opponents on their track records.

Said Frederick, “It wasn’t I that called the Leader of Opposition in St Vincent a manicou. It wasn’t I that called my colleague a poodle. It wasn’t I who called Isaac Anthony a book keeper.  It wasn’t I who called Keith Mondesir a thief and it wasn’t I that called the people of Castries Central the elements.  The business of name calling runs in their business.”

Supporting his notion, the Castries Central MP referred to the October 10, 2009 issue of the STAR Newspaper where Nicholas Joseph penned a critical article of the former prime minister, Dr Kenny Anthony.

Said Frederick, “What is more telling is an article written by a Labour Party supporter.  His name is Nicholas Joseph.  This is what he had to say in a nutshell.  Kenny is not fit for office.”

Frederick read excerpts from the article.  “As a Labour man myself, yes I am, I cannot fathom this madness.”

What was interesting to Frederick is the line “There is sufficient talent surrounding the Labour Party.”

Commenting on Joseph’s statements Frederick said, “There cannot be talent surrounding the Labour Party.  When the Leader of the Opposition entered the Labour Party there was a constitution that essentially said you cannot serve more than two terms.  That constitution was amended and all the good fellas had to run like Mario Michel.  So right now the St Lucia Labour Party has no choice than to settle for UWP rejects because the good people are gone.  All the talent had to leave the Labour Party.  Poor jab Mario.  And let me put on record that Mario Michel would have made a good prime minister.”

Joseph went on to write that “There is sufficient talent surrounding the Labour Party, both in and out of the country, to fashion a team of candidates in time for the next general election.”

Joseph asserted in the article that if the constituency groups need reason for a no-confidence vote in Kenny Anthony, the Ramsahoye report serves as sufficient evidence.