Guy Joseph’s penchant for getting under the skin of the House opposition has long been obvious. At last Thursday’s session the Castries Southeast MP proved his uncanny ability has not diminished. What began as a point by point rebuttal of the contribution by former prime minister, now the MP for Vieux Fort South, Kenny Anthony, quickly descended into a fish market exchange with a school of opposition sharks determined to gobble up Guy Joseph. This was the essence of Anthony’s contribution: “This budget has no soul, no character, no moral compass.” Joseph opened his rebuttal by referencing passages from Rick Wayne’s ‘Lapses & Infelicities’: “Shortly after his party was elected to office in 1997, the new prime minister described his immediate predecessor as the worst Compton-made disaster . . . Instead of rising to his historic opportunity, Vaughan Lewis sank to the lowest common, moral and intellectual denominator. Not even Compton in his worst moments, ever sank so low.”
“That was in 1997,” Joseph pointed out, his eyes locked onto the Vieux Fort South MP’s face. “In 2006,” he said, “by which time Lewis had landed on the SLP’s platform, even with a libel suit by Kenny Anthony pending against him in the courts, it was all water under the bridge.”
He then proceeded to describe the Vieux Fort South MP’s critique of the 2019/2020 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure as without merit, given his own poor performance as Finance Minister.
Asked Joseph: “What can they find wrong with these Estimates of Expenditure? How can you, who has presided over a deficit budget for more than a decade, be expected to appreciate that the performance of the economy is better today? You can’t, because to admit the truth would be acknowledging you were a failure in your time.”
Anthony grumbled a non sequitur. “Explain PAJOAH,” by which he referred to a contentious ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letter signed by Guy Joseph. Hardly missing a beat, the Castries Southeast MP tossed back a grenade of his own: “I can explain that and Johnny John too.” It remains to be seen if there’ll be more of that come the next House session. Nevertheless, the skirmish at hand was shut down by the Speaker.
“What was the economic growth rate under the SLP?” asked Joseph rhetorically. “In 2012, -0.3%; in 2013, -2%; in 2014, 0.0%; in 2015, 0.3% That indicates the performance of the member from Vieux Fort South when he was prime minister.”
Joseph summed up: “Your government only presided over negative growth, yet you’re gloating over the deceleration of economic growth under this administration? We may be growing at a slower pace, but you were declining at a slower pace!”
Anthony had touched briefly on the issue of Saint Jude Hospital. “That’s an insult to the intelligence of the people of Saint Lucia,” said Guy Joseph. “Mr. Speaker, he was the prime minister who presided over a project where over $100 million was spent but he could not show one word of planning approval. All of a sudden he is harping on about DCA approvals.”
Another Anthony came to mind: “He was set to construct a building in Vieux Fort, gave a direct award of $67 million to a preferred contractor . . .” His flow was interrupted by Opposition Leader Philip J. Pierre on a rescue mission: “I’d like to ask the member some details. What was the building he referred to and who issued the direct award?”
“I’ve made my statement Mr. Speaker,” Joseph replied, which sparked another outcry from House opposition members. The Speaker intervened, before the Vieux Fort South MP stood up to speak for himself. “The honourable member is misleading the House. The Administrative building in Vieux Fort was under the construction of the National Insurance Corporation. Public tenders were invited for that building and Rayneau’s company won the tender. It’s a fact. No direct award was ever involved in the Administrative complex in Vieux Fort. I ask the member to withdraw his statement.”
At first Joseph resisted. “If he cannot take my word, then I cannot take his word.” But finally, at the Speaker’s insistence, he withdrew his criticism as it related to a direct award. But he was hardly through. “I err on the side of caution today!”
Still addressing Anthony as prime minister, Joseph issued this challenge: “Let us not forget why this subject is being discussed. Today, the member from Vieux Fort South wants to grandstand and say: ‘Bring me the plans for St. Jude.’ I say to him, show me your plan for St. Jude and I will show you mine.”
Reminiscent of his glory days, Anthony angrily slammed his fist on the table in front of him. Monday! Bring in your plans on Monday. He pointed a lance-like forefinger at the Castries Southeast MP. “Approved plans. You have none!”
“Bring yours,” an unruffled Joseph smiled. From his chair, the prime minister and member for Micoud South flung his own fistful of mud at his immediate predecessor. “After five years you still have no approved plans!”
