Sir Emmanuel Delivers First Throne Speech: Outlines Government Focus on Crime, Family, Children and Healthcare

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]is Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac, GCSL, GCMG, Governor General of Saint Lucia, delivered his first Throne Speech to the Nation on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Following are some of the highlights:

The call to ‘Build Resilience Today to Secure our Future’ is an appeal to us all to reaffirm our commitment to this dear land we call our own; to do so unreservedly, because the challenges we face today are without precedent, and the blueprint for their solution must be the product of our collective endeavour.

HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE:

My government is of the firm belief that people are the foundation stone on which a prosperous and resilient country is built.  Consequently our people must always be, and remain, at the heart and epicentre of every initiative taken in the name of development. In that respect, the protection of families and of the most vulnerable in our society are paramount. This being on the front burner of my government’s agenda, matters of equity, education, healthcare, justice and security will, through policies and laws, transform our country.

SOCIAL SAFETY NETS:

The Department of Equity, Social Justice, Empowerment and Human Services has spearheaded the review and reform of the public assistance programme. One of the notable achievements of the Social Safety Net Reform process is the Review of the 1967 Public Assistance Act which enhances Saint Lucia’s social protection landscape. The Department’s initiatives, coupled with the invaluable contribution of stakeholders, have resulted in a modern Social Protection Bill. My Government is wholeheartedly committed to this new Act in the coming fiscal year.

FAMILIES AND CHILDREN:

My government intends to enact Family Law legislation, including that which will remove discriminatory provisions in existing laws relating to children, and will secure parental rights. These laws will also bring Saint Lucia into compliance with our international law obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, (CEDAW).

The Child Care, Protection and Adoption Bill underpins the policy direction of my government, that if a child is temporarily or permanently deprived of his/her home or environment, or cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, in his/her best interest, the child is entitled to special protection and assistance from the State.

EDUCATION:

By way of The Education Quality Improvement Project (EQUIP), my government will seek to enhance the teaching/learning environment, as well as quality, relevance and instructional effectiveness. Resources will be directed at continuing professional development, and improvements will be sought in system leadership and operational effectiveness.

The Education Act will be reviewed and amended to incorporate these system modifications, as well as to facilitate the incorporation of commitments set out in regional and international agreements.

A MORE MODERN, EQUITABLE HEALTH SERVICE:

Greater impetus will be given to the commissioning of the new national hospital, continuing the transitioning of the Victoria Hospital to the Owen King EU Hospital in a phased manner.  It is my government’s goal to complete this exercise within the coming fiscal year.

While my government continues to invest heavily in health care, many of our people are suffering poor health because of their inability to pay for essential health services. The National Health Insurance Scheme will assist in establishing a balance between sustainable financing of the health sector and providing our people an avenue for accessing health care services, without having to pay at the point of use.

Proposed legislation for the Central Regulatory Agency will give power to this Agency to oversee the implementation and regulation of the National Health Insurance. The National Health Insurance Bill will mandate health insurance coverage for all eligible persons, and will set out such matters as eligibility for coverage, levels and payment of contributions, health services covered, and governmental responsibility for specified population groups.

A proposed Health Records and Reporting Bill will make new provisions to regulate the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of health-related information of individuals.

The Public Health Act and Regulations will also be considered for amendment, following broad consultation. The amendment will address, in particular, new and re-emerging infectious diseases and the need to protect the public from hazardous chemicals and events.

JUSTICE AND SECURITY:

Criminality undermines societies . . . Our response must encompass policy, legislative and strategic action.

In the course of this year, a more strategic approach to combatting crime will be adopted, including improvements in internal communication, the incorporation of more modern technology, increases in foot, mobile and maritime patrols throughout the island, and the introduction of a new Crime Management System which will assist in monitoring and recording crime, statistics being an indispensable ingredient in managing our affairs.

In order to bolster the strategic approach and increase the potential for success,  training of our police will continue, and will cover such areas as interviewing and investigative techniques, the approach to sexual offences, evidence and the treatment of witnesses.

Further, my government anticipates that by the end of this fiscal year a Use of Force Policy, a Code of Ethics, a Succession Plan and a Five-Year Strategic Plan would have been introduced within the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force with a view to improving police administration.

Not only will physical conditions be improved by the upgrading of police stations, but welfare concerns will be addressed, and a chaplaincy will be provided to cater to the spiritual needs of our police men and women and enhance their moral and ethical growth.    

The Child Justice Bill will establish the judicial process for a child who is in conflict with the law. It will allow for the designation of a place of assessment and, where necessary, a secure residential facility during the judicial process. The Bill will also ensure that the child is provided with an attorney, that the process is expeditious and that the child is given an opportunity to respond before decisions are taken which affect him or her.

Criminal Code to incorporate stiffer penalties for persons convicted of all forms of exploitation. In addition to this, laws regarding the protection of the vulnerable persons in our society, including the elderly and the young, will also be reviewed.

Codes of Practice governing the detention, treatment, questioning and identification of persons by police officers will be introduced to supplement the Evidence Act.

CLIMATE CHANGE:

My government will intensify efforts to fulfil our obligation to climate action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement and ratify and implement the Doha Amendment which establishes the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project will be advanced, as will resource mobilization to support renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport solutions, sustainable water management, agriculture and forestry, and building resilience and adaptation.

PHYSICAL PLANNING:

My government will embark on an assessment and evaluation of the physical planning approvals process. This initiative will include the establishment of mechanisms to assist the Development Control Authority in providing a one-stop type service to all developers and investors.

MODERNIZATION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE

In the coming fiscal year, my government will consider avenues for modernization of the public service, through the restructuring of public sector organisations and systems.  The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and, specifically, the harmonization of the administration’s ICT infrastructure to enable improvements in service delivery, will be key areas of focus.

My government will complete the process to enact a Public Service Management Bill, which will provide for a governance framework to support a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to the delivery of services in the public sector.

Further, in an effort to support the business community, facilitate efficient and productive administration and improve Saint Lucia’s position on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, my movernment will give consideration to certain E-government legislation.

As part of my government’s drive towards public sector modernization, focused attention will be directed toward the review and commencement of the following pieces of legislation:

•  The Electronic Transaction Act

•  The Data Privacy and Protection Act

•   The Electronic Crime Act

FOREIGN POLICY AGENDA:

My government will continue to be at the forefront of the response on the regional and international stage, to urge finalisation of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, to encourage ratification of the amendments relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the international emissions reduction treaty and to maximize the outcomes of the 24th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 24) which is scheduled for Poland later this year.

PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT:

. . . While the government sets out to implement the policies in its manifesto, the opposition’s duty, on the other hand, is to show the superior quality of theirs. Thanks to technology, the respective strengths and weaknesses are exposed, registering, instantaneously, who is more worthy to govern.

Questions put to Ministers in the House is the most effective way of shaking the ground under their feet, for a minister cannot lie to Parliament. Another important tool in the hand of the opposition is Resolutions for debate which bear on policies in their manifesto. “Parliament is the grand inquest of the nation” and every meeting of the House, every Throne Speech and every Budget, where competing policies come forcefully to the fore, foretells whether the government would be returned or replaced. The mark is missed when one substitutes such refinements as Questions and Resolutions for javelins of slander and knives of lies.

For the sake of our children and their generation, let us, therefore, as people who have suffered, always rise nicely to the occasion, government and opposition, for Saint Lucia has talent, and the world knows it too.

Let every Parliamentary meal be delicately prepared and elegantly served: and remember that “Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor worry, that all power comes from above” and “As a man makes his bed, so shall he lie.”