The Better and Safer Choice: PJP

Maya Angelo advises that when people tell and show you who they are, you should believe them.  Over their years in public and political life, Philip J Pierre and Allen Chastanet have both demonstrated who they are. You should therefore believe them. 

When I say believe them, I refer not only to their spoken words. You should also pay strict attention to what they have accomplished, along with the consequences of their accomplishments. To put it another way, and I borrow from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “By their fruits you will know them.”

Let us examine what the two gentlemen currently vying to lead this country have essentially told us about themselves, based on which we are expected to determine who is more deserving of our vote. Both have held the portfolios of Tourism and Prime Minister. However, because Philip J. Pierre held the tourism portfolio over two terms and Allen Chastanet just one, I will not compare their statements or accomplishments in that context. Let us instead consider their performances   as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.

One has famously promised he would “rather stutter the truth, rather than eloquently lie to you.”  Just as famous is the other’s contention that “the truth is whatever you believe.”

One pledged always to “put the people first.” The other publicly acknowledged he had no idea how it was possible to do that. 

One is proud of his African ancestry, and has sought to elevate the celebration and significance of Emancipation Day. The other openly proclaimed himself “a product of Canada.” Additionally, that “colonialism had a conscience.” 

One of them is rebuilding national trust by delivering on his promises and rebuilding the National Trust by reinstating the subvention that the other withheld from the institution.

One, sensitive to the challenges of being a single mother, decides to create pathways to help ease their burdens, among them, paying educational facilities fees and CXC subjects for their children. In the meantime, the other declares single and deprived mothers mendicants, largely to blame for the crime committed by young people in our country. 

One of them dutifully secured funds to complete St Jude Hospital. The other prioritized “a loss-leader” horse-race track, instead of directing funds to expeditiously complete SJH, effectively putting horses before hospitals. One is a work horse, the other a show horse.  

One has sufficient confidence in local expertise that he listened to their counsel about getting SJH completed and commissioned; the other disregarded local expertise and took a more costly and lengthy path by constructing a new structure which siphoned money. We all know who fired Dr Stephen King and his hospital transition team in favor of a foreign entity. In consequence, it took four years to commission OKEU—which was still done by a local team.

One, despite their historical political disagreements, would not deny Sir John Compton’s daughter a job. The other, despite always using SJC’s name as a crutch, refused his daughter a job because she dared to disagree with him.

One gave all parliamentarians CDP funds to take care of constituency matters, and the other, architect of the so-called “Belrose Doctrine,” denied similar courtesy to Opposition Parliamentarians, on the premise they had lost their right to speak. (And conceivably their duty to represent constituents.)

One gave tax amnesty to all businesses, waiving their outstanding interests and penalties providing they paid their assessed tax liability. The other limited such generosity and consideration to only one company—to a value of $24 million.

One managed the gains from the Excise Tax on fuel to subsidize LPG and pay down national debt, while the other, despite having lied a hidden $6.8 on fuel, chose to increase the Excise Tax on fuel by a further $1.5 per gallon.

One has allocated millions of dollars to provide resources for our police and security forces. The other held charity balls to raise money to provide resources for our police and fire fighters.

One stewardship has produced over four years an average annual growth of 9.75%, the other’s saw the economy contracting by an average of 2.96% over their five-year term.

One has empowered the citizenry by ensuring that the economic pie has grown, reducing unemployment to record lows, creating more permanent employees. The best the other could offer was an obviously promise of an “empowerment card,” a substitute for “chi-ching in your pockets.”

One has been humbly “grounding” with his people for decades and thus has no need to engage in symbolic manipulation. The other, an interloper, felt the need to pose with a FAR15 license plate for two weeks, take the line at a KFC for the first and last time, pretending to be one of us when everyone knew the contrary truth.  

Of course, when one has been as consistent and measured as a quality timepiece, there is no need to suggest a change of character. It takes more than a mask adjustment to persuade the people you are no longer what by your word and deed you convinced them what, irreversibly you have always been. That you are not one of us!

And now, my fellow proud Saint Lucians, let’s move forward. Together!