2025: HOPE AMIDST DESPAIR
Fellow Saint Lucians,
Tonight, as the clock moves us into a new year, we must acknowledge that 2024 brought incredible challenges and extraordinary achievements, which showed that, despite our size, Saint Lucia is capable of great things when we dare to dream big and prepare for success.
Last year will forever be remembered as the year Julien Alfred blazed her way into the history books, bringing home two Olympic medals, gold and silver, for the first time. Julien has inspired a new generation of young athletes through her dedication and discipline, capturing the global spotlight and introducing millions worldwide to our island. Naomi London, also a student at the University of Texas, is quickly following Julien’s footsteps. Her explosive speed and unwavering determination have already caught the world’s attention. We look forward to rejoicing in their future triumphs.
We are so proud of Kaieem Elizee, who, at just 23 years old, earned the prestigious FIDE Master title in chess. His brilliance shows that we can excel not only in physical pursuits but in intellectual arenas as well. And let us not forget our living legend, Daren Sammy, whose inspiring leadership and competitiveness poise West Indies Cricket for a return to the glory days. Then there are our rising cricket stars Zaida James and Akeem Auguste, along with many more individuals and teams who continue to inspire us with their prowess and passion, and we celebrate the incredible Saint Lucia Kings, who have
brought home the CPL Trophy for the first time, uniting every Saint Lucian in celebration and pride.
All these achievements are more than moments of pride; they are reminders of what we can achieve. But in these moments, we must also ask ourselves a question: How did they succeed? And what kind of investments will be necessary for the next generation to succeed? The UWP had already begun to answer that question by supporting some of those same athletes in various ways, not the least of which was building world-class sporting facilities in each community and establishing a Sports Academy, which Zaida James attended, to prepare our athletes and coaches for international team and individual competition. At the time of the election, we were about to open a Youth and Sports Authority, funded by the revenues from our Lottery, dedicated to preparing and supporting our youth and athletes and strengthening our Clubs. All this to make sure they have the best chance to succeed. Instead, this Government has taken these same funds, $800,000 a month, to repay a loan for the next 15 years, robbing our Youth and Athletes of the promise of a future in sports. Whilst we must celebrate all our successes, we cannot ignore the hardships many Saint Lucians have endured and continue to endure. I recently sat with two families in the South of the island – a mother working tirelessly at two jobs and still struggling to meet her family’s monthly expenses and a father who lost his livelihood as a result of a business closure, now unable to support his three bright-eyed children who yearn for more. The mother shared her anxiety about the harsh choices she faces between meeting bills for food, rent, electricity, water, bus fares, medication, and the often inability to meet the basic needs of her children. The father spoke with tears in his eyes about his helplessness and shame. This is their reality. And for far too many Saint Lucians, it has become their reality too.
My friends, these stories are not isolated; they are now woven into the fabric of too many St. Lucians struggling daily under broken promises, misguided policies, and failed leadership. Nearly four years ago, the Saint Lucia Labour Party swept into office beating pans and clearly with no plans, but instead made empty promises to put you first. As we see daily, they, their families, and their comrades have been placed first. They speak of love for Saint Lucia, yet their neglect speaks louder. The stopping of the St. Jude’s Hospital, the Hewanorra International Airport, the Gros Islet Highway, the numerous Housing developments, and many more projects that were underway indict this administration and speak clearly to their self-serving priorities. Rather than finding ways to improve upon those projects and allow them to flourish, they made false allegations of corruption, which, in three and half years and the appointment of a Special Prosecutor, they have yet to prove. Their arrogance and greed have led them to stopthese essential projects at all of our expense. They have proven once again that it is politics that they put first and protect the victory. They stopped work on the new modern St. Jude Hospital nearing completion to return to a 60-year-old building that could not meet international standards. Had they continued work on the new St Jude’s hospital, we would have moved out of the stadium over three years ago and saved over $150 million. The plan to use the second floor for an international hospital with a helicopter pad would also have been completed. The old St Jude’s buildings were earmarked to become a Nursing College. The South would have had one of the most enviable hospitals in the Caribbean – the nurses, doctors, and patients would finally, after 13 years, leave the makeshift hospital formerly known as the
George Odlum Stadium in Vieux Fort. Our young women and men would have had the opportunity to be trained nurses in a career in high demand around the world, and sadly, we lost opportunities for new businesses and jobs that would have been required to support two hospitals and a university. All of this was thrown away in the pursuit of political oppression.
The hypocrisy of their election cry that we cannot eat roads when the UWP managed to develop the country even during Covid was laid bare when the SLP declared 2024 the year of infrastructure. What a joke! Our highways are riddled with potholes that damage vehicles daily, add unnecessary expenses, and endanger people’s lives. Even during the worst financial challenges our country has ever faced, we had more infrastructural development than this past year. Everything with this government is lies, empty promises, and propaganda. They can manage nothing. We can all see that they have been a dismal failure in managing the redevelopment of the Millennium Highway and West Coast Road for four years with no end.
Their stupidity in abandoning the redevelopment of the Hewanorra International Airport, a cornerstone for our tourism sector and jobs for the South, shows that they have learned nothing about tourism or economic growth. Four years later, it languishes in limbo, and their new proposed airport will not only be significantly smaller but, as is usual with their projects, will cost almost double what was initially outlined. Once again, our citizens are left to bear the brunt of their mismanagement. Frankly, what is going on
is nothing short of insanity. In opposition, they complained when gas prices were $13.95 a gallon, but now, on their watch, we face the highest gas prices in the OECS at $16.50 a gallon. And they are
doing nothing to provide relief for us, our bus drivers and taxi drivers. They argued against reducing VAT to 12.5%, a UWP decision that directly led to the growth of our economy and relief to our businesses and consumers and hit us all with an unnecessary 2.5% levy instead, manifestly lying that it was to improve health and security but which we later found out was to service yet another government loan. These are not just policy failures but outright hypocrisy and a total betrayal of our trust.
Our health sector is in crisis and on the verge of collapse. As predicted by the SLMA, Nurses and Doctors have left in droves, and those who remain are stretched to their breaking point, working in facilities that lack even the most essential resources, such as panadol and water. Patients are dying needlessly, not because our medical staff lack of support skill or compassion, but because they are denied the opportunity to use them.
A few days ago, I went to visit a strong party stalwart, Lincoln ‘Skinny’ Maynard, whohad advanced cancer at OKEU and was stunned to find him sitting on a plastic chair in Casualty amongst a group of other patients, strangers to him a few of whom were coughing. My wife had visited immediately prior and asked the nurses for some masks for those who were sick to avoid any germs infecting Skinny. The swift reply came back that there were no masks and she should bring as many as possible if she had some.
The hospital knew of Skinny’s medical condition as he had been treated there a few weeks prior, but he was merely provided oxygen and medication to help him breathe. He ended up sitting in that chair for a total of 40 hours in dire discomfort, unable to get help to even get to the bathroom for this entire time. I saw several other St.Lucians in a similar predicament, languishing on makeshift beds, stretchers, and chairs of various sorts, waiting for medical attention. Frankly, I was not only dismayed by the conditions
there but heartbroken to see the total breakdown of a medical facility that our administration had been running efficiently, even during COVID-19 when finances were at their tightest. I am grateful that I had both the time and the means to move Skinny to Tapion, but regrettably, he passed away a day later. However, Skinny had the time to call me a few hours before he passed to thank him for arranging for him to be treated with dignity and professionalism. And the indignity of his treatment at OKEU has made me angry and ashamed. I am distraught to know how many St Lucians are experiencing this same treatment. How many patients in the same predicament as Skinny would have been left to die on the chair among strangers? The day after Skinny passed, on the 31st of December, the new CEO publicly announced that the Casualty ward could no longer manage to provide care to anyone other than emergency patients and to ask t he public not to come unless it was critical.
Think of the absurdity and insensitivity of this request! So, we are now to self-diagnose our medical issues and determine if it is life-threatening or not. The entire Board needs to resign, not just the CEO, who is clearly, as we had predicted, ill-suited for the requirements of this position. My fellow St.Lucians, this is more than a failure of governance – it is a moral failure. Ask yourselves whether any of the SLP ministers will ever end up in the hallways of OKEU awaiting medical treatment. If a government cannot prioritize essential services like the health and well-being of its people, it should forfeit its right to govern – plain and simple. How much more can we endure?
It would appear that despite the indisputable evidence, corruption has now become an accepted norm and, worse yet, is justified by too many of us. Questionable contracts are being issued, and millions of our dollars are handed out freely to friends and comrades. At the same time, ordinary Saint Lucians are left with the crumbs and bear the burden of projects that never materialize. Our Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP), once a beacon of opportunity, has now become Saint Lucia’s largest scandal in our history, thus robbing us all and the country of billions of dollars; funds that could have helped relieve all of us from higher taxes, inhumane health services, poorly equipped schools, insufficient public facilities, and an ineffective police force. Instead, shady and questionable practices have raised alarms in the international community, putting our reputation and access to the US, Canada, UK, and Europe at risk. Yet this Government offers no answers or explanations to the mounting evidence of unbridled corruption and suspect agreements. Secrecy, lies, and propaganda have replaced transparency and accountability. Future generations of Saint Lucians will have to pay the price for this blatant abuse of our assets long after Philip Pierre and his Cabinet of misfits are gone. On behalf of the St.Lucian public, we intend to apply for judicial review against the CIP Unit and the Minister for their mismanagement and the illegality of their actions. This action is essential to protect our country’s assets, reputation, and, most
importantly, our patrimony, which is currently under threat.
Crime has cast a long and dark shadow over our nation. The spiraling number of murders – a record for our country, represents real families, mothers, fathers, and children. The large number means we can’t recall all the names and the stories, but all these people represent lost lives and family members, friends, and communities left grieving. These losses are becoming all too commonplace. Too many mothers and
fathers have had to lay their children to rest this year – too many lives cut tragically short – creating an unbearable pain that no parent should ever have to endure. Communities and families have been left unsupported to grapple with the lingering fallout of fear and trauma. I witnessed this firsthand through the shooting of Mello, a thirteen-year-old who was shot in his home in the presence of his mother and sisters at 11:30 at night. This government has failed to provide any help or solution to this crisis. They have failed because, in large part, they refuse to deal with the criminal elements in their own Party. Philip Pierre has betrayed us by disregarding blatant acts of corruption and criminal behavior by his Ministers with no repercussions. His appointment of unqualified and partisan officials in key government positions has marginalized all checks and balances and undermined our democracy. We have repeatedly witnessed that anyone who has aired to be critical of the government is immediately attacked by his mouthpiece, Richard Frederick, other Ministers, and, sadly, other partisan media personalities who seem to have no understanding of their role as journalists, which is to present the truth to us. I have recently written to the Prime Minister indicating that the latest transgression by Mr. Frederick on his TV show, where he publicly named people and instructed the police to arrest them, are threats that must be taken seriously as Mr. Frederick is a minister in Mr. Pierre’s office. Mr Pierre is responsible for national security. It is also reminiscent of the same allegations made about Frederick’s involvement in Operation Restore Confidence, where the DPP stated that there was sufficient evidence of extrajudicial killings to proceed with prosecution. I have clarified to the Prime Minister that this behavior is a risk to the St.Lucian public and can no longer be tolerated. Like Stephenson King, Mr. Pierre prefers to bury his head in the sand and
claim ignorance. His continued denial and procrastination are a strong indictment of his
and his Government’s complicity.
Our economy, too, remains fragile. Small businesses, the backbone of our communities, are fighting to survive in an environment that offers them little support. The apparent signs of a failing economy undermine the government’s false claims that we are doing well. We feel it at supermarkets, gas pumps, pharmacies, markets, and retail stores. Only a delusional government will lie to itself and us about the horrors happening in this country. Young entrepreneurs brimming with ideas are stifled by bureaucracy, ill-advised taxes, high utility costs, inefficient port and transportation systems, corruption in
several government departments, and a lack of resource access. We must create a system that nurtures innovation and minimizes risk. This is how we build an economy that works for everyone, not just those selected by the Labour Party.
And what of agriculture, the foundation of our nation’s history and survival? It is no secret that farming no longer appeals to our young people. The average age of our farmers continues to rise, and the future of this essential sector hangs in the balance. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can reimagine agriculture as a field of opportunity by integrating modern technology, offering incentives, and showcasing success stories. Our party was committed to making farming a respected and attractive career choice, where young people can see a job, a legacy worth cultivating, and opportunities for
creating businesses in this sector.
My fellow Saint Lucians, democracy is the cornerstone of our nation’s governance, built on the principle that the power to lead comes from the people’s consent. Undoubtedly, we are all better off living as a community than individually. Each citizen possesses different skills, and all of us working together makes it more likely that we can all prosper. But when the checks and balances legislated to protect our civil rights from the abuse of power are circumvented, corruption is allowed to flourish. It robs ordinary
citizens of our rightful benefits. For Democracy to truly work, your involvement does not end at the ballot box – it can only thrive when citizens remain engaged, informed, and vocal. The right to dissent, question, and demand better from our leaders is fundamental to a healthy democracy. Speaking out against poor governance is not an act of rebellion – it is an act of patriotism, a reminder that the true power in a democracy lies with us, the people. When leaders fail to honor their commitments, we must hold them accountable, ensuring that justice, transparency, and integrity are upheld for all good. Let us take the first step in 2025 to “right the wrong” – to compel the government to fix the problem. We must find the strength and courage to overcome our powerlessness and fear, especially our fear of victimization because if we don’t fight back now, we will face this forever. We cannot wait for the next general election to demand better. We must hold this government accountable for their failures and not let them take our consent for granted. Let us show this government that we will no longer accept deceit, corruption, and incompetence. The power lies with us, the people.
Together, we can demand leadership prioritizing health, safety, and prosperity for all. Saint Lucia, it is time to support a new generation of strong, courageous leaders. Leaders with vision, integrity, and the determination to place the needs of the people above their selfish desires. Leaders who understand that governance is not about power but about service. Leaders who appreciate the importance of planning for the future and providing a leg up for every citizen. Leaders who respect human dignity and don’t prioritize people by how much they earn, what family they come from, their level of education, or their loyalty to a political party but rather leaders who value everyone’s contribution. We must teach our children that greatness comes from strong morals, humility, empathy, and mutual respect, and success requires a relentless commitment to discipline.
As we look to 2025, I dream of a Saint Lucia where we measure the murder rate from zero yearly rather than the previous year. A St.Lucia where families can thrive and every worker is appreciated and valued. Imagine a Saint Lucia where every child has access to a world-class education, is employed in a job they feel proud of, and earns a meaningful wage. A nation where businesses are no longer constrained by bureaucracy but are empowered to thrive, creating jobs and economic growth. I envision a Saint Lucia where tourism supports our economy and tells the story of a proud and vibrant people – where visitors leave with memories of our beauty, respect for our culture and traditions, and admiration for our resilience. Picture a future where our athletes continue to stand on global podiums, our artists inspire the world, and our farmers produce for survival and prosperity. Let us dream of a Saint Lucia where innovation leads the way in every sector, from technology to agriculture, and where every citizen contributes to and benefits from our collective success.
This new year, the United Workers Party will focus on building on our successes and reviewing improvement areas to become the party of choice in the coming election. We have strengthened our internal candidate selection process to ensure that those chosen best reflect the next generation of leaders who share our values and policies and will provide the best representation to deliver a better quality of life to their communities and our country. We can make Saint Lucia shine again and become a nation of hope, opportunity, and boundless potential. Let us believe in ourselves and this hope so we refuse to accept the mediocrity and indignity meted out by this Government. Let us stand firm in demanding that our fundamental human rights be protected so there are no more tragic stories like Skinny’s. I urge you to remember that our collective power can bring the changes we desire and need. Let us not allow the current government’s failures and corruption to define who we are as a people and as a country, but instead, attach ourselves to the traditional beliefs, values, and God-fearing principles that make us proud, St.Lucians. Let us every day, be grateful to God that we have woken to see another day and to try to make the most of it; let us always remember who we are as a people; let us teach our children right from wrong; let us be kind to our neighbours, let us lift each other in prayer, let us stand up
against the things that we see are wrong, unjust and unfair. Let us all work together to pursue the best lives we can live; as St.Lucia, we all want to live can only exist if we believe in God, in ourselves, and the promise of a better tomorrow.
Happy New Year, Saint Lucia. May God bless you all and our beloved country.