6 Reasons Prime Minister Philip J Pierre blocked Ernest Hilaire from Debating the 2025/2026 Budget

Saint Lucians are still asking one critical question after the abrupt and disgraceful end to the 2025/2026 Budget Debate:

Why didn’t Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre allow Dr. Ernest Hilaire to speak?

Whilst the move was mainly a desperate move to silence Leader of the Opposition Hon. Allen Chastanet, who was ready to expose the gaping flaws, inflated numbers and shocking misuse of public funds hidden within the government’s budget. But the decision to also deny Ernest Hilaire a speaking slot raises even more serious questions and exposes deeper cracks within the administration itself.

Let’s be honest, Ernest Hilaire is one of the most controversial and scandal-ridden figures in Pierre’s Cabinet. His continued presence in government is not just a political liability; it’s a national threat.

Hilaire is the mastermind behind several scandals involving Saint Lucia’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), a programme now under intense international scrutiny. Under his leadership, Saint Lucia’s name is being dragged through diplomatic mud. The United States is reportedly considering a travel ban on Saint Lucians because of mismanagement and suspicious activities under the programme. Meanwhile, the European Union is reviewing our visa-free access, citing security and transparency concerns with how Saint Lucian passports are being distributed.

And it gets worse.

Hilaire has gifted over $2.7 billion EC in CIP funds to Chinese developer Galaxy for the still-unfinished Canelles hotel project. He then doubled down, handing Galaxy another $1.6 billion EC for $270 million worth of roads that have never materialised. This isn’t development, it’s daylight robbery disguised as representation.

And then there’s Bemax, an alleged international criminal enterprise that was awarded 66 low-income houses in exchange for $200 million worth of Saint Lucian citizenships. 2 Years later, not a single house has been built. Not one.

So perhaps Pierre’s decision to silence Hilaire wasn’t a snub after all, it was a calculated act of damage control. Because putting Hilaire behind a microphone would only remind Saint Lucians and the world of just how deeply compromised this administration has become.

But make no mistake: silencing voices won’t silence the truth.

The people of Saint Lucia see through the charade and they deserve accountability, not cover-ups.

The budget debate may have been shut down in Parliament, but the real debate is just beginning in the hearts and minds of Saint Lucians everywhere.