Those who missed Hon. Philip J Pierre’s address on the evening of March 13, 2022, to the virtual Annual Conference of Delegates of the Saint Lucia Labour Party, would have had the challenge of searching elsewhere for equally motivational words to ride the week ahead.
Traditionally, party head honchos take extra liberties at party gatherings crying out the political sins of commission and omission of their opponents. The energy and vocabulary are immense during the “normal” political season, but heightened during the tension of an election campaign, or, as was the case on March 13, during the lingering euphoria of a massive victory.
Except for the added look of confidence as he spoke for the first time to party delegates as not just the Party Leader, but the head of government, Hon. Philip J Pierre maintained his character as a national unity politician and a respecter of the rule of law.
Where certain leaders we know would have used a national platform to question whether an unsuccessful election diminished, or eliminated the right of the losing party to be heard, Hon. Pierre preferred to maintain the platform of goodwill and reconciliation he represented before the SLP was handed the over two-thirds parliamentary mandate on July 26, 2022.
Listen to sheer class:
“We are, as already we have demonstrated, an inclusive party, dedicated to working in the best interests of not only those who live here but also Saint Lucians throughout the diaspora. The only qualification for membership in our Party is that applicants share our aspirations for this country of ours.”
Later we got this:
“Winning an election however, is a far task from governing a country especially when so much needs to be fixed before citizens can begin to experience real and meaningful changes in their lives. As a government, we have had to work with people who have yet to accept that the government has changed, and therefore are unable to provide the necessary support for the implementation of the new government policies. Changing personnel is not as easy as one may think.
The process is slow, bureaucratic, and can be very costly, not to mention at times, disruptive. This is not to say that changes cannot be made, because the necessary changes will be made to allow the government to satisfy its mandate to the people of Saint Lucia.”
The foregoing could only come from a man who knows how government works and who respects the dignity of everyone, irrespective of political, religious, or other persuasion.
And his democratic character holds, even after he recognises the existence of the partisan political obstructionists in our midst.
As Philip J Pierre observed:
“Of course, we will always have our detractors. Some of them, it seems, cannot think positive thoughts or accept the election defeat. It’s as if they were programmed from conception to spread gloom, to think only negative thoughts and make mischief. Some of these unfortunate individuals have sought to misinterpret whatever is said by this government and by your party leader in particular.
They are busily engaged in attributing a negative meaning to our ‘Putting People First’ pledge. They have suggested that by “people,” we mean only supporters of our Party.”
The Political Leader and Prime Minister made it clear to the party faithful and nation that he remains steadfast in his pursuit of the pressing issues his government must confront in order to pull the country out of the hopelessness and gloom caused by the policies of the UWP Administration. These are: crime, the economy and healthcare.
These, he assured, would get more focused and long-term attention in the first national budget, which he will present to parliament shortly.
Said Hon. Pierre:
“As Minister of Finance, the Cabinet and I are in the process of preparing the 2022-2023 budget. We are laying the groundwork to address these fiscal challenges and demonstrate to the world that we have the ability and discipline to return Saint Lucia to macro-economic stability.
Comrades, the budget will signal a new beginning for the people of Saint Lucia. Our country was moving in the wrong direction. We need a transformative agenda that will involve all the people and actively engage our brothers and sisters in the diaspora. We will seek to remove the impediments caused by the lack of transparency, corruption and poor accountability by establishing a governance that will create opportunities to address the existing impediments and mobilize idle capacity at home and in the diaspora.”
But Philip J Pierre, and indeed the people who voted for change, are well aware that bad governance and modes of behaviour in the last administration of the UWP exacerbated the economic and financial difficulties of our country. He is also aware that the voters for change are longing for accountability. Many are impatient for the promised process of spring cleaning and putting things right.
However, in seeking accountability and justice, Philip J Pierre will neither wash his hands, like Pontius Pilate, nor will he call for blood like the chief priests, to borrow from the Gospel of Matthew.
This is how PJP, the constitutionalist, will handle the alleged wrong-doers:
“I am aware of a growing impatience to bring to justice, those who have, during the last administration, allegedly misappropriated public funds. The appointment of a Special Prosecutor and the enactment of appropriate legislation are necessary if we are to effectively bring those people to justice. We are not going to engage in any Commission of Enquiry, with its recommendations collecting dust in some government office. We have been down that road before and we are not returning there. This time someone will have to answer and account for the misappropriation of public funds.”
He listed promises made in the Party’s election manifesto that have either been delivered, or actively been pursued, in just seven-and-a-half months of his administration.
These include:
Incentivizing a programme for housing repairs to maintain and improve the existing housing stock.
Re-visiting the Castries to Gros Islet Highway Redevelopment Project.
Expunging the records of crimes relating to the possession of small quantities of Cannabis and decriminalizng the use of marijuana.
Paying the facilities fees for primary (secondary) school students, in time for the reopening of school.
Absorbing the cost of CXC examinations for English and Mathematics for form 5 students.
Ending the undermining of the role of the Saint Lucia National Trust by reinstating its annual subvention.
Commencing the process for the accession to the Caribbean Court of Justice as Saint Lucia’s final appellate court.
And ensuring that the House of Assembly is always properly constituted with the election of a Deputy Speaker.
Philip J Pierre closed his address with the timely reminder that “winning an election however, is a far task from governing a country, especially when so much needs to be fixed before citizens can begin to experience real and meaningful changes in their lives.”
Like in the old Barry White classic, Hon. Philip J Pierre, ‘practices what he preaches’ and will not veer off course on sore losers in the opposition who keep “telling him this and telling that.”