Throne Speech

8/2/2019 Throne Speech

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THRONE SPEECH

By

HER EXCELLENCYDAME CALLIOPA PEARLETTE LOUISY

GCSL, GCMG, D.ST.J., PH.D, LL.D (HON)

GOVERNOR GENERAL OF SAINT LUCIA

on the Occasion of the Formal Opening of the First Session of the

TENTH PARLIAMENT OF SAINT LUCIA

Thursday, January 05, 2012


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INTRODUCTION

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker,

We meet today to open formally the Tenth Parliament of ourcountry, an occasion brought about by the convening of a

General Election on the 28th

November, 2011. On that day,

Saint Lucians, once again, gave expression to their commitment

to the finest and highest democratic traditions, enshrined in

our Constitution, to freely elect a government on the basis of

universal adult suffrage.

While a General Election is primarily contested between

political parties and sometimes, independent candidates, the

true victor in the 28th

November, 2011 General Election was not

the victorious political party or the successful candidates; it wasthe people of Saint Lucia.

The timing of the General Election has caused this First Session

of the Tenth Parliament to be short . God willing, we will meet

again within the next few months for the presentation of the

Budget for the financial year 2012/2013. For that reason, the

programmes that my Government will enunciate for this

current session will be modest in number, but no less

challenging in terms of execution.


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A WOUNDED NATION

On such an occasion, and more particularly at the dawn of this

new year, we reflect on the events of the recent past which

have touched our lives. Some we recall with joy and

satisfaction while others conjure sorrow and enduring pain.

On the night of November 10, 2011, an unprecedented tragedy

occurred at Morne Sion, Choiseul. We lost nineteen souls,

nineteen members of our extended St. Lucian family. In that

moment of grief, we cast aside our differences and mourned as

one nation. That tragedy is now etched in our memory, never

to be forgotten. And, as said elsewhere, those deaths did not

belong to the families alone; they belonged to all of us.

It is often in such moments of glory and great sadness that a

nation defines itself and manifests its true character. So that

our departed brothers and sisters will not be soon forgotten,

my Government plans, in remembrance of the victims, to

construct a memorial on the site of the tragedy. The families of

the victims need to know that this nation shares their loss both

in word and in deed.


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Misy Pwzidan, Misy Spika

Nou vini ansanm jdi-a pou ouv dizyenm Paleman pyi-a,apw ilksyon novanm lann pas-a. Wzulta ilksyon-sala, s

an laviktwa pa pou pati politik-la ki genyen-an, pa menm pou s

kandida-a ki jdi-a s manm Kay Konsit pyi-a, m pou pp Sent

Lisyen ki moutw confyans-yo an s twadisyon denmokwatik

pyi-a.

M menm kon nou ka ouv an Paleman nf, nou ka ouv an

lann nf. An lann ki kay kontin pwzant nou pi anchay

difikilt pi twakasman, stnman, m osi pi anchay posibilit

pou konfwont s difikilt sala. An palan di difikilt pi

twakasman, jik toujou pyi-a ka touv k yo dkonpt apwmov aksidan-an an Mon Sion ki pwan lavi disnf pami nou li 10

novanm lann pas. Lanm-yo touch, pa slman fanmi yo, m

nou tout. Lapenn-yo st lapenn nou tout. Pou f asiw ki nou

pa obliy yo, pou moutw fanmi-yo ki nou pa tounen do-nou

asou yo, Gouvdman pwopoz bati an moniman an lonn-yo an

Mon Sion. Moniman-sala kay wpwzant pou nou toutsoufwans pi lspwa. I kay wpwzant an pyi ki paka wt

at l mal fwapy, m ki ka lv asou d manm seny pou

kontin twavay-la ki ni pou ft-la.


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RE-SHAPING OUR POLITICAL ARCHITECTURE


My Government believes that the time has come to make

peace with our past. To that end, I am pleased to indicate that

the Prime Minister has invited me to reactivate Part 2 and in

particular, section 15 of the National Honours and Awards Act,

Cap.17.08, of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia, to establish a

National Heroes Commission, to begin the process of

identifying and honouring our heroes and heroines: those

exceptional persons who sacrificed in the great cause of

securing the rights and freedoms for our people, who helped

to shape the development of our nation, and whose lives of

service helped define our national soul and spirit. We will

thereby, together as a nation and as a people, celebrate and

praise those who served us with nobility, courage and

distinction.

As much as we honor those who contributed to shaping our

nation, we must also look to the future to correct the

aberrations which exist in our political system. It is time to end

some of the unnecessary rancor, pettiness and divisiveness that

has characterized our political culture.


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My Government plans to start with our political parties, the

relationship between the governing party and the opposition

party.

It is instructive to note that in our Constitution, the position of

the Leader of the Opposition falls under the Chapter entitled

The Executive. The Constitution requires the Prime Minister

to consult the Leader of the Opposition in effecting

appointments to key institutions of the state. It is clear that ourConstitution contemplates that the business of governance is a

shared responsibility among government, opposition and

citizenry.

Perhaps we will do well to reflect on the statement by theEnglish political philosopher, Disraeli, that No government can

be long secure without a formidable opposition.

In that vein, my Government believes that we should make a

start to redress the wrongs of the past by according the Leader

of the Opposition the full rights and privileges, which the office

requires, to enable the holder to perform his or

her constitutional duties and functions. As such, henceforth the

Opposition Leader will be entitled to a Diplomatic Passport as


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of right and not as of favor. Consistent with the constitutional

status of the office, the holder will be provided with an official

vehicle to perform the duties of the office in full accordance

with rules currently in force for ministerial functionaries.

Likewise, the Opposition Leader will be accorded

personal security, if he or she so wishes, during his or her

tenure of office, as of right and not at the whim of the political

directorate.

OVERHAUL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES

My Government also believes that the time has come to

undertake a radical overhaul of our parliamentary privileges,

practices and traditions enshrined in our Standing Orders. Some

of these parliamentary privileges are archaic, unwieldy and

inconsistent with our Constitution and with modern

parliamentary practice and procedure.

The small size of our Parliament and the pervading tendency to

jealously protect political power often mean that Standing

Committees of the House of Assembly are dominated by the

representatives of the governing party, usually ministers. The

demands of ministerial office often make it impossible for

ministers to attend meetings of these committees. Likewise,

the Public Accounts Committee is unable to carry out its


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mandate to hold the Government accountable for expenditure

of taxpayers money, because its composition is designed to

make it fail. Historically, members of the House of Assembly

elect the Leader of the Opposition as chairperson of the

committee. We then surround the Leader of the Opposition

with a majority of the members of the governing party and

promptly starve the committee of resources to enable it to

undertake the review of the audit reports, imperfect as these

may be.

Another example may help to clarify why we cannot continue

with the arrangements we have inherited. When parliamentary

infractions occur, it is difficult to obtain a decision that is fair,

balanced and objective. Where an infraction is committed by a

parliamentarian of the ruling party, it is more likely than notthat the member will be exonerated unless the infraction is so

blatant that no other conclusion could be reached.

Alternatively, if the infraction is committed by an opposition

member, it is more likely that an adverse finding ensue. A

possible solution is to refer breaches of parliamentary

privileges to an independent tribunal of citizens appointedjointly by the government and opposition.


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To address these and other related issues my Government

intends, with the blessing of Parliament, to overhaul our

Standing Orders, consistent with our need for modernity and

drawing on best practice observed in other exemplary

parliamentary systems.

REFORM OF BUDGETARY PROCESS

Consistent with these views, my Government plans to make a

start towards modernizing the work of our parliament by

reforming the annual presentation of the Budget. Commencing

this Budgetary Cycle, the estimates of Revenue and Expenditure

will be laid in Parliament for scrutiny and debate ahead of the

presentation of the budgetary policies to underpin the

estimates. This will allow parliamentarians to review in detail

the allocation of expenditure, both recurrent and capital and to

assess the impact of the budget on the economy, various

sectors and indeed, their respective constituencies.


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Misy Pwzidan, Misy Spika,

Si s pou nou f pwogwe, si s pou nou bati asou fondasyon ssa ki vini avan nou-an kit ban nou an, si s pou nou apwsy

wichs lwitaj pyi-nou-an, s fo nou onnow twavay,

kontwibousyon pi sakwifis lzt, sitou s moun-lan ki svi

pyi-a pi nobls, kouwaj pi distenksyon. S pou wzon sala

Pwmy Minis-la ja mand mwen f an lt lf pou mt an

plas an konmit ki kay idantify pi onnow s nonm pi sfanm kspsyonnl-sala ki twavay k lam bay pyi-a, pou

asiw pi pou potj s libt-a pi s dwa-a nou jan jdi ka

pwan pou lajan kontan. I ni sa ki t f san sti an wch pou

mennen nou kot nou y jodi-a. Pyi-a dw yo wsp,

wkonsans pi li pli gwan lonn kiy p.

M s pa slman sa ki ja m ben ki ja pwan wtwt-yo ki

mwit wsp pi koutwazi. I ni sa ki ka wann pyi-a svis

toujou, ki nou fo twt pi bokou pli dignit pi wsp pas sa

nou ni labitid ba yo. I ja l pou nou doubout tout s tiw-mt,

chikann, pawl jt, enpolits, ki ka kawaktwiz sitou kiltipolitik pyi-a. Tout mov zim sala ka dtwi pyi-a, ka

anpchy avans kon I dwtt. S fo nou di yonnalt Atan.

Konsa Gouvdman ja dsid pou pwan dmach pou f sten

chanjman an manny yo kay gouvn pyi-a.


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THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA


The legislative programme of my Government for this ensuing

session will, perforce, be modest.

My Government will introduce legislation to establish

Constituency Councils throughout the island as a first step to

replacing the current system of Local Government. The status

of the Castries City Council will be retained, as it embraces

several constituencies in the Castries Basin. However, as in

Castries prior to December 2006, the positions of chairpersons

of the towns of Gros Islet, Vieux Fort and Soufriere will be

elevated and the holders conferred with the status of Mayor,

inclusive of title.

The troubling issue of the licensing and accreditation of

universities, whether medical or otherwise, will also be tackled.

Successive Governments have recognized that the presence ofsuch universities can help to diversify our economy but some

semblance of order needs to be brought to the existing system

very quickly as Saint Lucias reputation has been compromised

and tarnished especially in recent times.


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Similarly, the task of rebuilding Saint Lucias image as a

preferred location for investors must commence immediately.

In this economic environment, we cannot tarry. Therefore, the

current legislation governing the National Development

Corporation will be amended to transform the NDC into the

Saint Lucia Investment Promotion Corporation.

As my Government has already promised, The Income Tax Act

will also be amended in this session, prior to the presentationof the 2012/2013 Budget, to remove all penalties and interest

on outstanding tax liabilities provided that the total principal of

the outstanding taxes are settled within a specified period. This

initiative will provide local businesses with some much needed

financial space. My Government hopes that this will allow

resources to be applied to core areas of commercial activity,thereby helping to sustain the job market.

OUR NATIONAL PRIORITIES

The initiatives that I have outlined will be pursued in parallel

with our major priorities.

My Government plans to prime the economic pump by

stimulating short term employment to the value of E.C.100


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million dollars. My Government has to take the lead at this

time while the Private Sector is given some breathing space to

recover from the debilitating conditions of recent years. My

Government hopes to work closely with the Private Sector to

bring this initiative to fruition. This investment is intended to

bring some relief to the unemployed as my Government

pursues more sustainable means of creating new permanent

employment.

The second priority of my Government is the reconstruction

and rehabilitation of the battered infrastructure of our island.

The initiatives of the former Government will be respected and

consolidated where necessary, prudent and decidedly in the

public interest. My Government will add new impetus and

urgency by attracting further assistance from friendlygovernments, streamlining the approach to the reconstruction

process and in particular, directing more targeted relief to the

people of Soufriere.

One other priority defines itself. It is the fight to save ourbanana industry from the ravages of the dreaded Black Sigatoka

disease. This is now a national epidemic. This is a fight that can

no longer be left to our farmers, acting on their own with the


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limited financial resources at their disposal. It is a responsibility

that falls to the state.


The dream that virtually all St. Lucians share, of owning land

and home, owning a piece of our beloved country, cannot be

allowed to dwindle in frustration and disappointment. My

Government makes a pledge to this nation, to our bright young

people, our aspiring professionals, our hard working farmers,

our dedicated public officers and members of the protective

services, to all citizens, that we will immediately undertake a

comprehensive review of the state of housing in this country

with a view to undertaking the most aggressive housing

development program ever witnessed here.

In this regard, my Government is particularly excited by the

possibilities for public-private sector partnerships and intends

to outline the appropriate legislative, institutional and financial

provisions to make this a reality.


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Misy Pwzidan, Misy Spika,

Piski an dzyenm ssyon Paleman kay tjenn an d ben twamwa ki ka vini pou pwzant bidj pyi-a pou 2012-2013,

Gouvdman pa kay pwopoz anchay lwa nf an ssyon sala.

M anatandan, i ka pwopoz an lwa pou tabli sa pou

limouman nou kay kwiy Contituency Councils pou wanplas

sa nou t ni-an an s vil pi s vilaj pyi-a. Pwzidan s Konsey-

la an vil Go Zil, Soufouy pi Vy F kay pt tit M (Mayoran angl) menm kon Pwzidan Konsy vil Kastwi. La kay ni osi

pli vit ki posib chanjman an lwa-a ki ka wgl NDC-a pou pmt

li fasilit envstisman an pyi-a.

Paditan s dmach sala ka pwan kou, Gouvedman-mwen nilantansyon envesti yon san milyon dla pou mt twavay an

pyi-a. Pou enplimant poj sala, I ka pwopoz twavay pi jan

biznis pyi-a pou pt an ti soulajman bay moun ki pa ka

twavay, an menm tan I ka sy touv lt mannv pou mennen

antw twavay ki pli diwab.

Dzyenm pwiowit Gouvedman an s mwa-a ki ka vini-an s

pou wkonstwi pi whabilit pyi-a apw dga-a Tomas

annkz-la. Gouvedman kay kontin adan s dmach-la dny


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Gouvdman-an t koumans-a, me I kay sy mennen antw

pli asistans hd gouvdman lt pyi, pi pt pli soulajman bay

s jan Soufouy-a.

Plant fig tout oliwon Sent Lisi ozabwa pi maladi Black

Sigatoga-a ki ka mennas lendustwi agwikl pyi-a.

Gouvdman kay mt lanmen pou amennaj lpidenmi sala.

FACING THE WORLD


It is an inescapable fact that from the perspective of small

countries like our own, Saint Lucia now faces a world situationthat has substantially worsened over the last six years or so.

The international economic climate shows few signs of active

recovery. In North America and within the European Union,

major economic powers are struggling to maintain even

minimal rates of growth and reasonable employment levels.

Every Saint Lucian knows that these difficulties have had amajor effect on our own economy. In the tourism sector,

visitor arrival levels remain less than satisfactory and the levels

of remittances from Saint Lucians abroad has tapered

dramatically.


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In addition, it is very apparent that levels of investment in our

country have not been vibrant. This has prevented us from

maintaining the rates of economic growth that once

characterized our country. My Government, therefore, intends

to redouble its efforts to enhance the visibility of Saint Lucia on

the international map. Even in this challenging period, my

Government believes that we can attract global attention and

rebuild investor confidence to rekindle economic growth. This

is vital to sustain the social and economic investment that our

country requires for the continuing enhancement of the

welfare of our people.

My Government will also redesign the operations of its Foreign

Missions so that they play a greater role in international trade

facilitation and investment promotion. Our goal will be to usethe resources at our disposal in the most efficient and effective

manner possible. These initiatives are also intended to facilitate

job creation, which will be the number one priority of my

Government.

The international political climate does not give us reason for

great optimism either. The ongoing turmoil in the Middle East

signals protracted volatility in oil prices, which has serious

implications for our domestic economy. My Government is


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hopeful that diplomatic interventions in that region will support

a smoother transition to participatory democracy and thus,

political tranquility.

My Government has noted the increasing interest in the

Caribbean being demonstrated by countries in this hemisphere.

My Government particularly welcomes the establishment of

the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which

positions our Eastern Caribbean states alongside larger powersin Latin America, particularly those who have been showing

interest in assisting our economic development. My

Government will make efforts to reciprocate this interest to the

benefit of our country but not be at the expense of our

traditional friends and allies.

All of this provides further proof that international relations are

as fluid and dynamic as they have ever been. This is why it has

become necessary for my Government to take stock of these

issues and calmly review our countrys external relations policy

to ensure that it is synchronized with our goals and aspirationsas a small developing state. Therefore, my Government has

established a Committee to undertake a comprehensive review

of our external relations policy, with a view toward making


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recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers on an alignment

that is more sensitive to present day realities.

As regards the Caribbean Community, it is no secret that there

is, among the people of our region, a growing sense that the

Community is comatose. The collapse of some major regional

financial institutions has not helped to relieve that sense of

pessimism about our Communitys future. Saint Lucia has, as its

first priority, the advancement of the newly created OECSEconomic Union, an initiative which my Government fully

endorses. In that context, my Government shall seek to

strengthen the cohesion of the OECS so as to permit a more

forceful collective effort to advance progress on the wider

Caribbean Community front.

RE-ENGINEERING GOVERNMENT


An immediate priority of my Government will be to improve themanner in which we do business in the public service. My

Government set the tone for this with the realignment of

portfolios in the configuration of the Cabinet. The old way of

doing things cannot work in this new, technologically-driven,


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hyper-linked, customer-focused world. So, from my

Governments very first working day, it started the process of

transforming the delivery of public services. My Government

will continue this process in this session of Parliament with the

introduction of the first set of measures designed to improve

public access to government services, thus making interaction

of Government to Citizens (G2C), Government to Business

(G2B), and Citizens to Government (C2G), considerably more

efficient and effective.

For decades, the public has had to live with the 2 p.m. closure

of revenue collection by Government agencies. Almost every

frequent user of the Public Service can tell an unflattering story

about the inconvenience they have suffered as a result of this

mid-afternoon shut down. While there may have been a veryvalid reason for this in the past, we cannot continue to justify

this cut-off point in this modern era. In an age when people can

purchase items online in virtually every corner of the globe,

twenty-four hours a day, the custom of closing revenue

collection at 2.00 p.m. defies logic and best practice.


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Therefore, in this Session of Parliament, my Government

intends to extend the hours of opening of Government

Revenue Agencies to 3.00 p.m. in the first instance. This

adjustment will be closely monitored and if it becomes

necessary, will make further adjustments in due course.

My Government also intends to make it possible for citizens

and businesses to use credit and debit cards to pay for

Government services. There will be many benefits from thisinitiative, but two immediately stand out. First of all, it will

provide greater convenience for the users of public services. No

longer will they have to walk around with cash or pre-approved

cheques to make payments for things like Drivers Licenses, or

to clear dutiable items from Customs and Excise. Secondly, it

will significantly reduce the potential for fraudulenttransactions, particularly those due to the issuance of

dishonoured cheques.

At the level of the Cabinet of Ministers, my Government will

embark on several important initiatives to improve the mannerin which the Governments highest executive authority

operates. The first of these will be the implementation of a

Ministerial Code of Conduct that will set out parameters within

which our government ministers must operate.


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Similarly, my Government will adopt a Manual of Cabinet

Procedures that will clearly define modalities for the conduct of

the business of Cabinet, the preparation of Cabinet Papers, the

need for inter-ministerial consultation, and the appointment

and use of Cabinet sub-committees. The intention here will be

two-fold: to improve the efficiency of the operations of Cabinet

and to ensure that the highest standards of governance and

personal behavior become synonymous with the work of the

executive arm of government.

My Government is anxious to expand the avenues that

government has for interacting with the citizenry. As I stated

earlier, our Constitution envisions an important role for citizens

in managing the business of government. As a first step toward

this, my Government will redesign and improve thegovernment Web Portal to make it more dynamic and, among

other things, make it possible for social media to be used for

the dissemination of official government information and for

interactions between the public and government officials. This

will start with a complete redesign of the official Saint Lucia

Government web site. My Government sees these measures asparticularly important for allowing our young people to become

more engaged in the governance of our country.


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The final measure that my Government will implement in this

short session of Parliament will be to allow for electronic

submissions by Ministries to Cabinet. This is consistent with my

e-Governments agenda and will provide further proof of the

serious commitment of my Government to modernizing the

way in which our Public Service operates.

Misy Pwzidan, Misy Spika

Pwoj dvlopman pyi-a ni d fasad: yon fasad nasyonal pi

yon fasad entnasyonal. Nou tout sav sitwasyon konomik

entnasyonal-la gwav syzman. Sa ka fy pli an pli difisil pou

ti pyi kon Sent Lisi. S pou wzon sala Gouvdman ka

ankouwaj tout pwogwam pi poj wjonal ki p fasilitdvlopman nasyonal-nou: kon Caricom, OECS, ben asosiasyon

s pyi Kawaib-la pi s pyi Amwik Latin-lan. M I ni an chay

chanjman ki ni pou ft an svis piblik pyi-a pou mt nou an

pozisyon pou pwan lavantaj s dvlopmanan ki kay pwzant

k yo, isi, osi byen kon lt pyi.

M Misy Pwzidan, Misy Spika, pyi-nou an ni an listwa

kstwadin. Nou ni anchay talan, anchay dtminasyon. Nou

paka kit twakasman mtwiz nou. Si nou tonb nou paka


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wt at tw lontan. Nou ka lv k-nou, nou ka sangl wen-

nou pi nou ka kontin. S pou s wzon sala Gouvdman-

mwen-an ni konfyans-lan ki pyi-a kay sti anba tan wd-la nou

adan-an pli f, pli dinanmik. Sl sa I fo , s pou nou tout twavay

ansanm, pi yonnalt, menm si nou ni difwans politik-nou,

pou bati an my Sent Lisi pou k-nou pi pou s jnwasyon-

an ki ka vini-an.

CONCLUSION


The road ahead of us is challenging and will require strategic

thinking, prudent use of our resources, agile maneuvering, and

a total Team Saint Lucia effort.

We are an island nation with an extraordinary history. We are a

people with unlimited talent, determination and noble

potential. We all have within us that indescribable power to

overcome, to shine and to inspire. We remain a nation with

astounding possibilities.


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For these reasons, my Government believes that we will

emerge from this period a stronger, more resilient and

successful nation. It only requires that we work together, each

with the other, irrespective of political faith and commitment,

to build a better Saint Lucia for this and future generations.

This having been said, it now gives me great pleasure to open

the First Session of the Tenth Parliament of Saint Lucia.

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