The address was aired on January 19th, 2020.

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New Year’s Address to the Nation
By Leader of the Opposition,
Hon Philip J. Pierre
January 19th, 2020
Fellow citizens and residents of Saint Lucia, I extend my best wishes to you and
your families for 2020. This year, 2020, heralds a time for reflection and
introspection as we look back on the progress and challenges of our nation after
forty (40) years of Independence. It is also a time for the re-shaping of the
direction our country is heading so as to allow for a better and brighter future.
Prior to our Independence, Sir George Charles won us Decolonization and after
him, Sir John Compton political independence. Sir Arthur Lewis and Hon
Derek Walcott, our two Nobel Laureates, have won us international recognition
for their academic excellence. Many other sons and daughters have also won us

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global recognition in the fields of medicine, law, politics, sports, music, culinary
arts and culture. Saint Lucian excellence in these fields of endeavor should
serve as a reminder of the power and influence of our people in the world
despite our size.
However, even with so much demonstrable talent, we are still operating well
below our capacity as a nation. Major problems continue to confront us in the
areas of healthcare, crime, education, youth unemployment, economic
inequality and corruption. These problems have been aggravated in recent times
by bad governance and in particular, blatant acts of corruption in government. If
we are to address these problems adequately as a country, we need a servant-
leader we can trust; not a sweet-talking leader telling untruths and doing so
unashamedly, indicating clearly his contempt for the people of Saint Lucia.
In the world of fantasy, we are free to promise anything and if every promise
were to have a feel-good factor, then the more the merrier. And so we have been
peppered with promises of all sorts: new hotels, major road rehabilitation,
hospitals and several more all of which to take place within the space of the
next year.
We were promised five to seven hotels every year since 2016 and to date not
one has started.
Unfortunately for our Prime Minister, Saint Lucia is a real place and so the
promises remain just that- promises. Moreover, the emptiness of the Prime
Minister’s pronouncements is now well- known, and so allow me to share some
of my Party’s plans for the future of our country.
Restoring Hope and Confidence
As we look forward to the years ahead, we need as a people a shared vision
rooted in the personal aspirations of most Saint Lucians to confront the
problems that plague our society. I believe that most Saint Lucians will agree to
a vision for Saint Lucia that includes:
1. Access to quality health care based on need rather than ability to pay.
2. Education promoted and widely accepted as a right and not a privilege
and learning becomes a life time activity with the consistent elevation of
the qualifications of our families. The objective being one university
graduate per household.
3. A preference for meritocracy over nepotism in the employment of public
servants.

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4. Our people, particularly our children and differently able are granted the
full protection of the society from emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
5. Good governance- accountability, transparency and fairness- is promoted
and widely accepted as an enabler and not an impediment in the pursuit
of national development.
6. Saint Lucan heritage and patrimony are treated as an integral part of
national development.
7. The shaping of a sustainable economy with built-in resilience to the
challenges of climate change which can bring prosperity to all our
citizens especially our youth and not just a few.
This shared vision requires a nation working together under the leadership of a
Prime Minister who is respectful of the people and institutions of our country.
Under my leadership, the Saint Lucia Labour Party will work with you the
citizens of Saint Lucia to reclaim Saint Lucia for Saint Lucians. We shall restore
hope and confidence in the competence and capacity of Saint Lucians so that
together we can chart and control our own destiny. In charting a new path for
the years ahead we cannot ignore the wrongs and injustices of the past. Never
again must we allow so many blatant acts of government corruption. We shall
therefore hold accountable all those responsible for acts of corruption and the
misuse of public funds.
National Security-Crime
The economic and social alienation of some citizens are contributing factors to
crime. Social scientists opine that it is because certain sections of society feel a
sense of alienation that they are inclined to engage in anti-social behavior. So
that no amount of resources spent on policing equipment and personnel will
solve our crime situation if the problem of alienation is not adequately
addressed, and that is not to exclude the need for a change in behavior of
government ministers and some others in high places who continuously flout
the rules and regulations that are supposed to guide their public conduct. And,
yes, a change in attitude of the Prime Minister who publicly confessed that
accountability and transparency- were to him- impediments to development.
A Saint Lucia Labour Party will restore integrity and transparency in the affairs
of government. And as part of a more holistic approach to solving the crime
problem, we will restore the necessary safety nets to reduce social alienation
and marginalization.

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Establishment of the Youth Economy
Under my leadership, a Labour Party government will demonstrate a visible
commitment to youth by harnessing their talents and creative energies in the
establishment of a new Youth Economy. This youth economy will help create a
new cadre of young entrepreneurs who will be supported by government,
ensuring greater access to finance, the provision of marketing and skills
training. The youth economy will be open to all areas of economic activity and
with special emphasis on sectors most attractive to young people; these are to
include the entertainment and the creative industries, information and
communications technology, sports and professional services. The youth
economy will be a collaborative effort among the youth, the private sector and
the various agencies of government. The input of young people and their
representative organizations will be the guiding force in the formulations of
plans and policies for this sector.
An Inclusive Economy- The Perils of Excessive Debt
A Saint Lucia Labour Party government understands the perils of uncontrolled
debt accumulation and its effects on the population. There is ample evidence
around to remind us of the negative effects of debt on jobs in the public service
and on the provision of health and social services. Mindful of the harmful
effects of rising public debt, the IMF in its latest report made mention of the
worrying rise in Saint Lucia’s debt profile. An SLP government under my
leadership will ensure prudent fiscal management by halting the unnecessary
and reckless borrowing that has characterized this current government over the
last three and a half years.
To allow for greater inclusiveness and fairness
1. We will encourage the growth of indigenous business by creating a level
playing field in the provision of tax and other incentives
2. Promote and assist small and micro business through the provision of
special incentives and financial packages
3. We will simplify the tax system to ensure it is not a disincentive to hard
work and innovation.
We will encourage the growth and expansion of Credit Unions and
Cooperatives.

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Our foreign investment policy will be fair, transparent and investor friendly
with the main objective being the creation of sustainable employment
opportunities and the transfer of skills. In this regard we will be working with
the private sector with a shared vision for job creation and economic
advancement for all.
We shall revisit and make the necessary changes to the Investment Policy
Guidelines of National Insurance Corporation to ensure greater internal
consistency and to prevent its funds being made available directly to foreign
investors wishing to invest in Saint Lucia.
Agriculture in Regression
Throughout 2019, fishers, banana farmers, crop farmers, livestock farmers and
people who depend on agriculture and fisheries for a living reported more
difficult and challenging circumstances.
The UWP Administration has not provided banana farmers with the promised
access to ship containers of bananas to France, and therefore, farmers have long
concluded that they were deceived by this UWP Administration.
Livestock farmers have lost potentially $25 million dollars per year in sales with
the closure of the Meat Processing Plant. And fishers are rightfully complaining
that their fish are not being purchased regularly, as promised again, by the
government. Fishers continue to carry unfairly the burden of an additional
excise tax of $1.50 on every gallon of fuel. A Labour Party government will
exempt fishers from this additional tax. This government continues to play the
blame game and withholds accurate and relevant information, while agriculture
stagnates and our farmers particularly banana farmers continue to experience
decreases in revenue and difficult living conditions.
Abuse of Procurement System
The current abuse of direct awards in the procurement of contracts excludes a
significant number of businesses and professionals wishing to offer their
services to government. These direct contracts to a few preferred businesses is
wrong and continues to be a source of government corruption. We shall bring
this to an immediate end upon coming into office. A Labour government will
level the playing field and wipe out the related corruption by making the
necessary changes to the procurement rules to limit the direct involvement of
the political directorate.

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Attacking Poverty, Deprivation and Discrimination
A Saint Luca Labour Party government will endeavour to ensure that every
Saint Lucian enjoys a decent standard of living, and we will implement a social
policy to support this goal. In addition, we will be implementing social
programmes, which will adequately care for the poor, under-privileged,
economically deprived, elderly, differently abled, abused and socially
vulnerable citizens with a special emphasis on children and the youth.
We believe in a government of the people by the people and for the people.
This philosophy of democracy places people at the center of government. We
will, therefore, as an SLP government constantly consult with the people, listen
to their concerns, keep in dialogue with them and pay attention to their
collective wisdom. We will respect different opinions, even if we were to
disagree, and never adopt the route of discrimination and victimization against
individuals or organizations that are of different view. In fact, we must
appreciate the value of different views and opinions, because of the opportunity
these present in providing a better understanding of the issues at hand.
In recognition of the important role that the National Trust is required to play in
national development, we will immediately restore the annual government
subvention that was so unfairly and damagingly withdrawn from it. We shall
review and amend the National Trust legislation to insulate it from the irrational
actions of the Prime Minister and avoid a repeat of the recent injustice meted
out to Jeanine Compton.
The Provision of Affordable Accessible Health Care
We can all agree that it is an affront to the collective consciousness of our
people that for 3½ years work has been stopped on the St. Jude Hospital and the
buildings left to deteriorate. Meanwhile, our sick relatives and friends continue
to perish and medical personnel languish in very trying conditions in a
makeshift hospital located in a sports stadium and a few hundred yards away,
the government has been available to find all the financial resources for the
completion of a horse racing track- a case of horses before people.
The Saint Lucia Labour Party government will give the highest priority to the
completion the St. Jude Hospital as a full- service, state of the art hospital as it
was always intended to be.

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We will also review the existing construction works, financial arrangements and
the reasons for the demolition of two existing buildings that would have costed
tax payers millions of dollars. And as it relates to the Owen King EU Hospital,
we will immediately commission its opening as a public hospital and review
any privatization plans. I want to remind Saint Lucians that had we remained in
government the OKEU Hospital would have been in full operation today.
For those concerned about the issue of healthcare affordability, I believe that
there is enough competent local talent to continue the work of ensuring the
provision of an affordable health financing system for the people of Saint Lucia.
The aim of the Saint Lucia Labour Party is to provide affordable and accessible
healthcare to all its citizens under a Universal Healthcare system.
Conclusion
Two widely accepted fundamental principles of good leadership are trust and
honesty. I am committed to bringing these cherished values to the governance
of Saint Lucia and would have no difficulty doing so because my behavior in
government has suggested nothing conflicting. I entered politics to serve; not to
be served. At both the constituency and national levels, I have served the
people of Saint Lucia with diligence and gratitude for the opportunity. I do not
pretend to have all the answers to the country’s problems but what I do know is
that there is enough capacity within our country that I can call on to make it a
far better place to live and work.
I will embark upon this year 2020, to continue dialogue with various groups and
organization at home and in the diaspora, in the hope of designing a systematic
and inclusive approach to finding solutions to the problems of our country.
I remain optimistic that despite the huge challenges that our island faces, a
united country anchored on the values of truthfulness and commitment, can
create a more inclusive people- centered society where we can all safely live
and prosper.
I invite you to join this movement to bringing back our Saint Lucia into the
ownership and embrace of Saint Lucians. I invite you to join the growing
effort to change the direction in which our country is headed, and to join
the movement for decisive change. I can assure you of my commitment and
courage to work with you as we strive to develop a balanced and sustainable
country for the benefit of our Saint Lucian people.

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I remain inspired and motivated by the words of Nelson Mandela “I
LEARNED THAT COURAGE WAS NOT THE ABSENCE OF FEAR
BUT THE TRIUMPH OVER IT. THE BRAVE MAN IS NOT HE WHO
DOES NOT FEEL AFRAID, BUT HE WHO CONQUERS THAT FEAR”.
Fellow Saint Lucians, with God, truth and the people on our side, let us move
together and conquer those man-made ills that so threaten the life we truly
desire- to be peaceful, respectful loving people.
I thank you.
BREAD * JUSTICE * FREEDOM