I welcome this opportunity to be in the Constituency of Soufriere this evening, because I am proud of the accomplishments of the government in this and adjoining communities since the last general elections. I know we have not been able to achieve all we set out to, but we have done in four years, what many had hoped to do in the previous 40.
Soufriere is one of those constituencies where a government is always kept on its toes. Because of the different social and economic make-up of the communities that comprise the Soufriere constituency, it is always challenging for residents of one community to appreciate that which is going on nearby.
Therefore, I welcome the opportunity this evening to report on our overall stewardship in the constituency of Soufriere, because the scenario might become more reassuring when you recognize that collectively, these adjoining communities have received quite a bit of attention in four short years.
I believe this is as much a tribute to the government of the day as it is to the hard work of your incumbent Parliament Representative who never once failed to make the case for Soufriere to receive its fair share of the economic pie. Comrade Ian Pinard has made the life of every Minister of government difficult, by his persistent demands for attention to be given and resources allocated to this constituency.
His focus and that of the government has primarily been in the area of coastal restoration and the protection of your properties; for in the final analysis your homes are the single largest investment you perhaps will ever make. I am happy this evening to reflect on the progress that has been made in that regard.
But over and beyond the infrastructural improvements, are the advances we have made in terms of enhancement of the environment and the ecology of these communities.
Very often we fail to recognize the expectations of persons visiting Dominica, which is dubbed the “nature isle of the Caribbean” and indeed the hemisphere.
My Dear Friends, When I drive the communities of the Soufriere constituency I get the impression that there is a collective resolve on the part of residents, and with facilitation by the relevant departments of government, to make and keep this constituency clean and aesthetically appealing.
I do not know if Comrade Pinard has a secret arrangement with the Health Services Authority, but I must say that I enjoy driving this constituency and breathing the fresh air and what appears to be the limited pollution of this corner of our beautiful island. A lot of it I believe has to do with fostering of a greater community spirit among residents.
Perhaps the reason for this is that many of you are related by blood and therefore are truly your brother’s and sister’s keepers. Whatever is the reason, I wish tonight to compliment residents of this constituency for keeping it beautiful and, in most instances, pleasing to the eye.
Ladies and Gentlemen, during this series of town hall meetings, I have made consistent reference to the enhanced and continuously improving image of Dominica at home and abroad. Not only are we admired because of the hard decisions we took in the late 1990’s with respect to fiscal and economic overhaul and reform, but also because of our steadfast adherence to the principle of “greening”, which has now apparently caught on elsewhere in the world.
I was amazed by the considerable focus and attention given to “greening” at the current General Assembly of the United Nations as well as the just concluded G20 summit of the leaders of the developed world.
I think it is fortuitous that Dominica was represented on this occasion at the General Assembly by no lesser a person than His Excellency, the President, because his speech honed in on some of the salient points Dominica has been trying to make and which I believe are finally resonating among world leaders.
These include issues of energy generation, global warming and the need for greening to become more relevant and urgent. I believe that, what we in Dominica have practiced and taken for granted over the years, will now become the goal and mantra of the industrialized world. This places us in an advantageous position, whereby Dominica can become a model to developing countries in search of balanced and rounded development.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we may differ from time to time on issues of the degree to which we should hold on to what we have, and furthermore, how we should balance economical and environmental development.
But I believe that by and large Dominicans have jealously guarded the jewel we have inherited and the subsequent balanced development of this country. Today we can be proud of our rating as one of the most pollution free and ecologically appealing destinations on earth.
That is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, I return to the issue of the vast resources we have invested in this particular constituency in the area of coastal protection. Some persons attach great value to buildings and highways while others, to commerce and industry. Here in Soufriere we have addressed all of the above, but in addition we have placed special emphasis on ecology and the environment and I would not wish for that to be undervalued.
Comrades and Friends, we meet this evening against the backdrop of more and more social and economic horror stories emanating from sister Caribbean islands. While we in Dominica continue to ride the waves to a certain degree, we cannot help but be mindful of the point to where we could slip if continued vigilance and prudence are not maintained.
Deteriorating levels of anti-social behavior is cause for concern in some territories. We are still in September and already at least two CARICOM countries have recorded murder rates in excess of 500, with the number of incidents in other countries growing as well.
Here in Dominica, we need to jealously guard our reputation as a haven of peace and tranquility.
Many of the gruesome incidents we hear and read about are still foreign to us here in Dominica, but we cannot and must not sit on our laurels and say ‘it cannot happen here’. If in fact it takes a community to raise a child, then we each have to take an interest in the choices that are made by our young people.
This issue of conflict resolution is one that has to assume greater importance and emphasis, as development in terms of buildings and bridges will come to naught, if at the end of the day our next generation is decimated due to lawlessness, crime, illicit drugs and other aspects of antisocial behavior.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you may be wondering why is the Prime Minister concerning himself with such “abstract issues” rather than addressing matters of buildings, roads, bridges, houses and employment. These are all relevant and worthy of focus, but I am minded this evening to broaden our scope to view development in its holistic sense.
We must not become so consumed with materialism as to overlook the very aspects of our existence that make us truly unique and special.
Again in that respect I wish to hone in on the issue of our capacity to minimize the true impact of the global economic recession. For many of us, it is only in listening to the Caribbean news or watching CNN or Fox News that we get an awareness of and appreciation for the severe hardships this downturn has wrought on economies large and small.
Dominica was fortunate to have taken early precautionary measures, and in this regard I wish to place on record, once again, our eternal gratitude to the late Prime Minister Pierre Charles, for his selfless devotion to the cause and his persistence with the fiscal reform initiatives that steered Dominica clear of economic disaster. Subsequent decisions have also served to insulate us from much of the hardships being experienced by others around.
It is in that respect that the whole issue of leadership comes sharply into focus.
I would like for you, the people of Soufriere to reflect on the needs of Dominica in respect of leadership, as we enter the second decade of the twenty first century.
Yesterday is gone and today has already been shaped. It is to tomorrow that we must look for opportunity! How we succeed and how we prosper is dependent in large measure on how we are led. Critical decisions will have to be made in the coming weeks and months on the issue of leadership; leadership at the community level, leadership at the constituency level and leadership at the national level.
In all respects, you the residents of Soufriere will be involved and will have important decisions to make. I must say also that, from a Dominica Labour Party perspective, you will be consulted at all points along the way.
My plea to you this evening is to take a direct interest in the future course of development of this constituency. This is a special area of Dominica. This is your home town and you need to guard jealously, its development. You need to ensure that Soufriere is positioned to continue to benefit and to achieve its fair share of the national economic pie. You need to ensure that Soufriere has a strong and influential voice at the table of decision making. You need to ensure that Soufriere, by your own doing, is not left out or behind.
I welcome your attendance at this town hall meeting this evening. I welcome your demonstration of interest in the goings on in your community and constituency. I interpret your attendance here to mean that you are concerned with both the present and the future of Soufriere. I urge you therefore to get on board.
Share with us this evening your ideas on how together we can work to make Soufriere a brighter, safer and better place to live.
My ministers and I stand ready therefore to field your questions and to take note of your fears and concerns as well as to be guided by your ideas and suggestions. Against this backdrop therefore, I once again thank you for coming out and do invite you to make full use of this opportunity to interface with your government.
May the Good Lord Bless you! |
