Prince Ambrose

Looking forward to engaging you in Soufriere/Fond St Jacques this coming Sunday, September 10th, 2023 from 5:00pm as we host a UWP Town Hall Meeting. Our country is in trouble and we have a plan to rescue it. Come be part of the conversation. See you there!

Prime Minister Philip J Pierre's insistence on implementing the 2.5% tax on goods and services showcases a lack of empathy for struggling and poor Saint Lucians. By overlooking the disproportionate impact on vulnerable segments of society, he fails to prioritize their welfare and disregards alternative approaches that could achieve the desired fiscal goals without exacerbating their hardships. As leaders, it is crucial to demonstrate compassion and actively seek solutions that do not further burden those who are already struggling.

Have you received the $1500 that Prime Minister Pierre promised whilst in Opposition? Here is a glowing example that this SLP Government is uncaring and clueless with its priorities all confused.

Instead of delivering on their promise of $1500 income support to Saint Lucians, or helping to make the price of fuel, cooking gas and electricity cheaper for you, Emma Hippolyte has gotten the National Insurance Corporation to give her $1.2 Million to construct a park in New Development, Soufriere.

How ridiculous is that? You deserve better!

Pip the HYPOCRITE- In opposition he attacked the UWP and Sandals for looking to expand with a 4th resort.

Now in Government, he applauds Sandals for adding more rooms to their already existing hotels.

On an almost daily basis, SLP Government ministers have been caught lying to the general public on matters which can easily be fact checked.

One of those who has recently been caught in his web of lies is the Parliamentary Representative for Dennery North Shawn Edward.

Shawn who is also the Minister for Education, as usual, was exposed for deliberately lying to the public about not firing homecare givers who were employed with the programme under the UWP Administration.

Almost immediately, several persons from the constituency who have been fired from the programme by the very Shawn began responding to his deliberate mistruths. His only response has been to block and delete the responses of those persons who called him out for lying and his vindictive behavior. What a shame!

Today I visited with the displaced families in Dugard, Micoud in a situation that has torn this community apart. This has been an ongoing situation for several decades in which both families believe they own the land which has now been decided by a court. Both parties involved have suffered a tremendous amount of hurt over this situation and we must do all we can to start the healing process in the community.

This is not an issue to be used to play politics and it is unfortunate that the Housing Minister has once again gone in the direction of making this about Allen Chastanet. This is about putting people first. I am pleased, however, that my visit today has inspired the Government to visit the residents tomorrow. I am hoping that the Government will allocate some Crown lands to the affected families and provide some funds to immediately provide much needed relief and build some housing for residents.

The Dugard community needs to bring closure to this issue and I ask all Saint Lucians to do what we can whether by way of prayer or support to assist those affected.

Based on preliminary estimates in 2017, a further EC$100 million was required to complete the old St Jude Hospital facility. Even based on those estimates we were unsure that this would be sufficient given the following facts:

1) There was no Development Control Authority (DCA) approval for the old structures!

2) There are 25 Buildings which make up St Jude Hospital Reconstruction project yet there was no Master Plan.

3) Construction of the old facility went on haphazardly even though a consultant and supervisor was being paid tens of millions of dollars

4) Based on documents found, there were an additional 8 buildings proposed which would take the total number of buildings for the hospital to 33.

5) The audit found that the project was only 50% complete

6) The original St Jude Reconstruction team contained no specific or specialist experience in hospital related design or construction. Simply put, the old St Jude which the SLP is hellbent on returning to is not constructed as a hospital. It may work as a school or a regular building but it does not meet the standard of a hospital!

7) Between September 2010 and September 2015, 21 contracts totalling $118,109,177.18 were awarded for this project. Given that we had an estimate of $100 Million required to complete the project, this would mean that the entire project would have cost approximately $220 Million

Their parents are still awaiting the promised $1500 The children know that Pierre Doesn’t Care.

The SLP Government continues to mislead and lie to Saint Lucians.

Once more, they have used the Press Secretary to deliberately lie to the public about the former UWP Government’s efforts to resolve the long standing issues as it relates to security cooperation with the Government of the United States of America.

Many of you may recall that the US would have imposed the Leahy Law on Saint Lucia back in 2013, which meant that our Police-force was banned from security related assistance from the United States.

On June 18th, 2021, we hosted a Press Conference which was live-streamed and covered by local media houses. Present at this press conference was US Ambassador to Saint Lucia Her Excellency Linda Taglialatela who announced the easing of security related restrictions to our police force. This easing of restrictions has resulted in our police being allowed to participate in the recent US Tradewins Training exercise.

It is unfortunate yet not surprising that the SLP would deliberately lie on an issue as important as this, especially when there is substantial evidence in the public domain to refute their lies. What a shame!

In your free time, please take a moment to view the Press Conference with the US Ambassador from June 18th, 2021.

View the full press briefing: https://www.facebook.com/SaintLuciaGovernment/videos/516515143108236

RSLPF continues to benefit from UWP Government’s efforts to repair US- Saint Lucia Relations and remove of Leahy Law:
In light of BVI Arrest UWP Concerned About US-Saint Lucia Relations

The recent participation of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) in the US training exercise Tradewinds 2022, for the first time in nearly ten years, is thanks to the United Workers Party Government’s commitment to resolve IMPACS and have the Leahy Law lifted.

The former Allen Chastanet-led administration worked tirelessly to restore Saint Lucia’s relationship with the United States Government, which led to the announcement in June 2021 by the United States Ambassador during a visit to Saint Lucia that the United States would resume security cooperation and assistance to units within the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) with
immediate effect. Under the UWP administration the US had also provided support to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the form of donated equipment.

“This was not an easy task and was years in making; requiring extensive consultations across U.S. Government agencies,” explained former Prime Minister now Leader of the Opposition Hon Allen Chastanet. “We are pleased our police can now take part in such exercises and note that this also helps rebuild the morale of the RSLPF.”

“We can only hope that the present administration understands how much persistent negotiating it took to rebuild the relationship with the United States. Unfortunately, soon after this current government took office we were shocked to hear the External Affairs Minister publicly refer to key international partners as a ‘morally bankrupt mongoose gang’. Such reckless statements have severe implications for all Saint Lucians and can significantly reverse the gains earlier made.”

Chastanet said he was further concerned about the recent arrest of a high profile leader in the Caribbean by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

“It is important we know that our own elected officials are not implicated in what seems like a far-reaching investigation by the US and other international drug enforcement agencies. The SLP Government needs to clarify the stories in the public domain that there are ministers who have been denied their US Visas.”
Chastanet also called on the Government to provide all the necessary assistance to the Office of the DPP to resolve the relevant IMPACS related cases.